Uneven geographies of organizational practice: explaining the cross-national transfer and adoption of ISO 9000

There is growing recognition that organizational innovations can have a major influence on the geography of economic activity. Yet, very little is known about the mechanisms and geographic preconditions underlying their diffusion, particularly at the global level. In this paper we seek to fill this gap using the example of ISO 9000, the internationally- recognized set of standards for quality management. We develop a series of hypotheses about the conditions under which organizations are most likely to adopt ISO 9000. These hypotheses are then tested using panel data for 130 countries over the period 1995-2001. Our findings support the idea that transnational network ties linking countries to the wider global community influence adoption decisions. Thus, exports to the EU and Japan, local involvement of transnational corporations (TNCs), colonial ties to Europe and the availability of telecommunications, all emerge as statistically significant determinants of ISO 9000 counts. Our results also underscore the importance of national environmental conditions. Low regulatory burden, a high share of manufacturing activity, high rates of secondary school enrolment and low levels of productivity are positively associated with a high number of certificates. We conclude that globalization has increased the mobility of organizational innovations across national borders. Yet, country- level variations in (a) transnational network linkages and (b) environmental conditions influencing the receptiveness of organizations to new economic practices, suggest that spatial unevenness is an inevitable feature of organizational diffusion at the global level.ISO 9000, standards, cross-national diffusion, globalization, institutionalism

Do membership benefits buy regulatory compliance?: an empirical analysis of EU directives 1978-1999.

Underlying several theories of European integration is the idea that countries' willingness to sign up to supranational rules is dependent on the expectation and/or realization of various benefits. In this paper, we explore whether such benefits also affect member states' implementation of these rules. Using econometric techniques, we estimate the influence of several measures of membership benefits on the annual number of legal infringements received by 15 member states over the period from 1978 to 1999. Our results provide qualified support for the idea that benefits positively influence compliance. We find that greater intra-EU trade dependence and voting power in European institutions relative to population size are negatively associated with legal infringements. Yet, contrary to a priori expectations, net fiscal transfers are positively correlated with infringements.

Implementing multilateral environmental agreements: an analysis of EU directives.

While a number of different theoretical models have been advanced to explain why states implement—or, indeed, do not implement—multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), very little empirical work has been undertaken to validate their predictions. With a view to narrowing this gap, the present article adopts a large-N, econometric approach to test the explanatory power of four distinct models of compliance—domestic adjustment, reputational, constructivist and managerial—in the context of European Union (EU) environmental policy. Using data on the number of ofıcial infringements received by 15 member states for non-implementation of environmental directives over the period 1979–2000, we ınd that all four models make a statistically signiıcant contribution to explaining spatio-temporal differences in legal implementation. Thus, our results suggest that the implementation of MEAs is shaped by a combination of rational calculations of domestic compliance costs and reputational damage, domestically institutionalized normative obligations, and legal and political constraints. We conclude by suggesting a greater need for multi-causal theoretical models of supranational legal compliance.

The international diffusion of new technologies: a multi-technology analysis of latecomer advantage and global economic integration

The diffusion of modern, efficient technology has far-reaching consequences for the geography of economic activity, inequality and environmental quality. This article examines two popular yet highly controversial claims about the conditions most favorable to the rapid spread of new technology. The first states that latecomer advantage allows developing countries to diffuse new technology faster than developed countries. The second claim, widely articulated by advocates of neo-liberal policy reform, is that new technologies diffuse more rapidly where countries are “open” to international trade and investment. To investigate these claims we use event-history analysis to estimate the determinants of diffusion speed across a large panel of developed and developing countries for three very different technologies. These are: continuous steel casting, shuttleless textile weaving looms and digital telephone mainlines. Our results broadly support both propositions. Countries which adopt new technology later or have a smaller existing capital stock – characteristic features of developing countries – diffuse new technology more rapidly than countries that adopt earlier or have more installed capacity – two characteristics of developed countries. Trade openness is also found to influence the rate of diffusion positively for all three technologies. Yet, consistent with recent empirical studies, we fail to find support for the idea that foreign direct investment (FDI) accelerates the diffusion of new technology in host economies. The paper concludes by discussing the geographical implications of our findings.Diffusion, globalization, industrialization, latecomer, technology

The Reaction of Some Sodium Salts of Fatty Acids and Benzoic Acid With α-Bromobenzyl Cyanide

Fife and O\u27Shaughnessy have made a serices of di-esters by allowing the sodium salts of various fatty acids to react with ethyl monochloracetate according to the following equation: RCO2 Na + ClCH2 CO2 C2 H5 -----------\u3e RCO2CH2CO2 C2 H5 + NaCL The mechanism of the reaction appears to be ionic and to involve the attack of an RCO2- ion on the carbon atom to which the chlorine atom is attached. As the RCO2- approaches this carbon atom the chlorine atom moves away and leaves as a chloride ion. This reaction appears to be similar to the Williamson synthesis of ethers: RONa + R\u27X --------------\u3e ROR\u27 + Na

A Theory of Mechanical Response of Fiber Networks

General theoretical aspects of a continuum mathematical model for predicting the mechanical behavior of fiber networks are presented. The theory is developed for an idealized two-dimensional elastic network subjected to static loading. It is intended that the theory be employed to study the elastic stress-strain behavior of paper sheets or other bonded fibrous materials

The development of a finite element model for ballistic impact predictions

Concrete is a widely used product and is an important application throughout industry due to its inexpensive cost and wide range of applications. This work focuses on understanding the behavior of high strength concrete in high strain rate ballistic impact loading scenarios. A finite element analysis was created with the implementation of the Concrete Damage and Plasticity Model 2 (CDPM2) to represent the material behavior. The model’s parameters were calibrated to existing literature and the results were analyzed by a comparison of the impact velocity to residual velocity and a qualitative assessment of the impact crater. The model captured the impact dynamics of the contact between the projectile and the concrete target with defined fracture patterns. Impact velocity and target thickness indicated a relatively linear relationship with the final projectile velocity