This research explores the impact of process management activities on technological innovation. Drawing on research in organizational evolution and learning, we suggest that as these practices reduce variance in organizational routines and influence the selection of innovations, they enhance incremental innovation at the expense of exploratory innovation. We tested our hypotheses in a 20-year longitudinal study of patenting activity and ISO 9000 quality program certifications in the paint and photography industries. In both industries, the extent of process management activities in a firm was associated with an increase in both exploitative innovations that built on existing firm knowledge and an increase in exploitation's share of total innovations. Our results suggest that exploitation crowds out exploration. We extend existing empirical research by capturing how process management activities influence the extent to which innovations build on existing firm knowledge. We suggest that these widely adopted organizational practices shift the balance of exploitation and exploration by focusing on efficiency, possibly at the expense of long-term adaptation.
In: Swiss political science review: SPSR = Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft : SZPW = Revue suisse de science politique : RSSP, Band 21, Heft 2, S. 333-349
"The Principality of Liechtenstein challenges the prevailing view in political science that 'small is democratic.' Located in the heart of Western Europe, the Principality is ruled by a monarch with extensive political powers. The present article examines how the smallness of the Principality contributes to the maintenance of powerful traditional leadership, and which strategies are used to legitimize the Liechtensteiner system vis-à-vis its population. On the basis of interviews with Liechtensteiner respondents, it is found that the smallness of Liechtenstein contributes to the position of the monarchy due to (1) the lack of alternative sources of identification, (2) the perception of the Prince as a neutral arbiter standing above the quarreling political factions, and (3) the dominant cultural code that limits citizens' opportunities to criticize the monarchy. The article highlights several ways in which the Prince has sought to legitimize his own position, and to undercut the criticism against him." (author's abstract)
In: Swiss political science review: SPSR = Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft : SZPW = Revue suisse de science politique : RSSP, Band 21, Heft 2, S. 333-349
AbstractThe Principality of Liechtenstein challenges the prevailing view in political science that 'small is democratic.' Located in the heart of Western Europe, the Principality is ruled by a monarch with extensive political powers. The present article examines how the smallness of the Principality contributes to the maintenance of powerful traditional leadership, and which strategies are used to legitimize the Liechtensteiner system vis‐à‐vis its population. On the basis of interviews with Liechtensteiner respondents, it is found that the smallness of Liechtenstein contributes to the position of the monarchy due to (1) the lack of alternative sources of identification, (2) the perception of the Prince as a neutral arbiter standing above the quarreling political factions, and (3) the dominant cultural code that limits citizens' opportunities to criticize the monarchy. The article highlights several ways in which the Prince has sought to legitimize his own position, and to undercut the criticism against him.
"This innovative book examines why national courts refer preliminary references to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), and what the referring court does with the answers. Jasper Krommendijk highlights the three core stages in the interaction between national courts and the ECJ: question, answer and follow-up, shedding new light on this under-explored area. Closing the gap between empirical interview data, and case law analysis, chapters use a unique combination of the two research methods to consider two current, and one former, EU Member States. The book demonstrates that judges extensively use the procedure and follow its outcome almost without exception, despite dissatisfaction and criticism regarding the absence of a true dialogue. By embedding the examples in the book in appropriate theory, this study will provide a useful read for students of EU law, particularly those wanting to better understand its consequences in the national legal order. Its recommendations for good practices in the ECJ and national courts will also be helpful to legal practitioners, judges and legal secretaries"--
AbstractPaint sludge (PS) is a waste product coming from spray application of paints in automotive industry. For the first time, this work assessed the economic costs and environmental impacts connected to recycling PS in bituminous binders for asphalt pavement applications. Previous works have demonstrated that PS could be used as a replacement of up to 20% (w/w) of neat bitumen in the production of hot mixture asphalts (HMAs), without worsening the technical performances of pavements. The annual production of PS from Italian automotive plants (3000 t/year) could be accommodated in a paved area of 1.64 km2 that, when employed in local roads, with an average width of 5 m, corresponds to approximately 330 km. Costs for treating PS to be prepared for recycling resulted in 144 €/t raw PS. This cost was of the same order, or even less, of that required for PS incineration or disposal in a landfill for hazardous waste (250–300 €). The LCA analysis revealed that the production of HMAs by employing a binder that contains 20% (w/w) of PS, reduced the gross energy requirement (GER) and global warming potential (GWP) indexes by 15% and 39%, respectively, compared to an HMA produced with the traditional process.
In most countries, the main task of the constitutional court is to review compliance with the constitution. The basic method to perform this task is the elimination of violations upon an external request: after the court receives from applicants information about such violations in the form of claims or requests, it assesses the validity of such claim/requests and makes a decision on the particular issue that was brought up by an applicant, thereby restoring the constitutional order within the legal sphere in question. It is clear that one properly functioning court does not suffice for the successful realization of such a review model. One needs the coherent ecosystem of court helpers, who would collect relevant information about violations and supply it to judges — practically like raw materials, without which judicial control is impossible. The article analyzes the relationship of the Russian Constitutional Court with a specific type of such helpers — the Ombudsman. Based on the quantitative analysis of the database of the decisions of the Constitutional Court, the author traces the evolution of these relations over the time period from 1999 to the present day and attempts to identify the reasons why, despite the growing "friendliness" of the Constitutional Court towards the Ombudsman, the role of the latter in the judicial review is declining.
AbstractMany legal systems have specialist labour courts with jurisdiction over individual employment disputes or collective labour disputes or both. The literature identifies a number of possible justifications for the use of specialist labour courts. This chapter will engage in a critical examination of this literature in order to develop a framework for analysing the performance of courts (whether specialist or otherwise) in deciding labour law cases. We shall then apply that framework to some of the recent case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
AbstractJustice reinvestment has been hailed as a solution to mass incarceration across the United States for nearly 20 years. It suggests that inefficiencies in the criminal justice system can be eliminated to reinvest money in high‐incarceration communities to reduce the correlates of crime. However, the implementations have focused on reinvesting criminal justice funds back into public safety, which has led to the "bluewashing" of justice reinvestment. Introduced here, bluewashing occurs when a justice agency that has historically poor social justice performance communicates positive justice performance after implementing a theoretically supported reform in name only. In actuality, the reform has been modified to suit their own continuance. A realignment of the logic and theoretical support of justice reinvestment is critical to produce reforms that can provide relief for states, agencies, and citizens that are promised by justice reinvestment. This work directly connects the justice reinvestment thesis with the spatial interconnectedness of poverty, education, employment, and housing with crime and recidivism. It argues that justice reinvestment is a crime prevention policy that can simultaneously reduce mass incarceration and empower millions of American citizens living in the United States' most brutal conditions.