52,032 research outputs found
Interaction of Chinese institutions with host governments in dam construction: the Bui Dam in Ghana
No full textThe study analyses the role of Chinese companies and financing institutions and Ghanaian governmental agencies in planning and constructing the Bui Dam. The analysis focuses on the division of responsibilities between Sinohydro and China Exim Bank on the one side and the Ghanaian government on the other side. The findings show that environmental and resettlement planning for Bui was commissioned and financed by the Government of Ghana without Sinohydro’s involvement. The obligation of the firm is to abide by the environmental regulations that are monitored by the regulatory authorities. The role of Sinohydro consists in building the dam, maintaining the construction site, contracting workers, and providing for workers’ health and safety. The firm has no role in resettlement, which is carried out by the Bui Power Authority. While there is clear evidence that the Bui Power Authority does not follow the recommendations of the Resettlement Planning Framework, Sinohydro appears to abide largely by the conditions set out in the Environmental Impact Assessment study whose implementation is monitored by the Ghanaian Environmental Protection Agency and the Ghanaian Water Resources Commission
Top Management Team Diversity: A systematic Review
No full textEmpirical research investigating the impact of top management team (TMT)
diversity on executives’ decision making has produced inconclusive results.
To synthesize and aggregate the results on the diversity-performance
link, a meta-regression analysis (MRA) is conducted. It integrates more
than 200 estimates from 53 empirical studies investigating TMT diversity
and its impact on the quality of executives’ decision making as reflected
in corporate performance. The analysis contributes to the literature by
theoretically discussing and empirically examining the effects of TMT diversity
on corporate performance. Our results do not show a link between TMT
diversity and performance but provide evidence for publication bias. Thus,
the findings raise doubts on the impact of TMT diversity on performance
A quadratic divisor problem and moments of the Riemann zeta-function
No full textWe estimate asymptotically the fourth moment of the Riemann zeta-function twisted by a Dirichlet polynomial of length T 1/4^(−ε). Our work relies crucially on Watt's theorem on averages of Kloosterman fractions. In the context of the twisted fourth moment, Watt's result is an optimal replacement for Selberg's eigenvalue conjecture.
Our work extends the previous result of Hughes and Young, where Dirichlet polynomials of length T 1/11^(−ε) were considered. Our result has several applications, among others to the proportion of critical zeros of the Riemann zeta-function, zero spacing and lower bounds for moments.
Along the way we obtain an asymptotic formula for a quadratic divisor problem, where the condition am₁m₂−bn₁n₂=h is summed with smooth averaging on the variables m₁,m₂,n₁,n₂,h and arbitrary weights in the average on a,b. Using Watt's work allows us to exploit all averages simultaneously. It turns out that averaging over m₁,m₂,n₁,n₂,h right away in the quadratic divisor problem considerably simplifies the combinatorics of the main terms in the twisted fourth moment
Chinese hydropower companies and environmental norms in countries of the global South: the involvement of Sinohydro in Ghana’s Bui Dam
No full textThe paper examines the role of environmental norms in Chinese overseas investment in hydropower dams, exemplified by Sinohydro’s involvement in the Bui Dam in Ghana. While the investment of Western companies in hydropower dams in the global South is decreasing owing to changing notions of sustainability in the West, the investment of Chinese companies in hydro dams in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America is accelerating at great speed. The emergence of Chinese companies in international markets in the context of China’s Going Abroad strategy has sparked a debate on whether China can be considered a norm-changer in international development. The paper considers this question in the context of the status of environmental norms in Sinohydro’s investment in Ghana’s Bui Dam. The paper argues that the role of international norms in Chinese investment is dependent on two factors: the contractual arrangements under which Chinese companies operate abroad and the political institutions of host countries
The role of person-job fit in the relationship between transformational leader and job engagement
No full textPurpose - This paper explores the relationship between transformational leadership and employees’ work engagement based on fit theory. The paper reports an investigation into the way in which employees’ perceptions of transformational leadership and person-job fit affect their work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – To test our hypotheses, we performed structure equation modelling with maximum likelihood estimation on Mplus with bootstrapping proposed by Hayes (2009) with data from 691 full-time employees in China.Findings - The results indicate that transformational leadership has as significant influence on employees’ work engagement as person-job fit in China. Moreover, employees’ perception of person-job fit is found to partially mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and employees’ work engagement. Research limitations/implications – There is a possible bias arising from the use of cross-sectional data. However, a number of methods were implemented to minimise it, including survey design and data analysis.Practical implications – The paper proposes a number of practical implications for policy makers, HR managers and transformational leaders relating to issues associated with improving levels of employee engagement. Originality/value - The study contributes to developing leadership and engagement theory by examining a previously unexplored mediator – person-job fit – in a neglected cultural setting. This study promises to open new research avenues in this area.<br/
Dijkhoogte langs voorhaven Den Oever
No full textDe dijkhoogten langs de voorhaven van Den Oever variëren van NAP + 5.20 m tot 5.30 m aan de oostzijde en van NAP + 5.33 m tot 6.00 m aan de westzijde. Het ontwerppeil bij Den Oever bedraagt NAP + 5.25 m (met een overschrijdingsfrequentie van 7*10-4 per jaar). Rekening houdend met een zeespiegelrijzing van 0.1 m en (waarschijnlijk niet optredende ) bui-oscillaties met een amplitude van 0.25 m, kan de waterstand plaatselijk 0.4 m boven de aanwezige kruinhoogte liggen. In deze notitie zal worden nagegaan welke stroomsnelheden hierbij op het talud aan de IJsselmeerzijde te verwachten zijn. Aan de hand van de te berekenen snelheden moet vervolgens de "overloopbestendigheid" van de bedoelde dijkvakken worden beoordeeld. Geconcludeerd kan worden dat de "overloopbestendigheid" van het beschouwde profiel onvoldoende is indien de waterstand boven NAP + 5.32 m komt. Indien uitsluitend met het ontwerppeil ( van NAP + 5.25 m ) en een zeespiegelrijzing van 0.10 m zou worden gerekend, is een kruinhoogte van NAP + 5.35 m voldoende. Het optreden van bui-oscillaties zal in dat geval leiden tot te hoge stroomsnelheden op het talud aan de ijsselmeerzijde. Gelet op de vrij hoge en continu optredende stroomsnelheden bij overlopen ( H > 0.1 m ) wordt geadviseerd de dijken rond de voorhaven op traditionele wijze ( = met grond ) te verhogen tot de "maatgevende waterstand" + 0.5 m. Alhoewel het toepassen van keermuurtjes als een effectieve maatregel kan worden gezien om de hoeveelheid overslag te beperken, lijkt het niet logisch om deze rond de voorhaven te gebruiken. De dijken rond de voorhaven zijn immers al voor een groot deel voorzien van een harde bekleding. Voor de verbindingsdijken tussen de kunstwerken is de toepassing van keermuurtjes wèl goed te verdedigen. Door muurtjes toe te passen tot dezelfde hoogte als de betonwanden van de kunstwerken ( NAP + 7.00 m ) wordt in technische en visuele zin een aantrekkelijke oplossing verkregen omdat grote discontinuïteiten in "kruin" hoogte worden vermeden.C.86.09/0
FIGURE 5. Chionanthus ramiflorus. A, B. Branches with flowers. C. Inflorescence. D in The genus Chionanthus (Oleaceae) in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
No full textFIGURE 5. Chionanthus ramiflorus. A, B. Branches with flowers. C. Inflorescence. D. Portion of shoot with two axillary inflorescences. E. Leaf, adaxial and abaxial views. F. Portion of stem. G. Portion of inflorescence with flower buds. H, I. Portions of inflorescence with anthetic flowers. J. Inflorescence bracts. K. Corolla and stamens, front view. Bui 78. Photos by H.Q. Bui, correction and design by M. Nuraliev.Published as part of Quang, Bui Hong & Nuraliev, Maxim S., 2021, The genus Chionanthus (Oleaceae) in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, pp. 167-195 in Phytotaxa 525 (3) on page 183, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.525.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/571238
A 2 h periodic variation in the low-mass X-ray binary Ser X-1
No full textSpectroscopy of the low-mass X-ray binary Ser X-1 using the Gran Telescopio Canarias have revealed a ?2 h periodic variability that is present in the three strongest emission lines. We tentatively interpret this variability as due to orbital motion, making it the first indication of the orbital period of Ser X-1. Together with the fact that the emission lines are remarkably narrow, but still resolved, we show that a main-sequence K dwarf together with a canonical 1.4 M? neutron star gives a good description of the system. In this scenario, the most likely place for the emission lines to arise is the accretion disc, instead of a localized region in the binary (such as the irradiated surface or the stream-impact point), and their narrowness is due instead to the low inclination (?10°) of Ser X-1
Mesophilic-hydrothermal-thermophilic (M-H-T) digestion of green corn straw
No full textMesophilic-hydrothermal (80-160 degrees C, 30 min)-thermophilic (M-H-T) digestion and control tests of mesophilic (M), thermophilic (T), hydrothermal-mesophilic (H-M), and mesophilic-thermophilic digestion (M-T) of green corn straw were conducted for a 20-day fermentation period. The results indicate that M-H-T is an efficient method to improve methane production. A maximum methane yield of 371.74 mL/g volatile solid was obtained by the M (3 days)-H (140 degrees C)-T (17 days) process, which was 20.44%, 16.55%, 31.44%, and 14.31% higher than the yields of the M, T, 140-M, and M-T processes. The enhanced methane production was attributed to (1) the improved hemicellulose degradation and lignin disorganization; (2) prevention of the degradation of soluble sugar, easily hydrolyzed hemicellulose and cellulose into furfural and methylfurfural; and (3) lack of formation of Maillard reaction products during initial hydrothermal treatment. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Assessing Performance Determinants of Higher Education Academics in Developed and Emerging Economies: UK vs Vietnam
No full textTwo major universities were used in this study (one from the UK and one from Vietnam) to examine the role of various employee and job characteristics that determine academics’ performance. The backgrounds of the higher education systems of the UK and Vietnam are presented. The research demonstrates the importance of individual characteristics in determining both academic teaching and research performance, regardless of developed or emerging economy context. Of particular interest, tenure is also found to be a significant determinant of research performance. However, organizational characteristics are found to have no statistically significant impact on academics’ performance
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