Powering Advances in Next-Generation Photovoltaics through Materials Synthesis and Characterization

Solar energy is our most abundant natural resource: the energy from sunlight that strikes the Earth in one hour is more than the energy consumed globally in a year. This makes photovoltaics, which convert solar energy into electrical energy, a critical technology to pursue. 95% of the photovoltaic market is dominated by silicon; its high efficiency, stability, and plummeting manufacturing costs made it the clear choice for commercialization. However, silicon solar cells are thick, heavy, opaque, and rigid, limiting potential applications. They are energy- and resource-intensive to produce, and their manufacturing process uses and produces several toxic substances. “Next-generation” photovoltaic technologies have tried to compete with silicon, boasting improvements in efficiency, stability, toxicity, cost, weight, and benefits such as semi-transparency or flexibility. Thus far, none of these technologies have surpassed silicon as each has encountered unique roadblocks. I worked to identify and overcome these roadblocks for two promising next-generation photovoltaic technologies: nanoparticle organic photovoltaics (NP-OPVs) and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs). Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are remarkable for their tunable properties, cheaper synthesis, and thin, flexible, lightweight, semi-transparent devices, opening up applications unavailable to silicon cells. However, after decades of development, OPVs lag far behind silicon in efficiency. NP-OPVs are a subset of OPVs which use organic nanoparticle building blocks for eco-friendly fabrication out of water and greater control over material assembly. Currently, NP-OPVs lag even farther behind their OPV counterparts in efficiency. I investigated device characteristics of NP-OPVs to help close the efficiency gap with OPVs and identified a unique application – indoor power generation – for which OPVs and NP-OPVs are uniquely suited. HOIP photovoltaics emerged in the last decade and skyrocketed up to efficiencies competitive with silicon. Like OPVs, they have tunable properties, cheaper synthesis, and can be thin, lightweight, flexible, and semi-transparent. Stability is the major roadblock to HOIP commercialization; these devices break down under light, heat, humidity, and applied bias. I built a comprehensive map of how electronic and ionic charge carriers move in response to light, bias, and degradation, and synthesized HOIP derivatives which showed substantial increases in stability under light while maintaining their desirable properties

Work-family Balance: A Case Analysis of Coping Strategies Adopted by Nigerian and British Working Mothers.

Purpose – Given the reality that working mothers experience difficulties in achieving work-family balance as a result of the social restrictions that arise from parenting combined with career goals, this article explores the various coping strategies that are employed by working mothers in the cities of London (Great Britain) and Lagos (Nigeria). Methodology – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 72 mothers who worked in banks in London (Great Britain) and Lagos (Nigeria). Thematic analysis and investigator triangulation are used. Findings – The findings reveal various coping strategies that are used by working mothers in the cities of Lagos and London. The article also unearths the efficiency and the shortcomings of the use of au pairs among British working mothers and the similarities and disparities of such use compared to the traditional use of housekeepers in Nigeria. Originality/value – This article contributes to existing work-family balance literature by exploring coping strategies of working mothers as a result of socio-cultural and institutional differences in Great Britain and Nigeria

Newly independent nations and large engineering projects: The case of the Volta River Project

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explicate how newly independent nations combined local and international resources to plan and build large engineering projects aimed at enhancing economic development. It discusses the key factors and issues related to the planning and building of the Akosombo Dam and related townships from 1962 to 1967. Design/methodology/approach: The assessment is based on the archival information from the Volta River Authority together with other archival government data and interview transcripts before, during and after the completion (from the 1950s to the 1960s) of the Volta River Project (VRP). Findings: The paper presents insights from the VRP in newly independent Ghana and demonstrates how multiple international firms combine with host country stakeholders to usher in one of the most important engineering projects in post-colonial Africa. It also highlights how poor bargaining power and weak integration of the project outcome to future development objectives, with negligence by succeeding political actors, could inhibit the full achievement of intended long-term project outcomes. Research limitations/implications: Most of the conclusions are drawn from a single project within one country and would need to be supported by additional multi-country research. The study also presents an opportunity to explore how lessons learnt could influence policymaking in new, large and complex infrastructure projects. Originality/value: The paper reviews antecedents, processes and outcomes of a major post-independence infrastructure project in a sub-Saharan African country

Meeting the 21st century challenges of doing business in Africa

This concluding piece to the special issue outlines how nations and firms can capitalise on their resources and capabilities towards meeting the 21st century challenges of doing business in Africa. The paper outlines key requirements, including human capital formation, technology transfer, frugal innovation and learning from other nations. We also examine the mechanisms through which technology can be harnessed to help facilitate economic development and enhance Africa’s competitiveness

COVID-19 and business renewal: lessons and insights from the global airline industry

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the fortunes of multiple companies around the globe. Accordingly, questions are increasingly being asked about how organizations can revitalize during and after a crisis. Yet, we have limited understanding of how organizations renew themselves during crises over time. We explore this question through the lens and examination of two South-Asian airlines: Pakistan International Airlines and Sri Lankan Airlines. The cases offer important insights into the reasons behind underperformance of statecontrolled enterprises and renewal activities. We shed light on strategic renewal (SR) in the wake of increasing liberalization and deregulations in the global airline industry. To this end, we propose a four-stage approach towards renewing such underperforming organizations to respond effectively to black swan events and external shock

The Challenges of Employee Resourcing: The Perceptions of Managers in Nigeria

Purpose – The existing literature on the recruitment and selection process in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) context has not sufficiently revealed inherent challenges. This article examines managers’ perceptions of employee resourcing in Nigeria. Methodology – This article uses qualitative data which was generated from the semi-structured interviews of 61 managers across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria. Findings – The article finds that in addition to the Federal Character Principle and the Quota System Policy, favouritism, ethnicity, age and gender discrimination, as well as corruption significantly inhibit the recruitment and selection process in Nigeria. Consequently, the ability to hire the best workers to improve competitiveness is also inadvertently hampered. Originality/value – The paper shows that the institutional and cultural variations in SSA require a nuanced approach in the recruitment and selection process in order to enhance organisational competitiveness