2,416 research outputs found
Ypsilanti Histories: A Look Back at the Last Fifty Years
In commemoration of their city\u27s bicentennial, the people of Ypsilanti look back on the dramatic changes that the last fifty years brought to this small town in southeastern Michigan. Drawing on archival research, published sources, and personal recollections, Ypsilanti Histories explores the government, educational institutions, businesses, community organizations, neighborhoods, and individuals that have defined Ypsilanti since 1973.
As befits the rich diversity of the community, Ypsilanti Histories captures a range of experiences. It explores the controversies that have rocked the city from the university mascot to school consolidation, while also celebrating the city\u27s oldest African American civic organization and the pioneering Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation. Beloved businesses like the Ypsilanti Food Coop and the Ypsilanti Thrift Shop are profiled here as are some of the city\u27s greatest heroes including a Medal of Honor recipient. The effects of deindustrialization are documented as are the challenges that this brought to Michigan Avenue, Depot Town, and various neighborhoods. Education has long been central to Ypsilanti\u27s history, and Ypsilanti Histories examines changes at the city\u27s high school and Eastern Michigan University.
The authors of Ypsilanti Histories are amateur and professional historians who call Ypsilanti home. Many personally witnessed the events they describe, and some played a key role in the histories they tell. Ypsilanti Histories: A Look Back at the Last Fifty Years is edited by John McCurdy, Bill Nickels, Evan Milan, and Sarah Zawacki.https://commons.emich.edu/books/1011/thumbnail.jp
Spatial Interaction Models in a Big Data Grocery Retailing Environment
Grocery expenditure is responsible for around 10% of total household spend in the UK, making the grocery retail market worth over £200bn a year in 2021. The size of this market and the nature of retailing competition makes it important for retailers to make the right decisions. One such decision is the location of their stores for which there have been a number of changes in the location, format and channel of consumer interaction along with the methods that have been employed to determine new store location. In recent years it has been suggested that the spatial interaction model is the most appropriate method for estimating new store revenue and hence location. However, previous attempts to explore the performance of the spatial interaction model in grocery retailing have been limited by access to loyalty card data. In this thesis we show that these models are unable to account for the heterogeneity in store conditions and consumer behaviour to model total store revenue. Notably, we find that at the regional scale the size of the errors are such that these models are unlikely to be used consistently in practice for estimating store revenue or locating new stores. Furthermore, that the performance achieved in previous applications are unlikely to be consistently replicated. Thus our results demonstrate that the spatial interaction model in its current form is no longer appropriate for modelling grocery store revenue. It is anticipated that these results may become a starting point for the development and application of alternative forms of models and methods for predicting grocery retailing store revenue. Notably, such new methods must be able to account for recent changes in consumer behaviour such as convenience store shopping, multi-purpose trips and the growing influence of e-commerce, alongside changes in retailers interaction strategies
An empirical investigation of the relationship between integration, dynamic capabilities and performance in supply chains
This research aimed to develop an empirical understanding of the relationships between integration,
dynamic capabilities and performance in the supply chain domain, based on which, two conceptual
frameworks were constructed to advance the field. The core motivation for the research was that, at
the stage of writing the thesis, the combined relationship between the three concepts had not yet
been examined, although their interrelationships have been studied individually.
To achieve this aim, deductive and inductive reasoning logics were utilised to guide the qualitative
study, which was undertaken via multiple case studies to investigate lines of enquiry that would
address the research questions formulated. This is consistent with the author’s philosophical
adoption of the ontology of relativism and the epistemology of constructionism, which was considered
appropriate to address the research questions. Empirical data and evidence were collected, and
various triangulation techniques were employed to ensure their credibility. Some key features of
grounded theory coding techniques were drawn upon for data coding and analysis, generating two
levels of findings. These revealed that whilst integration and dynamic capabilities were crucial in
improving performance, the performance also informed the former. This reflects a cyclical and
iterative approach rather than one purely based on linearity. Adopting a holistic approach towards
the relationship was key in producing complementary strategies that can deliver sustainable supply
chain performance.
The research makes theoretical, methodological and practical contributions to the field of supply
chain management. The theoretical contribution includes the development of two emerging
conceptual frameworks at the micro and macro levels. The former provides greater specificity, as it
allows meta-analytic evaluation of the three concepts and their dimensions, providing a detailed
insight into their correlations. The latter gives a holistic view of their relationships and how they are
connected, reflecting a middle-range theory that bridges theory and practice. The methodological
contribution lies in presenting models that address gaps associated with the inconsistent use of
terminologies in philosophical assumptions, and lack of rigor in deploying case study research
methods. In terms of its practical contribution, this research offers insights that practitioners could
adopt to enhance their performance. They can do so without necessarily having to forgo certain
desired outcomes using targeted integrative strategies and drawing on their dynamic capabilities
Systems of State-Owned Enterprises: from Public Entrepreneurship to State Shareholding
This thesis outlines a new analytical perspective on state ownership through the original concept of systems of state-owned enterprises (SOSOEs). It is argued that the SOSOEs concept adequately captures the evolution of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in modern capitalist economies, challenging and enriching existing economic theories as well as contributing to reinstate the policy instrumentality of state ownership. The concept is defined from a comparative case study analysis of two distinct SOSOEs, operating within the same national context in different time periods. The first case concerns the Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI), Italy’s former and most relevant state holding company, that played a central role in the Country’s post-WWII economic development. This thesis advances an interpretation of IRI’s economic function based on an original empirical investigation of its archival and documentary sources, focusing on its main public policy missions and on its display of industrial entrepreneurship features. The second case examines the current Italian system of SOEs, assessing the still relevant presence of SOEs in the Italian national context and evaluating the overall governance of the system through a set of interviews with leading executives. Despite the similarity in size and sectoral diversification, the two SOSOEs differ significantly in terms of their operating configurations. In fact, they could be assimilated to two dichotomous ideal types: the IRI SOSOEs represents a template for the policy-oriented and dynamic ‘public entrepreneurship’ model, while the current Italian SOSOEs resembles the policy-neutral and passive ‘state shareholding’ variant. Implicit in these results is the opportunity for current SOSOEs to embrace a public entrepreneurship configuration, in order to exploit the full policy potential of state ownership in driving economic change. The thesis concludes with a proposal for reforming Italy’s current SOSOEs via the creation of a state holding company
How did Britain come to this? A century of systemic failures of governance
If every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets, what is wrong with the design of the systems that govern Britain? And how have they resulted in failures in housing, privatisation, outsourcing, education and healthcare? In How Did Britain Come to This? Gwyn Bevan examines a century of varieties of systemic failures in the British state. The book begins and ends by showing how systems of governance explain scandals in NHS hospitals, and the failures and successes of the UK and Germany in responding to Covid-19 before and after vaccines became available. The book compares geographical fault lines and inequalities in Britain with those that have developed in other European countries and argues that the causes of Britain’s entrenched inequalities are consequences of shifts in systems of governance over the past century. Clement Attlee’s postwar government aimed to remedy the failings of the prewar minimal state, while Margaret Thatcher’s governments in the 1980s in turn sought to remedy the failings of Attlee’s planned state by developing the marketised state, which morphed into the financialised state we see today. This analysis highlights the urgent need for a new political settlement of an enabling state that tackles current systemic weaknesses from market failures and over-centralisation. This book offers an accessible, analytic account of government failures of the past century, and is essential reading for anyone who wants to make an informed contribution to what an innovative, capable state might look like in a post-pandemic world
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Alternative Power: The Politics of Denmark\u27s Renewable Energy Transition
Global climate change is one of the defining political challenges and opportunities of the current era. Experts widely agree that technical means already exist for making the necessary transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy; the obstacles to doing so are primarily political. Careful observers also recognize that this period of transition creates an opening for political innovation and development. How can the political will be generated to take action to prevent climate catastrophe? And what will the process of transitioning mean for the political systems that have been built on cheap and abundant oil? Political scientists have largely ignored technological development as a lever for political development, or feared that technology could only be a force of domination. Yet renewable energy enthusiasts have often seen democratizing potential in these technologies. What can be accomplished politically by building a wind turbine? As countries like Denmark accumulate decades of experience with renewable energy, it is becoming possible to give such questions close empirical consideration. Denmark generates more of its electricity from renewable sources, and has been doing so longer, than any other industrialized nation, making it a uniquely valuable case for studying an advanced renewable energy transition in progress. This dissertation draws on novel qualitative and quantitative data to present the first comprehensive history of Denmark’s energy transition from its roots in the 1970s until the present, aiming to explain how this tiny nation emerged as the world’s leading wind power producer, and assess whether this process has yielded any democratic dividends. The multi-method analysis sheds new light on internal dynamics of Denmark’s energy transition, and, more generally, on late-stage evolutionary processes in mature technological systems. Many studies have shown an interest in the Danish case, which is usually presented as a relatively unqualified success story, but few have provided the empirical resolution to identify these complicating factors. This dissertation employs an explanatory strategy adapted from the ecological sciences to construct a more holistic and integrative portrait, resulting in a more thorough and accurate account of how Denmark jumped out to such a significant lead in the energy transition, and why that momentum might be flagging today, with implications for other countries hoping to chart a path toward a sustainable future
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UK food sustainability and global food supply chains: a sustainability impact study of Ghana's fresh vegetable exports to the UK
The purpose of this research is to explore the opportunities for reducing sustainability implications associated with the UK's global food supply chains by analysing Ghana's fresh vegetables exports. Existing literature assesses sustainability implications focusing on the traditional sustainability dimensions; namely, the environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Further, studies on the assessment of the UK food sustainability are yet to consider sustainability concerns generated by global food sources. To facilitate a holistic evaluation of the UK's global food supply chains and propagate its vision of global leadership in food sustainability, there is a need to consider all other relevant sustainability dimensions and their impacts associated with the activities and operations of global food suppliers. Case study data involving interviews and focus groups, together with survey data, are obtained from producers of Ghanaian fresh vegetables, such as smallholder farmers, outgrowers, local farmers, and exporters. The interviews and focus groups are first analysed using NVivo 11 software, following a thematic approach. Multilinear Regression (MLR) is performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyse the survey, in order to examine the relationship between sustainable food supply chains (sustainable FSC) and sustainability dimensions identified from the thematic analysis of the interviews and focus groups.
These findings indicate that six sustainability dimensions and their associated impacts are important in analysing Ghana's fresh vegetable exports to the UK. These are environmental, social, and economic dimensions, regulatory frameworks, collaboration, and producers' complexities in developing sustainable food supply chains (sustainable FSC). Interestingly, the survey results suggest that four of these dimensions are statistically significant; these are environmental, social, regulatory frameworks, and collaboration. The survey further revealed that an increase in regulatory frameworks and mechanisms can reduce sustainable FSC; whereas an increase in the practices and activities of the environmental, social, and collaborative dimensions increases sustainable FSC, thus improving overall sustainability. Revelations and findings from both the thematic and survey analysis were utilised to develop, test and validate the Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) model (thus, a conceptual framework of the study).
This study contributes to the body of knowledge in several ways. To theory, an SIA model is suggested, demonstrating the capture of all important sustainability dimensions; namely, environmental, economic, social, regulatory, collaboration, and complexities of food supply chains. It extends the discussion on sustainability impact assessments and sustainability development and encourages research in sustainability assessment. In practice, this SIA model can facilitate easy capture, examination, and evaluation of all relevant sustainability implications and allow new insights into the development and assessment of the stream of sustainability development.
Among many other implications such as promoting collaboration, policymakers need to encourage FairTrade for producers in developing countries, and regulatory mechanisms should be re-designed to enhance profitability by using simple conformity and economic incentives. Further, food trade partners and FSC professionals should encourage smart strategies and technologies to enhance logistics that minimise food waste and energy consumption, while boosting producers' welfare. Moreover, governments and policymakers should ensure that the sustainability concerns of overseas countries are captured in food policies and strategies to help facilitate global leadership in food sustainability
‘Sister, you understand’: stories black African women told of their experiences of being trafficked into/through Ireland for sexual exploitation.
Human trafficking is a hideous and highly gendered crime affecting primarily women and girls and has attracted the attention of researchers, experts and stakeholders from various fields, who continue to explore the phenomenon through multiple lenses. Although black African women are among the most exploited cohorts worldwide, little attention is paid to the racial dimension of trafficking and these women’s experiences are largely absent from the anti-trafficking discourse.
Responding to this gap in awareness, the present study explores the experiences of eight black African migrant women who have been trafficked into/through Ireland for sexual exploitation. Unstructured in-depth narrative interviews and thematic narrative analysis are employed to give voice to the first-hand experiences and opinions of these women. The racial understanding of human trafficking is interrogated, informed by my subjective positioning as a black African, migrant woman, a feminist, an advocate, a support provider and a researcher.
The study’s findings confirm that the limited extent of race-centred discourse in human trafficking narratives, particularly around the sexual exploitation of black African women, means that the experiences of such women may not always be understood by western researchers and support providers. The findings also highlight distinctively African aspects of the women’s experiences that, again, may meet relatively little understanding or sympathy in secular European contexts.
This lack of understanding and a wider lack of awareness and information has meant that most of the participants have had to navigate their recovery and the rebuilding of their lives outside of the sex trade, without any support or intervention. A need for awareness-raising within migrant communities, including residents of direct provision centres, is highlighted. Race-centred support and interventions for trafficked survivors from black and other ethnic minorities are also needed, to address appropriately issues and harms that might be specific to them. By giving voice and visibility to trafficked black women, the study contributes to a race-centred discourse on human trafficking
Valuing Social Data
Social data production is a unique form of value creation that characterizes informational capitalism. Social data production also presents critical challenges for the various legal regimes that are encountering it. This Article provides legal scholars and policymakers with the tools to comprehend this new form of value creation through two descriptive contributions. First, it presents a theoretical account of social data, a mode of production which is cultivated and exploited for two distinct (albeit related) forms of value: prediction value and exchange value. Second, it creates and defends a taxonomy of three “scripts” that companies follow to build up and leverage prediction value and describes the normative and legal ramifications of these scripts.The Article then applies these descriptive contributions to demonstrate how legal regimes are failing to effectively regulate social data value creation. Through the examples of tax law and data privacy law, it demonstrates these struggles in both legal regimes that have historically regulated value creation, like tax law, and legal regimes that have been newly tasked with regulating value creation by informational capitalism, like privacy and data protection law.The Article argues that separately analyzing data’s prediction value and its exchange value may be helpful to understanding the challenges the law faces in governing social data production and the political economy surrounding such production. This improved understanding will equip legal scholars to better confront the harms of law’s failures in the face of informational capitalism, reduce legal arbitrage by powerful actors, and facilitate opportunities to maximize the beneficial potential of social data value
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