Social and environmental reporting practices of organisations operating in, or sourcing products from, a developing country : evidence from Bangladesh

This research consists of a broad study in three parts of the social and environmental reporting practices of organisations operating in or sourcing products from a developing country, in this case Bangladesh. The first part of this study explores the social and environmental disclosure practices of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the body responsible for organising the activities of 4,200 entities involved in the export of garments from Bangladesh. By way of interview, this part documents the opinions of numerous senior executives from the BGMEA with regard to any changes in the degree of social and environmental pressures since 1985. Utilising a complementary theoretical perspective that includes legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory and institutional theory this part then performs an analysis of the BGMEA's annual reports (1987-2005), t o explore the link between the perceived pressures and changes entailed therein and the social and environmental disclosure practices of the BGMEA across the period of analysis. The results show that the disclosure practices of BGMEA appear to be directly driven by the changing expectations of multinational buying companies- the group deemed to be the most powerful stakeholder group. This section is the first known study to interview managers from a large organisation in a developing country about shifting stakeholder expectations and then to link these changing expectations to annual report disclosures across an extended period of analysis. The findings then directly lead to the second major part of this thesis which investigates the social and environmental disclosure practices of two major multinational buying companies: Nike and H&M. Adopting a joint consideration of legitimacy theory and media agenda setting theory, this second part investigates the linkage between negative media attention and positive corporate social and environmental disclosures over a 19 year period. The results support the view that for those industry-related social and environmental issues that attract the greatest amount of negative media attention, these companies react by providing positive social and environmental disclosures. The results were particularly significant in relation to labour practices in developing countries-the issue that attracts the greatest amount of negative media attention for the companies in question. While the second part demonstrates that the media influences particular disclosure practices, the third part of the thesis shows what drives the media. Based on the speculation provided in the second part, the third part tests the proposition that the media is an important ally of NGOs in their quest to influence change in corporate accountabilities. Through the use of interviews, the results of this part of the study provide evidence to support previously untested perspectives about NGOs' utilisation of the m edia. The results reveal that NGOs use the media because the media is responsible for creating real changes in the operations and disclosure policies of organisations sourcing products from Bangladesh. The various pressures impacting the activities of organisations operating in or sourcing products from developing countries constitutes a fascinating area of investigation, and it is hoped that this study will motivate further research in this area.

Accurate Parameter Estimation of Contaminant Transport Inverse Problem using Particle Swarm Optimization

Swarm Intelligence techniques such as particle swarm optimization (PSO) are shown to be incompetent for an accurate estimation of global solutions in several engineering applications. This problem is more severe in case of inverse optimization problems where fitness calculations are computationally expensive. In this work, a novel strategy is introduced to alleviate this problem. The proposed inverse model based on modified particle swarm optimization algorithm is applied for a contaminant transport inverse model. The inverse models based on standard-PSO and proposed-PSO are validated to estimate the accuracy of the models. The proposed model is shown to be out performing the standard one in terms of accuracy in parameter estimation. The preliminary results obtained using the proposed model is presented in this work.

Agents Based Algorithms for Design Parameter Estimation in Contaminant Transport Inverse Problems

A considerable amount of work has been dedicated on the development of analytical solutions for flow of chemical contaminants through soils. Most of the analytical solutions for complex transport problems are closed-form series solutions. The convergence of these solutions depends on the eigen values obtained from a corresponding transcendental equation. Thus, the difficulty in obtaining exact solutions from analytical models encourages the use of numerical solutions for the parameter estimation even though, the later models are computationally expensive. In this paper a combination of two swarm intelligence based algorithms are used for accurate estimation of design transport parameters from the closed-form analytical solutions. Estimation of eigen values from a transcendental equation is treated as a multimodal discontinuous function optimization problem. The eigen values are estimated using an algorithm derived based on glowworm swarm strategy. Parameter estimation of the inverse problem is handled using standard PSO algorithm. Integration of these two algorithms enables an accurate estimation of design parameters using closed-form analytical solutions. The present solver is applied to a real world inverse problem in environmental engineering. The inverse model based on swarm intelligence techniques is validated and the accuracy in parameter estimation is shown. The proposed solver quickly estimates the design parameters with a great precision.

Modeling transport through an environment crowded by a mixture of obstacles of different shapes and sizes

Many biological environments are crowded by macromolecules, organelles and cells which can impede the transport of other cells and molecules. Previous studies have sought to describe these effects using either random walk models or fractional order diffusion equations. Here we examine the transport of both a single agent and a population of agents through an environment containing obstacles of varying size and shape, whose relative densities are drawn from a specified distribution. Our simulation results for a single agent indicate that smaller obstacles are more effective at retarding transport than larger obstacles; these findings are consistent with our simulations of the collective motion of populations of agents. In an attempt to explore whether these kinds of stochastic random walk simulations can be described using a fractional order diffusion equation framework, we calibrate the solution of such a differential equation to our averaged agent density information. Our approach suggests that these kinds of commonly used differential equation models ought to be used with care since we are unable to match the solution of a fractional order diffusion equation to our data in a consistent fashion over a finite time period.

After the rains: Water’s impact for valuation practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reduce the potential for litigation by improving valuers’ awareness of water risks. As part of a valuer’s due diligence, the paper provides guidance as to how to identify such risks by explaining the different types and examining how online search tools can be used in conjunction with more traditional methods to evaluate the probability of these risks occurring. Design/methodology/approach The paper builds on prior research, which examined the impact of water to and for valuations. By means of legal/doctrinal analysis, this paper considers relevant issues from the perspective of managing client expectations and needs. In so doing it identifies online tools available to assist in identifying at risk properties and better informing clients. Findings While the internet provides a variety of tools to gain access to relevant information, this information most commonly is only provided subject to disclaimer. Valuers need to ensure that blind reliance is not given to use of these tools but that the tools are used in conjunction with individual property inspections. Research limitations/implications Although the examples considered primarily are Australian, increasing water risks generally make the issues considered relevant for any jurisdiction. The research will be of particular interests to practitioners in coastal or riverine areas. Practical implications Valuation reports are sought for a variety of purposes from a variety of clients. These range from the experienced, knowledgeable developer looking to maximise available equity to the inexperienced, uneducated individual looking to acquire their home and thinking more often than not with their heart not their head. More informed practices by valuers will lead to valuation reports being more easily understood by clients, thus lessening the likelihood of litigation against the valuer for negligence. Originality/value The paper highlights the issue of water risks; the need for valuers to properly address potential and actual risks in their reports; and the corresponding need to undertake all appropriate searches and enquiries of the property to be valued. It reinforces the importance of access to the internet as a tool in the valuation process.

Oxide Particle Surface Chemistry and Ion Transport in "Soggy Sand" Electrolytes

The crucial role of oxide surface chemical composition on ion transport in "soggy sand" electrolytes is discussed in a systematic manner. A prototype soggy sand electrolytic system comprising aerosil silica functionalized with various hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties dispersed in lithium perchlorate-ethylene glycol solution was used for the study. Detailed rheology studies show that the attractive particle network in the case of the composite with unmodified aerosil silica (with surface silanol groups) is most favorable for percolation in ionic conductivity, as well as rendering the composite with beneficial elastic mechanical properties: Though weaker in strength compared to the composite with unmodified aerosil particles, attractive particle networks are also observed in composites of aerosil particles with surfaces partially substituted with hydrophobic groups. The percolation in ionic conductivity is, however, dependent on the size of the hydrophobic moiety. No spanning attractive particle network was formed for aerosil particles with surfaces modified with stronger hydrophilic groups (than silanol), and as a result, no percolation in ionic conductivity was observed. The composite with hydrophilic particles was a sol, contrary to gels obtained in the case of unmodified aerosil, and partially substituted with hydrophobic groups.

Charge transport in a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid: Effects of pumping and bias

We study the current produced in a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid by an applied bias and by weak, pointlike impurity potentials which are oscillating in time. We use bosonization to perturbatively calculate the current up to second order in the impurity potentials. In the regime of small bias and low pumping frequency, both the dc and ac components of the current have power-law dependences on the bias and pumping frequencies with an exponent 2K-1 for spinless electrons, where K is the interaction parameter. For K < 1/2, the current grows large for special values of the bias. For noninteracting electrons with K=1, our results agree with those obtained using Floquet scattering theory for Dirac fermions. We also discuss the cases of extended impurities and of spin-1/2 electrons.

Direct estimate of transport length scales in semiconducting polymers

A method for determining the electron/hole transport length scale of model semiconducting polymer systems by scanning a narrow-light probe beam over the nonoverlapping anode/cathode region in asymmetric sandwich device structures is presented (see figure). Electron versus hole collection efficacy, and disorder and spatial anisotropy in the electrical transport parameters can be estimated.

Understanding curriculum planning practices that promote equity and excellence for students with disability

This thesis analyses how primary teachers plan from the Australian Curriculum for students with disabilities as part of their curriculum planning to achieve equity and excellence for all. The researcher used an institutional ethnographic approach to create data maps that visually represented how these teachers navigated across thirty-one curriculum organising texts in their individual and classroom planning. By identifying the complexity of the process, types of texts that were most influential, and the everyday/night work of curriculum planning, leaders can strategically plan to support teachers to have high expectations for students with disabilities. Key themes include students with disability, curriculum entitlement and practices that promote equity.

Western medicine and Australian Indigenous healing practices

Most projects undertaken by government health organisations are formulated on values and beliefs about health and illness that are derived from Anglo/Celtic culture. Health beliefs differ between cultures and it has been identified that the differences in the Indigenous and non-Indigenous constructs of health impacts negatively on the effectiveness of mainstream healthcare provided to Indigenous peoples [2]. This implies that strategies that incorporate, or better still are derived from, Indigenous health beliefs have a greater potential to be effective. This article introduces a prospective survey project asking how western medicine and traditional treatments interface with each other.

NFPOs and their anti-corruption disclosure practices: Evidence from Australia

By focusing on major Australian overseas aid not-for-profit organisations (NFPOs), this study has found that NFPOs’ public disclosures lack appropriate commentary relating to anti-corruption measures. We found that this could be due to a break down in regulatory oversight caused by a lack of mandatory reporting standards. This finding reinforces the experience of NFPOs in terms of addressing anti-corruption issues. The key lesson is that there is a need for significant improvement in the anti-corruption regulations, hence associated disclosure practices within the NFPOs sector.

Do inventory management practices affect economic performance? An empirical evaluation of the machine tool SMEs in Bangalore

Inventory management (IM) has a decisive role in the enhancement of manufacturing industry's competitiveness. Therefore, major manufacturing industries are following IM practices with the intention of improving their performance. However, the effort to introduce IM in SMEs is very limited due to lack of initiation, expertise, and financial constraints. This paper aims to provide a guideline for entrepreneurs in enhancing their IM performance, as it presents the results of a survey based study carried out for machine tool Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Bangalore. Having established the significance of inventory as an input, we probed the relationship between IM performance and economic performance of these SMEs. To the extent possible all the factors of production and performance indicators were deliberately considered in pure economic terms. All economic performance indicators adopted seem to have a positive and significant association with IM performance in SMEs. On the whole, we found that SMEs which are IM efficient are likely to perform better on the economic front also and experience higher returns to scale.

The role of phospholipid transfer protein and cholesteryl ester transfer protein in reverse cholesterol transport

In atherosclerosis, cholesterol accumulates in the vessel wall, mainly in the form of modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Macrophages of the vessel wall scavenge cholesterol, which leads to formation of lipid-laden foam cells. High plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) protect against atherosclerosis, as HDL particles can remove peripheral cholesterol and transport it to the liver for excretion in a process called reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) remodels HDL particles in the circulation, generating prebeta-HDL and large fused HDL particles. In addition, PLTP maintains plasma HDL levels by facilitating the transfer of post-lipolytic surface remnants of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins to HDL. Most of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) in plasma is bound to HDL particles and CETP is also involved in the remodeling of HDL particles. CETP enhances the heteroexchange of cholesteryl esters in HDL particles for triglycerides in LDL and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). The aim of this thesis project was to study the importance of endogenous PLTP in the removal of cholesterol from macrophage foam cells by using macrophages derived from PLTP-deficient mice, determine the effect of macrophage-derived PLTP on the development of atherosclerosis by using bone marrow transplantation, and clarify the role of the two forms of PLTP, active and inactive, in the removal of cholesterol from the foam cells. In addition, the ability of CETP to protect HDL against the action of chymase was studied. Finally, cholesterol efflux potential of sera obtained from the study subjects was compared. The absence of PLTP in macrophages derived from PLTP-deficient mice decreased cholesterol efflux mediated by ATP-binding cassette transporter A1. The bone marrow transplantation studies showed that selective deficiency of PLTP in macrophages decreased the size of atherosclerotic lesions and caused major changes in serum lipoprotein levels. It was further demonstrated that the active form of PLTP can enhance cholesterol efflux from macrophage foam cells through generation of prebeta-HDL and large fused HDL particles enriched with apoE and phospholipids. Also CETP may enhance the RCT process, as association of CETP with reconstituted HDL particles prevented chymase-dependent proteolysis of these particles and preserved their cholesterol efflux potential. Finally, serum from high-HDL subjects promoted more efficient cholesterol efflux than did serum derived from low-HDL subjects which was most probably due to differences in the distribution of HDL subpopulations in low-HDL and high-HDL subjects. These studies described in this thesis contribute to the understanding of the PLTP/CETP-associated mechanisms underlying RCT.

Probing the existing magnetic phases in Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3 (PCMO) nanowires and nanoparticles: magnetization and magneto-transport investigations

We show from conventional magnetization measurements that the charge order (CO) is completely suppressed in 10 nm Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3 (PCMO 10) nanoparticles. Novel magnetization measurements, designed by a special high field measurement protocol, show that the dominant ground state magnetic phase is ferromagnetic-metallic (FM-M), which is an equilibrium phase, which coexists with the residual charge ordered anti-ferromagnetic phase (CO AFM) (an arrested phase) and exhibits the characteristic features of a `magnetic glassy state' at low temperatures. It is observed that there is a drastic reduction in the field required to induce the AFM to FM transition (similar to 5-6 T) compared to their bulk counterpart(similar to 27 T); this phase transition is of first order in nature, broad, irreversible and the coexisting phases are tunable with the cooling field. Temperature-dependent magneto-transport data indicate the occurrence of a size-induced insulator-metal transition (TM-I) and anomalous resistive hysteresis (R-H) loops, pointing out the presence of a mixture of the FM-M phase and AFM-I phase.