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Purpose: The negative cultural bias vis-à-vis international business and cross-cultural management has been duly acknowledged, necessitating recommendations towards investigating its positive effects. Methodologically, quantitative research clearly predominates, and there have been calls for alternative approaches. Thus, this conceptual paper addresses the research gap (methodological and thematic) by investigating if multicultural teams can be an essential part of the global workforce and whether positive effects exist regarding dynamic capabilities, learning and knowledge transfer. Design/methodology/approach: The underlying ethnographic research design enabled exploring within the embedded single case study from an emic perspective, including qualitative observation and semi-structured expert interviews, and provided detailed insights into the company's multicultural work environment. Findings: The results reveal that applying a qualitative design allowed the needed exploration and show that multicultural, geographically dispersed teams are positively experienced and considered necessary in today's globalised world. They are likely to increase in the future. Moreover, dynamic capabilities (multicultural competencies) are indispensable for multicultural teamwork. Regarding learning opportunities, different viewpoints for discussion and the ability to reflect on these offer valuable insights. In line with theory, multiculturality is considered a "two-edged sword", providing simultaneous benefits and challenges. Contrary to the theory, even highly important information transfers can occur virtually, although occasional physical contact is essential for trust building. Originality/value: The multinational family business offers a unique example of a positive relationship between multiculturalism and organisational excellence and demonstrates how the application of a qualitative methodology can support theory building by delivering a revised model of dynamic capabilities in multicultural environments with geographical dispersion.

Purpose: Companies around the world have been challenged by the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although several studies have been conducted to understand how companies are surviving these challenges, little attention has been paid to survival strategies among startups. This research intends to address this gap by exploring how startups have put into practice causation, effectuation and/or crucible strategies in attempting to secure the survival of their businesses. Design/methodology/approach: Applying an inductive approach, this research uses descriptive and comparative 3 case studies from three Brazilian startups. Findings: The main findings reveal that: (i) the startups have been able to create positive effects from the COVID-19 pandemic after adopting different sets of causation, effectuation and crucible strategies; (ii) the emergence of the Reborn Epidemic Company concept has developed since startups started generating revenue following changes implemented due to the effects of the pandemic; (iii) crucible strategies have been successfully implemented by startup 2 in redesigning the business entirely and reorienting its product towards a completely new market niche. Originality: The findings corroborate the emergent Low-Touch Economy paradigm. Theoretical and practical contributions are addressed, as well as suggestions for future research.

Objetivo do estudo: compreender o significado de consumo do ato de tatuar o corpo para diferentes profissionais nas áreas de exatas, humanas e saúde. Metodologia: realizou-se uma pesquisa qualitativa descritiva, com entrevistas semiestruturadas com 25 profissionais em formação de 11 cursos diferentes. Para triangular os dados, realizou-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com 5 profissionais de Recursos Humanos responsáveis pela atividade de Recrutamento e Seleção. Principais resultados: os recrutadores de áreas mais tradicionais como saúde, direito e educação possuem receios na contratação de profissionais tatuados, principalmente os que atenderão diretamente ao público. Os profissionais em formação reconhecem este fato e demonstram receio na dificuldade da contratação em decorrência das tatuagens. Contribuições acadêmicas: identificação de preconceito quanto ao consumo de tatuagem, ainda existente no século XXI confirma achados de pesquisas anteriores sobre o tema demonstrando que apesar deste consumo ter se tornado mais comum (maior número e maior diversidade de perfis de consumidores tatuados na atualidade), este consumo conserva imagem de rebeldia e insubordinação. Contribuições práticas: fornece dados aos profissionais em formação, para aqueles que pretendem atuar em profissões mais conservadoras, para que posterguem o consumo de tatuagens em locais muito visíveis no início de suas carreiras. Para profissionais de recrutamento e seleção os achados indicam que tatuagens de temas polêmicos representam mais registros de superação de quem as consome do que de rebeldia. A característica de superação indica pessoas em certa medida resilientes e maduras emocionalmente o que pode servir como referência para ocupação de vagas que demandem essa característica do funcionário.

Teachers of business and economic journalism are developing creative approaches to attracting students and educating them in a field many find daunting. To recruit, some avoid using the terms "business" or "economic" in course titles, preferring "financial basics" and "financial literacy." Many use novel classroom techniques: to educate students about stock markets, for instance, some set up competitions where students vie to develop the most profitable portfolio. Provocative videos, cleverly developed assignments and trips to business-news sites are highlights in some courses. This article reviews approaches by a broad array of teachers.

This article is part of a first year doctoral research regarding the current state of knowledge in environmental sustainability, energy economics and their impact on European enterprises. As the current changes and modifications of the German energy economics system are observed by people all around the globe, the current paper analyzes what has been said until now in the scientific literature on character of the new strategy for energy consumption and production in Germany and its impact on environmental and social sustainability. With the help of two questionnaire-based surveys conducted in 2013 and 2014 through the German DIHK1, German enterprises were surveyed in order to: identify potential differences and similarities between the two periods, identify the effects of the energy transition on companies’ profitability, and analyze these effects and compare the results in terms of potential trend developments. The research findings confirmed that changes in the energy system affect not only the environmental sustainability only, but also the economy, in some cases even independent of the stage in which the changing system of the economy presently is.

Background: This paper generalizes the results of Embedding problem of Fuzzy Number Space and its extension into a Fuzzy Banach Space C(Ω) × C(Ω), where C(Ω) is the set of all real-valued continuous functions on an open set Ω.

A virtual organization is a community of people who interact together socially on a technical platform. These kinds of communities are built on a common interest, a common problem or a common task of its members that is pursued on the basis of implicit and explicit codes of behavior. The six dimensions that are normally used to analyze virtual organizations are the use of technologies, sense of belonging, success factors, level of trust from members, virtual community management, and contents of the virtual community. The virtual organizations defined in the literature are not defined separately for non-profit research virtual organization. Here we present analysis of non-profit research virtual organization, European Working Group on Operational Research for Development (EGW ORD). This paper provides a summary of achievements and challenges faced in building a virtual organization. This kind of analysis plays a vital role in establishing new non-profit virtual organizations to serve the research community in their field of interest. It is also helpful to the group in broadening its presence and involving more researchers, practitioners and students in the field of operational research.

RESUMOAdministrar estrategicamente é uma tarefa difícil que exige conhecimentos multidisciplinares, flexibilidade e percepção acentuada das condições e tendências ambientais. Na busca pelos melhores caminhos, os administradores deparam-se freqüentemente com aspectos difíceis de serem interpretados na íntegra e que influenciam suas decisões e conseqüências delas advindas; lidam com diferentes horizontes temporais, com fatos e rumores, com o imprevisível, com o desconhecido. Suas ações tornam-se mais difíceis quanto mais complexas e dinâmicas forem as ambiências de suas empresas, o que faz com que mesmo modelos consistentes sejam insuficientes para garantir o acerto nas decisões. Neste trabalho, abordamos vários aspectos sobre sistemas, pensamento complexo e incerteza que esperamos possam contribuir para a compreensão e abordagem das razões pelas quais nem sempre os resultados, ainda que frutos de processos bem elaborados, sejam os esperados e por que as empresas e seus administradores, por melhores que sejam seus sistemas de coleta e análise de informações e de tomada de decisão, nem sempre controlam seus destinos.ABSTRACTStrategic management is a demanding task concerning flexibility, multi-skills and perception of the environmental changes. While searching for better ways and practices, managers often face challenging situations that cannot be easily and entirely perceived and understood. They deal with facts, rumors, unpredictable situations and, many times, with the unknown. The more complex and dynamic their environment, the more difficult it gets to perform their tasks. Under some circumstances, even consolidated models can be insufficient to guarantee the success of the decisions made. Aiming to contribute to the understanding of the reasons why sometimes results are different from those expected, several aspects of systems theory, complex thinking and uncertainty were included in this paper. We hope it can be useful to explain the reasons why even reliable assumptions and solid strategic processes and models, supported by consistent information system and decision-making processes may not allow managers to dominate their future.RESUMENAdministrar estratégicamente es una tarea difícil que exige conocimientos multidisciplinarios, flexibilidad y percepción acentuada de las condiciones y tendencias ambientales. En la búsqueda de los mejores caminos, los administradores se deparan frecuentemente con aspectos difíciles de ser interpretados totalmente, que influencian sus decisiones y producen consecuencias por estas originadas; tratan con diferentes horizontes temporales, con hechos y rumores, con lo imprevisible, con lo desconocido.Sus acciones se tornan más difíciles cuanto más complejos y dinámicos sean los ambientes de sus empresas, lo que hace que hasta los modelos consistentes sean insuficientes para garantizar el acierto en las decisiones. En este trabajo, abordamos varios aspectos sobre sistemas, pensamiento complejo e incertidumbre que esperamos puedan contribuir para la comprensión y abordaje de las razones por las cuales no siempre los resultados, aunque frutos de procesos bien elaborados, sean los esperados y por qué las empresas y sus administradores, por mejores que sean sus sistemas de recopilación y análisis de informaciones y de tomada de decisión, no siempre controlan sus destinos.

Argues that, although most economics textbooks' explanations of imperfect competition may involve three to five models, the concept can be taught using a single, simple model. Uses several business/economic examples as illustrations. (DB)

Investment decisions in competitive power markets are based upon thorough profitability assessments. Thereby, investors typically show a high degree of risk aversion, which is the main argument for capacity mechanisms being implemented around the world. In order to investigate the interdependencies between investors' risk aversion and market design, we extend the agent-based electricity market model PowerACE to account for long-term uncertainties. This allows us to model capacity expansion planning from an agent perspective and with different risk preferences. The enhanced model is then applied in a multi-country case study of the European electricity market. Our results show that assuming risk-averse rather than risk-neutral investors leads to slightly reduced investments in dispatchable capacity, higher wholesale electricity prices, and reduced levels of resource adequacy. These effects are more pronounced in an energy-only market than under a capacity mechanism. Moreover, uncoordinated changes in market design may also lead to negative cross-border effects. Keywords: Agent-based simulation, Capacity expansion planning, Risk aversion, Electricity market design, Energy-only market, Capacity mechanism, 1. INTRODUCTION In competitive power markets, investment decisions are based upon thorough profitability assessments. Thereby, investors typically show a high degree of risk aversion due to the capital intensity of [...]

Abstract Inflation expectations of households and firms are central determinants in all dynamic macro models. Yet, empirical evidence suggests these decision makers form expectations in a way that deviates from [...]