The chinese business negotiation process: a socio-cultural analysis

Hoogovens Steel (HS) is a vertically integrated steel company, which until 1995 was functionally structured. During the eighties the steel market became saturated and more heterogeneous. In order to remain a flexible, market-oriented company, HS changed its organizational structure, by introducing business units responsible for their own financial results. Nevertheless, it remained a vertically integrated steel producer. With the functional structure HS had used cost-based transfer prices. But following the introduction of the business units the question was raised as to whether the transfer pricing system should be changed. A business unit structure implies a decentralization of authority and the delegation of certain activities to the units, but vertically integrated production requires close relations between the various stages. This paper discusses the extent to which the tensions between decentralization and integration can be resolved through the coordination of internal transactions. After introducing the relevant theoretical concepts, the issues which emerged in discussions about the coordination of internal transactions at HS are discussed. Some possible solutions are evaluated on the basis of criteria derived from the theoretical concepts, and the choice made within HS is described. Finally, some conclusions are drawn regarding the significance of the theoretical concepts.

STM Studies of TbTe3: Evidence for a fully Incommensurate Charge Density Wave

We observe unidirectional charge density wave ordering on the cleaved surface of TbTe3 with a Scanning Tunneling Microscope at ~6 K. The modulation wave-vector q_{CDW} as determined by Fourier analysis is 0.71 +/- 0.02 * 2 pi/c. (Where c is one edge of the in-plane 3D unit cell.) Images at different tip-sample voltages show the unit cell doubling effects of dimerization and the layer below. Our results agree with bulk X-ray measurements, with the addition of ~(1/3) * 2 pi/a ordering perpendicular to the CDW. Our analysis indicates that the CDW is incommensurate.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Parafermionic phases with symmetry-breaking and topological order

Parafermions are the simplest generalizations of Majorana fermions that realize topological order. We propose a less restrictive notion of topological order in 1D open chains, which generalizes the seminal work by Fendley [J. Stat. Mech., P11020 (2012)]. The first essential property is that the groundstates are mutually indistinguishable by local, symmetric probes, and the second is a generalized notion of zero edge modes which cyclically permute the groundstates. These two properties are shown to be topologically robust, and applicable to a wider family of topologically-ordered Hamiltonians than has been previously considered. An an application of these edge modes, we formulate a new notion of twisted boundary conditions on a closed chain, which guarantees that the closed-chain groundstate is topological, i.e., it originates from the topological manifold of degenerate states on the open chain. Finally, we generalize these ideas to describe symmetry-breaking phases with a parafermionic order parameter. These exotic phases are condensates of parafermion multiplets, which generalizes Cooper pairing in superconductors. The stability of these condensates are investigated on both open and closed chains.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figure

Classical Keggin intercalated into layered double hydroxides: facile preparation and catalytic efficiency in Knoevenagel condensation reaction

The family of polyoxometalate (POM) intercalated layered double hydroxides (LDHs) composite materials has shown great promise for the design of functional materials with numerous applications. It is known that intercalation of the classical Keggin polyoxometalate (POM) of [PW12O40]3- (PW12) into layered double hydroxides (LDHs) is very unlikely to take place by conventional ion exchange methods due to spatial and geometrical restrictions. In this paper, such intercalated compound of Mg0.73Al0.22(OH)2 [PW12O40]0.04•0.98H2O (Mg3Al-PW12) has been successfully obtained by adopting a spontaneous flocculation method. The Mg3Al-PW12 has been fully characterized using a wide range of methods (XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, EDX, XPS, FT-IR, NMR, BET). XRD patterns of Mg3Al-PW12 exhibit no impurity phase usually observed next to the (003) diffraction peak. Subsequent application of the Mg3Al-PW12 as catalyst in Knoevenagel condensation reactions of various aldehydes and ketones with Z–CH2-Z‘ type substrates (ethyl-cyanoacetate and malononitrile) at 60 oC in mixed solvents (Vi-propanol:Vwater = 2 : 1) demonstrated highly efficient catalytic activity. The synergistic effect between the acidic and basic sites of the Mg3Al-PW12 composite proved to be crucial for the efficiency of the condensation reactions. Additionally, the Mg3Al-PW12 catalysed Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde with ethyl cyanoacetate demonstrated the highest turnover number (TON) of 47980 reported so far