Réglementation et supervision des institutions de microfinance en ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2016-07-30

Jul 30, 2016 ... Book cover: Réglementation et supervision des institutions de microfinance en ... the sustainability of MFIs, the book should serve as a reference on the ... Georges Kobou is a Professor of Economics and Honorary Dean of the ...

Towards the establishment of cash waqf microfinance fund for refugees

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Omar Ahmad Kachkar

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose - This paper aims to propose cash waqf (endowment to develop a conceptual model that can be utilised to extend microfinance for refugees. Design/methodology/approach - Qualitative method is used in this research. An extensive review of the literature has been conducted. Latest literature on refugees, microfinance has been critically examined beside the current cash waqf models. Findings - Empirical studies have shown that many refugees are equipped with marketable skills and talents that can be utilised to improve their socio-economic situations. The proposed model – cash waqf refugee microfinance fund (CWRMF – is structured to extend microfinance to potential refugee micro entrepreneurs. To address the lack of collateral, which is a requirement to gain any microfinance, CWRMF has been incorporated with a takaful unit (cooperation by which refugees may guarantee each other. Additionally, the model has also been structured to address the challenge of sustainability of the institution that would provide microfinance. Hence, a reserve fund has also been integrated into the model. Practical implications - CWRMF represents a potential model to be implemented by humanitarian non-governmental organisations (NGOs and aid agencies to support livelihood of refugees in particular for Muslim refugees. Positive outcome is expected from the implementation of this model. This is because of the various advantages of microfinance programs not only on refugees but also on concerned NGOs, host populations and donor parties. Additionally, this paper is a set of primarily thoughts aims to open the door wider for more researchers to explore the potential of cash waqf as one of the instruments to finance refugee microenterprises and business activities. Originality/value - Recently cash waqf has been into several models for socio-economic development and poverty alleviation. This paper is proposing cash waqf as a source for a microfinance fund that can

Impact of Debt Capital on Outreach and Efficiency Of Microfinance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Impact of Debt Capital on Outreach and Efficiency Of Microfinance ... donation or government grants should be sustained in a long term to enable MFIs reach the poor who cannot afford high interest rates charged by debt financed MFIs.

International diversification and Microfinance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Galema, R.; Lensink, B.W.; Spierdijk, L.

2011-01-01

International commercial banks, institutional investors, and private investors have become increasingly interested in financing microfinance institutions (MFIs). This paper investigates whether adding microfinance funds to a portfolio of risky international assets yields diversification gains. By

International diversification and Microfinance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Galema, Rients; Lensink, Robert; Spierdijk, Laura

International commercial banks, institutional investors, and private investors have become increasingly interested in financing microfinance institutions (MFIs). This paper investigates whether adding microfinance funds to a portfolio of risky international assets yields diversification gains. By

Implementing Islamic microfinance in Nigeria: a matter of equity and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy (The) ... In the country, funding for small-scale businesses is available from both the government and the private sector. ... Keywords: Islamic microfinance; social development, distributive justice; indirect discrimination; constitutional law/human right, capability approach ...

Global Financial Partnerships in Microfinance: India, Peru and Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TUBARO, Paola

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The paper studies the ‘wholesale’ market through which microfinance institutions operating in three contexts (Peru, Tanzania and the state of Tamil Nadu in India obtain loans from a variety of domestic and international funding bodies. The nature and characteristics of the relationships between them are captured through network analysis and visualization tools, with a dataset comprising inter-organisational lending relationships and organisations’ attributes over the years 2006-8. Focus is on the extent to which patterns in wholesale lending relationships relate to the legal status and characteristics of microfinance institutions; to the regulatory, business and social environment in which they operate; and to shifts in the balance between social and commercial interests of diverse types of lenders.The analysis brings to light considerable cross-country variation in the structure and features of wholesale lending relationships, and relates it primarily to differences in governance and regulation. On this basis, it makes the case that building a more enabling regulatory environment for funding partnerships may improve the capacity of microfinance to achieve its dual goals of poverty alleviation and financial sustainability.

The role of a microfinance program on HIV risk behavior among Haitian women.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberg, Molly S; Seavey, Brian K; Jules, Reginal; Kershaw, Trace S

2011-07-01

Microfinance loans targeted at vulnerable female populations have the potential to foster female economic independence, possibly leading to the negotiation of safer sexual practices and reduced HIV risk. This study assessed the relationship between experience with microfinance loans and HIV risk behavior among 192 female clients of the Haitian microfinance organization Fonkoze. Clients with longer microfinance experience were generally found to have lower indicators of HIV risk behavior and higher indicators of relationship power compared to those with shorter experience. In particular, those with longer memberships were 72% less likely to report partner infidelity, were 3.95 times more likely to use condoms with an unfaithful partner, and had higher average general power index scores compared to those with shorter experience. This study provides evidence that long-term exposure to microfinance is associated with reduced HIV risk behavior in Haitian women and that this reduction may be partly regulated by influencing relationship power. These results suggest the need to further explore the use of microfinance as a tool to prevent the spread of HIV.

Modalities of Microfinance Delivery in Asia and Latin America: Lessons for China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Heather Montgomery; John Weiss

2006-01-01

Microfinance, the provision of small size loans and other financial services to low income households, is often seen as the key innovation of the last 25 years in terms of means of reaching out to the poor and vulnerable. There is extensive experience in microfinance provision in both Asia and Latin America, but as yet relatively little use of the approach in China. This paper assesses different approaches to rnicrofinance delivery using a threefold distinction, the credit union approach, the non-government organization approach and the banking approach, to generalize across recent Asian and Latin American experience and discuss the role of microfinance in poverty reduction in a theoretical framework. Considering the current state of microfinance in China and international experience, we suggest the banking approach as the way to best increase outreach of micro-financial services in China.

Game Theoretical Approach to Supply Chain Microfinance

OpenAIRE

Sim , Jaehun; Prabhu , Vittaldas ,

2013-01-01

Part 1: Sustainable Production; International audience; This paper considers a supply chain microfinance model in which a manufacturer acts as a lender and a raw material supplier as a borrower. Using a game theoretical analysis, the study investigates how investment levels, raw material prices, and profit margins are influenced by loan interest rates under two types of decentralized channel policies: manufacturer Stackelberg and vertical Nash game. In addition, the study shows how the profit...

What makes microfinance happen?

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Manuel Antonio Jiménez Castillo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper we have attempted to shed light on what makes development happen from those determinants that enable microfinance work as an effective tool to eradicate poverty. The effectiveness of such instrument in the generation of wealth to the poorest class demand overcoming the minimalist approach that condemns its practices to a mere provision of microfinancial services. This hypothesis will be analytically and empirically proven assuming human development as a cause and not only as an outcome of the microfinance success. To such end, two regression lines were designed where variables such as education, health and food security proved to be explanatory determinant to explain income behaviour for those beneficiaries of the microfinance programs.

Boiling and condensation in microfin tubes

Science.gov (United States)

Schlager, Lynn M.

A general overview of microfin tubes and their applications is presented. Manufacturing processes, commercial availability, experimental heat transfer, and pressure drop data for various refrigerants (including alternative refrigerants and refrigerant-oil mixtures), physical mechanisms of enhancement, and the incorporation of microfin tubes in common heat exchanger configurations are discussed. Microfin tubes, also known by various trade names, are characterized by numerous small fins which typically spiral down the inside wall of tubes at angles ranging from 10 to 30 degrees. The number of fins ranges from 48 to 70 with typical fin heights of 0.12 to 0.30 mm (fin height generally less than 3 percent of the inside diameter of the tube). Fin shapes may vary and the inside surface area of microfin tubes is 10 to 70 percent greater than the area of equivalent smooth tubes. Heat transfer can be enhanced by up to a factor of three with microfin tubes.

Does Microfinance Reduce Income Inequality?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hermes, Niels

2014-01-01

This study addresses the question whether participation of the poor in microfinance contributes to reducing a country’s level of income inequality. Using data from 70 developing countries, we show that higher levels of microfinance participation are indeed associated with a reduction of the income

Introducing Micro-finance in Sweden

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barinaga, Ester

2013-01-01

The case describes the first year of efforts to introduce microfinance as a tool to work with vulnerable groups in Sweden, more particularly ex-convicts, former drug-addicts and longterm unemployed women of immigrant background. The teaching objective is to discuss whether micro-finance can be seen...

Microfinance around the world – regional SWOT analysis

OpenAIRE

Harmincova, Zuzana; Janda, Karel

2014-01-01

The paper focuses on comparison of the functioning of microfinance in various developing regions of the world, as well as on the analysis of the overall functioning, effectiveness, strengths and weaknesses, potential threats and opportunities in the microfinance markets. The conclusion offers several possibilities and insights on how microfinance could be more efficient in financial terms. The paper also presents a brief evaluation of the benefits of microfinance and based on its findings pro...

Design and Baseline Findings of a Multi-site Non-randomized Evaluation of the Effect of a Health Programme on Microfinance Clients in India

OpenAIRE

Saha, Somen

2013-01-01

Microfinance is the provision of financial services for the poor. Health program through microfinance has the potential to address several access barriers to health. We report the design and baseline findings of a multi-site non-randomized evaluation of the effect of a health program on the members of two microfinance organizations from Karnataka and Gujarat states of India. Villages identified for roll-out of health services with microfinance were pair-matched with microfinance only villages...

Islamic Microfinance Branchless Banking Model in Indonesia

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Bedjo Santoso

2017-01-01

Full Text Available ICT has been recently developed into a digital sustainable collaborative networking (DCN platform, and it is expected to be capable of demonstrating the building of social and economic welfare, particularly in crafting innovations to facilitate marginal society.This research attempts to develop an innovative platform of an empirical ICT application a branchless banking form based on ICT Model. The application of Branchless banking model is expected to address the poverty problem which is significantly high in Indonesia. Indonesia is known for it’s heterogeneous values in terms of its areas, ethics, traditions, customs, communities, and local wisdom. The newly introduced application of a mobile payment system is parallel to the vision, and mission upheld by the government. Currently, most literature and practices are just partial. The community model based on Islamic microfinance and Cooperatives is neglected. Therefore, this research aims to design branchless banking in terms of financial inclusion involving Islamic microfinance and Cooperatives. Furthermore, this paper also attempts to test to what extent the proposed model is viable in the current system. This study employs a qualitative approach by conducting an interview with the stakeholders and a deductive method is used to explore and design the proposed model. The finding exhibit that branchless banking based on an Islamic microfinance and a Cooperative model is more flexible and easily acceptable while crafting a deal with Indonesian. In addition, the proposed model is viable in the current system. By implementing this model, the economy can be strengthened toward national unity and a welfare state.

Microfinance and Information and Communication Technologies ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Microfinance and Information and Communication Technologies : HIVOS STAR Program (Eastern and Southern Africa) ... Studies. Management information systems for microfinance background to the workshop ... In this ROSSA bulletin: Meet Kathryn Toure, the new regional director of IDRC's sub-Saharan Africa office.

Microfinance & Strategy of Financial Inclusion in India

OpenAIRE

Gupta, Avnesh Kumar

2012-01-01

Abstract The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the role of microfinance in empowering the people and realization of government’s policy of financial inclusion in India. However, there are certain concerns about the efficiency of Microfinance Institutions in handling public money, their targeted growth, achievement of policy goals and demand and supply management of funds. Today, the Microfinance Institutions demand the government to empower them for mobilizing public savings. With incr...

Impact of Microfinance: A Critical Survey

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lensink, B.W.; Hermes, N.

2007-01-01

It is unclear whether microfinance contributes to a reduction in poverty or is the most efficient method to reduce poverty without additional measures in areas such as education, health and infrastructure. The entry of commercial banks into microfinance may increase the competition for traditional

Using microfinance to facilitate household investment in sanitation in rural Cambodia.

Science.gov (United States)

Geissler, Kimberley H; Goldberg, Jeffrey; Leatherman, Sheila

2016-11-01

Improved sanitation access is extremely low in rural Cambodia. Non-governmental organizations have helped build local supply side latrine markets to promote household latrine purchase and use, but households cite inability to pay as a key barrier to purchase. To examine the extent to which microfinance can be used to facilitate household investment in sanitation, we applied a two-pronged assessment: (1) to address the gap between interest in and use of microfinance, we conducted a pilot study to assess microfinance demand and feasibility of integration with a sanitation marketing program and (2) using a household survey (n = 935) at latrine sales events in two rural provinces, we assessed attitudes about microfinance and financing for sanitation. We found substantial stated intent to use a microfinance institution (MFI) loan to purchase a latrine (27%). Five percent of current owners used an MFI loan for latrine purchase. Credit officers attended 159 events, with 4761 individuals attending. Actual loan applications were low, with 4% of sales events attendees applying for a loan immediately following the event (mean = 1.7 loans per event). Ongoing coordination was challenging, requiring management commitment from the sanitation marketing program and commitment to social responsibility from the MFI. Given the importance of improving sanitation coverage and concomitant health impacts, linking functional sanitation markets to already operational finance markets has the potential to give individuals and households more financial flexibility. Further product research and better integration of private vendors and financing modalities are necessary to create a scalable microfinance option for sanitation markets. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Factors Influencing Poverty Alleviation amongst Microfinance Adopting Households in Zambia

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Mavhungu Abel Mafukata

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to investigate the factors having the most influence on the alleviation of poverty amongst the households adopting microfinance in Zambia. Ninety nine (n=99 respondents were randomly and purposively selected from amongst 340 microfinance adopters of the so-called Micro Bankers Trust programme operating a microfinance business in the Makululu Compound of Kabwe, Zambia. Socio-demographic primary data were collected through face-to-face interviews based on a semi-structured questionnaire instrument. The data were entered into an excel spreadsheet for analysis. The descriptive data were thereafter exported and fitted to an empirical model. The descriptive results revealed that the majority of the respondents were married, unemployed, fairly educated younger women from larger-sized poor households who drew their household income mainly from microfinance activities. The majority of the respondents thought microfinance had improved their well-being in some crucial areas. The results of the empirical model found that some respondents were indeed alleviated from poverty through microfinance. Conclusion drawn in this paper is that microfinance does alleviate poverty of the poor.

Heat transfer with geometric shape of micro-fin tubes (I) - Condensing heat transfer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwak, K M; Chang, J S; Bai, C H; Chung, M [Yeungnam University, Kyungsan (Korea)

1999-11-01

To examine the enhancement mechanism of condensing heat transfer through microfin tube, the condensation experiments with refrigerant HCFC 22 are performed using 4 and 6 kinds of microfin tubes with outer diameter of 9.52 mm and 7.0 mm, respectively. Used microfin tubes have different shape and number of fins with each other. The main heat transfer enhancement mechanism is known to be the enlargement of heat transfer area and turbulence promotion. Together with these main factors, we can find other enhancement factors by the experimental data, which are the overflow of the refrigerant over the microfin and microfin arrangement. The overflow of the refrigerant over the microfin can be analyzed by the geometric shape of the microfin. microfin tubes having a shape which can give much overflow over the microfin show large condensing heat transfer coefficients. The effect of microfin arrangement is related to the heat transfer resistance of liquid film of refrigerant. The condensing heat transfer coefficients are high for the microfin tube with even distribution of liquid film. 17 refs., 14 figs., 3 tabs.

A Three-Dimensional Model of Women's Empowerment : Implications in the Field of Microfinance and Future Directions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huis, Marloes A.; Hansen, Nina; Otten, Sabine; Lensink, Robert

2017-01-01

Women's empowerment is an important goal in achieving sustainable development worldwide. Offering access to microfinance services to women is one way to increase women's empowerment. However, empirical evidence provides mixed results with respect to its effectiveness. We reviewed previous research

139 THE IMPACT OF MICROFINANCE BANK CREDIT ON ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Key words: Microfinance bank, Economic development, Deposit mobilisation, ... a means of reaching those that were not served by the conventional big banks to ..... J (2000) Microfinance Handbook: An Institutional and Financial Perspective.

Risk management in microfinance institutions

OpenAIRE

Batin, Artyom

2014-01-01

In the following paper I have tried to find the correlation between type of ownership and effective risk management in the operations of microfinance institutions in India. The results found are consistent with the current findings of how the type of ownership does not impact both the financial or social performance of MFIs. Dataset of 72 MFIs was acquired from the Microfinance Information Exchange on MFIs and evaluated using an OLS regression. The results show that the type of ownership insi...

Flexible Products in Microfinance: Overcoming the Demand-Supply Mismatch

OpenAIRE

Labie, Marc; Laureti, Carolina; Szafarz, Ariane

2013-01-01

The success of microfinance rests upon product simplicity, standardization, and the capacity to stimulate client discipline. However, poor people desperately need flexible financial products to improve their day-to-day money management and cope with shocks. This paper discusses how microfinance institutions could design flexible products efficiently. First, we clarify the concept of financial flexibility. Second, based on literature in microfinance, banking, and behavioral economics, we summa...

Has Microfinance Lost its Moral Compass?

OpenAIRE

David Hulme; Mathilde Maitrot

2014-01-01

Abstract This paper argues that microfinance in South Asia, like mainstream finance in North America and Europe, "has lost its moral compass". Our particular concern is with microloans to vulnerable clients. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) have increasingly focussed on financial performance and have neglected their declared social mission of poverty reduction and empowerment. Loans officers in the field are under enormous pressure to achieve individual financial targets and now routinely mis...

Akhuwat Microfinance: Participation, Impact and Gender-Based Heterogeneity in Business Returns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maazullah

2016-01-01

markdownabstractWe conducted this research in collaboration with Akhuwat – a microfinance organization in Pakistan which provides interest free loans to the poor. The research findings are reported in three core essays. __The first essay__ explores reasons of non-participation in Akhuwat

Microfinance and rural development: a long-term perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moll, H.A.J.

2006-01-01

The long-term perspective on microfinance starts with a discussion of three central issues: first, views and policies, with two opposing views: "credit for target group" and "pushing the financial frontier"; second, the performance of microfinance institutions measured via two objectives: outreach

Characteristics of a micro-fin evaporator: Theoretical analysis and experimental verification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Hui-Fan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A theoretical analysis and experimental verification on the characteristics of a micro-fin evaporator using R290 and R717 as refrigerants were carried out. The heat capacity and heat transfer coefficient of the micro-fin evaporator were investigated under different water mass flow rate, different refrigerant mass flow rate, and different inner tube diameter of micro-fin evaporator. The simulation results of the heat transfer coefficient are fairly in good agreement with the experimental data. The results show that heat capacity and the heat transfer coefficient of the micro-fin evaporator increase with increasing logarithmic mean temperature difference, the water mass flow rate and the refrigerant mass flow rate. Heat capacity of the micro-fin evaporator for diameter 9.52 mm is higher than that of diameter 7.00 mm with using R290 as refrigerant. Heat capacity of the micro-fin evaporator with using R717 as refrigerant is higher than that of R290 as refrigerant. The results of this study can provide useful guidelines for optimal design and operation of micro-fin evaporator in its present or future applications.

The exposure of microfinance institutions to financial risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Gietzen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study examines the exposure of microfinance institutions to liquidity-, interest rate and foreign exchange (FX risk. Using manually collected data from microfinance institutions’ financial reporting, I find that the microfinance sector faces minimal liquidity risk, high interest rate risk and a lower than commonly assumed exposure to FX risk. Linking risk exposure to institutional characteristics, the data shows that legal status and regional affiliation are correlated with risk exposure while regulatory quality is not. Results suggest that the development community may not expect large benefits from expanding the plethora of current measures taken to mitigate liquidity or FX risk.

Factors Influencing Poverty Alleviation amongst Microfinance Adopting Households in Zambia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mavhungu Abel Mafukata

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to explore the factors having the most significance on the probability of the adopters of microfinance moving out of poverty in Zambia. Ninety nine (n=99 respondents were randomly and purposively selected from amongst 340 microfinance adopters of the so-called Micro Bankers Trust programme operating a microfinance business in the Makululu Compound of Kabwe, Zambia. Primary data were collected through face-to-face interviews based on a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were entered into an excel spreadsheet for analysis. The descriptive data were thereafter exported and fitted to an empirical model. The descriptive results revealed that the majority of the respondents were married, unemployed, fairly educated younger women from larger-sized poor households who drew their household income mainly from microfinance activities. The majority of the respondents thought microfinance had improved their well-being in some crucial areas. The results of the empirical model found that some respondents indeed had improved their probabilities to move out of poverty. Conclusion drawn in this paper is that microfinance does alleviate poverty of the poor. 

Dynamic Incentives in Microfinance Group Lending

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naveen Kumar K

2012-04-01

Full Text Available One of the most essential tools of poverty reduction would be the viable expansion of institutional credit facilities to large sections of the people who neither have adequate collateral nor credit history to secure a loan. In this backdrop, social collateral is popularized through the group lending programs to address the credit market problems. Microfinance through group lending is acting as a screening device; the joint liability mechanism creates incentives for internal monitoring. Hence, it has received a lot of attention from policy makers as well as academicians. It is playing an important role in delivering financial services to the “socially and economically excluded” poor, in general, and women, in particular. The group lending works with various dynamic incentives. One such kind is principle of progressive lending and it plays a vital role in sustaining the groups for the persistent delivery of microfinance services to its members. In progressive lending, a typical borrower receives very small amounts at first, which increases with good repayment conduct or it links new, larger loans to past repayment. This article explores possible theoretical and empirical relationship between progressive lending and its determinants in group lending approach. The primary survey was conducted in 10 villages covering 106 self-help groups and 318 members in Karnataka, India. The empirical results show the progressive lending amount rising up to 698% of the initial loan of the self-help groups.

Heat transfer correlations for evaporation of refrigerant mixtures flowing inside horizontal microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xiaoyan [School of Energy Engineering, Xi' an University of Science and Technology, 58 Yanta Street, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710054 (China); School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710049 (China); Yuan, Xiuling [School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710049 (China)

2008-11-15

Based on the experimental results of R417A flowing inside horizontal microfin tubes, the present work deals with the development of prediction methods for evaporation heat transfer of refrigerant mixtures in microfin tube. The microfin model by Thome et al. is modified by adjusting the convective heat transfer term, and the other microfin model is developed by introducing the enhancement factor into the modified-Kattan model. The comparison of the calculations by several microfin models and the experimental results reveals that the new microfin models developed at the present study are in much better agreement with the experimental results with the reducing average deviation by 30-50% than the models by Thome et al. and Cavallini et al., and are recommended for the prediction of evaporation heat transfer coefficients for non-azeotropic refrigerant mixtures inside microfin tubes. (author)

Heat transfer correlations for evaporation of refrigerant mixtures flowing inside horizontal microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiaoyan, Zhang [School of Energy Engineering, Xi' an University of Science and Technology, 58 Yanta Street, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710054 (China); School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710049 (China)], E-mail: gqzxy@sohu.com; Xiuling, Yuan [School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning Road, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710049 (China)

2008-11-15

Based on the experimental results of R417A flowing inside horizontal microfin tubes, the present work deals with the development of prediction methods for evaporation heat transfer of refrigerant mixtures in microfin tube. The microfin model by Thome et al. is modified by adjusting the convective heat transfer term, and the other microfin model is developed by introducing the enhancement factor into the modified-Kattan model. The comparison of the calculations by several microfin models and the experimental results reveals that the new microfin models developed at the present study are in much better agreement with the experimental results with the reducing average deviation by 30-50% than the models by Thome et al. and Cavallini et al., and are recommended for the prediction of evaporation heat transfer coefficients for non-azeotropic refrigerant mixtures inside microfin tubes.

Heat transfer correlations for evaporation of refrigerant mixtures flowing inside horizontal microfin tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaoyan; Yuan Xiuling

2008-01-01

Based on the experimental results of R417A flowing inside horizontal microfin tubes, the present work deals with the development of prediction methods for evaporation heat transfer of refrigerant mixtures in microfin tube. The microfin model by Thome et al. is modified by adjusting the convective heat transfer term, and the other microfin model is developed by introducing the enhancement factor into the modified-Kattan model. The comparison of the calculations by several microfin models and the experimental results reveals that the new microfin models developed at the present study are in much better agreement with the experimental results with the reducing average deviation by 30-50% than the models by Thome et al. and Cavallini et al., and are recommended for the prediction of evaporation heat transfer coefficients for non-azeotropic refrigerant mixtures inside microfin tubes

Aid and microfinance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hermes, Niels; Lensink, Robert

2015-01-01

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) focus on providing financial services to poor households who are excluded from the formal financial system. Having access to finance is crucial for the poor as this helps them to smooth their consumption, generate business opportunities, and improve their inclusion

Microfinance and Violence Against Women in Rural Guatemala.

Science.gov (United States)

Cepeda, Isabel; Lacalle-Calderon, Maricruz; Torralba, Miguel

2017-11-01

Violence against Women (VaW) has come to be recognized as a serious human rights abuse with important consequences not only for women but for whole societies. Since VaW has several manifestations, it is possible to differentiate among different types of violence. In this article, a broad theoretical framework with different dimensions of gender violence was adapted to a Latin American social and cultural context to measure three out of the five main types of violence: economic violence, emotional psychological violence, and coercive control. The goal of this article is to provide empirical evidence to determine whether access to microfinance services plays a role in reducing VaW. To this end, we designed and performed a cross-sectional study with a treatment and a control group in rural Guatemala. A sample of 883 rural women in the "Altiplano" area of Guatemala (448 women with microfinance services and 435 without) was surveyed from May to November 2012. The results of the bivariate logistic regression showed evidence of association between access to microfinance services and reduction of VaW. After adjusting for covariates, global, economic, and emotional psychological violence maintained a negative and statistically significant association with microfinance, while only coercive control showed no statistical association with microfinance services. Access to microcredits showed a very clear relationship to reducing economic and emotional violence but not coercive control, a factor that may be determined by social and cultural norms. In contrast to Status Inconsistency Theory, which has been tested primarily in Asia, our study of Guatemala showed that increased status and economic independence of women due to their participation in microfinance services reduced VaW.

Effects of fin shape on condensation in herringbone microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyara, Akio [Saga University (Japan). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Otsubo, Yusuke; Ohtsuka, Satoshi; Mizuta, Yoshihiko [Saga University (Japan). Graduate School of Science and Engineering

2003-06-01

Effects of fin height and helix angle on condensation inside a herringbone microfin tube have been experimentally investigated with five types of herringbone microfin tubes. Heat transfer coefficients are about 2-4 times higher than that of the helical microfin tube under high mass velocity conditions. In the low mass velocity, they are equal to that of the helical microfin tube. The heat transfer enhancement increases with fin height up to 0.18 mm; higher fin heights show enhancement values similar to the 0.18 mm results. Pressure drop increases with the fin height. Larger helix angle yields higher heat transfer and higher pressure drop. For the lowest fin and/or smallest helix angle, the pressure drop is comparable with that of the helical microfin tube, while the heat transfer enhancement is higher. The enhancement mechanism is discussed from flow pattern observations. Effect of mass transfer resistance for R410A is estimated and negligible effects have been proved. (author)

Microfinance in a Developed Welfare State

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barinaga, Ester

2014-01-01

in Sweden. Savings banks and nonprofit organisations collaborated in the introduction of microfinance as microcredit for micro-enterprise. The paper argues that the rationalities behind actors' participation in microfinance differed, with banks adopting a market rationality and nonprofits mainly...... a rationality of community empowerment. In line with a governmentality approach, the paper argues that the neoliberal market rationality dominating microcredit for micro-enterprise colonises the space of the communitarian aspect by turning the social into the personal. The paper's qualitative approach...

Stabilization of Black Cotton Soil Using Micro-fine Slag

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Rajesh Prasad; Parihar, Niraj Singh

2016-09-01

This work presents the results of laboratory tests conducted on black cotton soil mixed with micro-fine slag. Different proportions of micro-fine slag, i.e., 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 % were mixed with the black cotton soil to improve soil characteristics. The improvement in the characteristics of stabilized soil was assessed by evaluating the changes in the physical and strength parameters of the soil, namely, the Atterberg limits, free swell, the California Bearing Ratio (CBR), compaction parameters and Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS). The mixing of micro-fine slag decreases the liquid limit, plasticity index and Optimum Moisture Contents (OMC) of the soil. Micro-fine slag significantly increases the plastic limit, UCS and CBR of the soil up to 6-7 % mixing, but mixing of more slag led to decrease in the UCS and CBR of the soil. The unsoaked CBR increased by a substantial amount unlike soaked CBR value. The swell potential of the soil is reduced from medium to very low. The optimum amount of micro-fine slag is found to be approximately 6-7 % by the weight of the soil.

Characteristics and formation mechanism for stainless steel fiber with periodic micro-fins

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Tao; Wan, Zhenping; Lu, Longsheng; Tang, Yong

2016-05-01

Metal fibers have been widely used in many industrial applications due to their unique advantages. In certain applications, such as catalyst supports or orthopedic implants, a rough surface or tiny outshoots on the surface of metal fibers to increase surface area are needed. However, it has not been concerned about the surface morphologies of metal fiber in the current research of metal fiber manufacturing. In this paper, a special multi-tooth tool composed of a row of triangular tiny teeth is designed. The entire cutting layer of multi-tooth tool bifurcates into several thin cutting layers due to tiny teeth involved in cutting. As a result, several stainless steel fibers with periodic micro-fins are produced simultaneously. Morphology of periodic micro-fins is found to be diverse and can be classified into three categories: unilateral plane, unilateral tapering and bilateral. There are two forming mechanisms for the micro-fins. One is that periodic burrs remained on the free side of cutting layer of a tiny tooth create micro-fins of stainless steel fiber produced by the next neighboring tiny tooth; the other is that the connections between two fibers stuck together come to be micro-fins if the two fibers are finally detached. Influence of cutting conditions on formation of micro-fins is investigated. Experimental results show that cutting depth has no significant effect on micro-fin formation, high cutting speed is conducive to micro-fin formation, and feed should be between 0.12 mm/r and 0.2 mm/r to reliably obtain stainless steel fiber with micro-fins. This research presents a new pattern of stainless steel fiber characterized by periodic micro-fins formed on the edge of fiber and its manufacturing method.

Analysis of Third Party Loan Guarantee and Performance of Non-Prime Household Loans in Microfinance Banks in Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernard Ndirangu Wachira

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Household loans remain the engine to productivity and economic growth globally. Non-prime household loan is essential, because it enables the borrowers with no collateral to access credit from Microfinance Banks. The survival and sustainability of non-prime household loans globally is therefore significant. Credit risk however remains the main deterrent of the soundness of Microfinance Banks. This leads to the poor performance of microfinance institutions in many economies in the world. Several countries globally are making inroad in reducing the credit risks, which lead to the poor performance of Microfinance Banks. It is still unknown why the credit risk affects the performance of non-prime household loans in the Microfinance Banks domiciled in Kenya. The reason for conducting this study is to determine the level at which the third party loan guarantee and the performance of non-prime household loans relate to the Microfinance Banks in Kenya. Particularly, this study is to determine how the amount secured by guarantee, recoveries from guarantors, percentage of loan secured, and percentage recoveries from guarantors relate to the performance of nonprime household loans in the Microfinance Banks in Kenya. The population was 516 senior management employees of the banks. The researcher conducted a multiple regression analysis for determining the relationship between the amount secured by guarantee—recoveries from guarantors, percentage granted, and percentage recoveries—and the performance of non-prime household loans. The R and R2 were used for determining the strength of the relationship and the coefficient of determination at 0.05 level of significance of variables. The result of this study reveals that there exists a strong relationship between the dependent and independent variables, thereby contradicting the null hypothesis, which states that the relationship does not exist. The percentage of the recoveries from the guarantors over the

Efficiency of Micro-fine Cement Grouting in Liquefiable Sand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirjalili, Mojtaba; Mirdamadi, Alireza; Ahmadi, Alireza

2008-01-01

In the presence of strong ground motion, liquefaction hazards are likely to occur in saturated cohesion-less soils. The risk of liquefaction and subsequent deformation can be reduced by various ground improvement methods including the cement grouting technique. The grouting method was proposed for non-disruptive mitigation of liquefaction risk at developed sites susceptible to liquefaction. In this research, a large-scale experiment was developed for assessment of micro-fine cement grouting effect on strength behavior and liquefaction potential of loose sand. Loose sand samples treated with micro-fine grout in multidirectional experimental model, were tested under cyclic and monotonic triaxial loading to investigate the influence of micro-fine grout on the deformation properties and pore pressure response. The behavior of pure sand was compared with the behavior of sand grouted with a micro-fine cement grout. The test results were shown that cement grouting with low concentrations significantly decreased the liquefaction potential of loose sand and related ground deformation

Application of MOOCs for borrowers’ financial education in microfinance

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Md. Abul Kalam Siddike

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this research was to explore current borrowers’ financial education in microfinance and determine the possibilities of adopting massive open online courses (MOOCs for such individuals. We adopted a semi-structured interview research strategy. A total of 25 employees and borrowers in BRAC’s (Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee and then Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, currently, BRAC does not represent an acronym microfinance program were interviewed and the data were analyzed qualitatively. The results show that BRAC’s microfinance program provides borrowers’ financial education in terms of a pre-disbursement orientation and four-day training through the creation of a new role of customer service assistant. The results also reveal that edu-entertainment, easy understanding, and more borrower participation are the main possible opportunities for adopting MOOCs for borrowers’ financial education. We identified infrastructure, Internet connection, and funding as possible hindrances to adopting MOOCs for financial education. Finally, we propose a framework for adopting MOOCs for borrowers’ financial education in microfinance.

Microfinance As A Tool For Poverty Reduction: A Study Of Jordan

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Žiaková M.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of microfinance on the poor, particularly in the specific areas of economic and social development of people and their employment. The research was carried out in Jordan, a country with a well-developed microfinance sector. The results have shown that microfinance has led to an improvement in the financial and social situation of the poor, especially for female clients of microfinance institutions. Interestingly, the higher income of clients has not caused higher expenditure on their basic needs, but rather people have generated saving for their future and used the additional money for education. According to the results of the microfinance impact assessment, it can be assumed that people, particularly females, prefer to improve the social situation for future generations. Based on this finding, we consider microfinance an effective tool for breaking the vicious circles of poverty, especially in Jordan. Furthermore, microcredits have facilitated in increasing employment for the poor, mainly through self-employment. It is believed that there exists a direct connection to the future expansion of microcredits that will lead to the development of small businesses with a promising impact on employability throughout the population structure.

Can Microfinance Reach the Poorest: Evidence from a Community-Managed Microfinance Intervention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lonborg, J. H.; Rasmussen, O. D.

2014-01-01

Reaching the poorest is an important objective in many development interventions, and microfinance is no exception. We review performance indicators for effectiveness of targeting described in the literature and suggest a new metric in order to account for extent and severity of poverty as well...

Characteristics of a micro-fin evaporator: Theoretical analysis and experimental verification

OpenAIRE

Zheng Hui-Fan; Fan Xiao-Wei; Wang Fang; Liang Yao-Hua

2013-01-01

A theoretical analysis and experimental verification on the characteristics of a micro-fin evaporator using R290 and R717 as refrigerants were carried out. The heat capacity and heat transfer coefficient of the micro-fin evaporator were investigated under different water mass flow rate, different refrigerant mass flow rate, and different inner tube diameter of micro-fin evaporator. The simulation results of the heat transfer coefficient are fairly in good a...

Microfinance and Gender: Is There a Glass Ceiling in Loan Size?

OpenAIRE

Agier, Isabelle; Szafarz, Ariane

2010-01-01

Microfinance institutions serve a majority of female borrowers. But do men and women benefit from same credit conditions? This paper investigates this issue by presenting an original model and testing its predictions on an exceptional database including 34,000 loan applications from a Brazilian microfinance institution over an eleven-year period. The model considers a lender that offers standardized loan contracts with a fixed interest rate, which is common practice in microfinance. It demons...

Experimental observation of two phase flow of R123 inside a herringbone microfin tube

Science.gov (United States)

Miyara, Akio; Islam, Mohammad Ariful; Mizuta, Yoshihiko; Kibe, Atsushi

2003-08-01

Vapor-liquid two phase flow behavior of R123 inside herringbone microfin tubes has been studied. Herringbone microfin tube is a kind of internally finned tube in which microfins are installed inside the tube where the microfins form multi-V-shape in flow direction. For the present experiment three different types of herringbone microfin tubes with helix angle β=8°, 14° and 28° are used. Experimental observations showed how flow diverges and converges inside herringbone microfin tube due to fin arrangement. The effect is more remarkable for larger helix angle. From the measurements of the cross-sectional liquid flow rate distribution, the liquid removal and collection and the entrained droplet are discussed. Quantity of liquid droplets is increased with increase of helix angle. The tube with helix angle β=28° shows higher quantity of liquid droplets than others.

Social performance of microfinance institutions : theory and empirical evidence

OpenAIRE

Milan, Florence Marie

2011-01-01

Inspired by the innovative efforts of pioneers in non-governmental organizations, notably the Grameen Bank, financial services delivery to the poor has grown since the 1980?s and has been advocated as an important component of development interventions. These financial services, also known as microfinance, are believed to have positive outcomes on production, income, and consumption at household and macro-economic levels. The provocative idea that alleviating poverty can be profitable to micr...

A systematic review of microfinance and women's health literature: Directions for future research.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Malley, T L; Burke, J G

2017-11-01

While growing evidence suggests that microfinance is an effective approach for improved women's health, a significant gap remains in our understanding. The objective of this review is to synthesise the findings from published literature focused on microfinance and health issues particularly affecting women, including HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, mental health, and violence. Forty-one articles that examine the impact of microfinance participation on women's health were identified through a systematic search of electronic databases, coded using a structured abstraction form, and synthesised. Review results indicate that the impact of microfinance on women's health is an area in great need of research and publication attention. Varied quality and reporting in the identified articles restricted the ability to draw concrete conclusions regarding the relationship between microfinance participation and women's health, but led to the identification of current gaps in existing published research. Future research should work to address the recommendations provided in order to offer additional evidence to better understand the use of microfinance programming as a structural intervention to improve women's health.

Microfinance Participation and Domestic Violence in Bangladesh: Results From a Nationally Representative Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Murshid, Nadine Shaanta; Akincigil, Ayse; Zippay, Allison

2016-05-01

This article examines domestic violence among women who participate in microfinance in Bangladesh. Secondary analysis of survey data from nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey was used to investigate the association between microfinance participation and domestic violence of 4,163 ever-married women between the ages of 18 and 49 years. Outcome measure is experience of domestic violence as measured by a modified Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) and predictor variables include microfinance, binary indicator of relatively better economic status, autonomy, decision-making power, and demographic variables. The likelihood of experiencing domestic violence was not found to vary with microfinance participation. However, the interaction effect of microfinance and better economic status was found to be significantly associated with domestic violence (9% increased probability). Experience of domestic violence was negatively associated with older age, higher education of the husband, and autonomy. In Bangladesh, microfinance participation may be associated with a higher probability of experiencing domestic violence for women with relatively better economic status, but not for the poorest of the poor. © The Author(s) 2015.

Do microfinance institutions benefit from integrating financial and nonfinancial services?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lensink, Robert; Mersland, Roy; Vu, Nhung Thi Hong; Zamore, Stephen

2018-01-01

This article examines the impact of microfinance ‘plus’ (i.e. coordinated combination of financial and nonfinancial services) on the performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs). Using a global data set of MFIs in 77 countries, we find that the provision of nonfinancial services does not harm nor

THE IMPACT OF MICROFINANCE BANKS IN RURAL AREAS OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

OpenAIRE

Isabelle Musanganya; Chantal Nyinawumuntu; Pauline Nyirahagenimana

2017-01-01

Many researchers consider microfinance as a tool for poverty reduction. Even more, especially in post-conflict African countries, micro-financial institutions are seen as an opportunity of reconciliation. Lending from microfinance institutions to that from traditional banks and examine their respective effects upon economic growth has been practiced in some sub-Saharan countries. Considerable progress in research has been found that microfinance loans raise growth comparatively to that of tra...

An adult learning perspective on disability and microfinance: The case of Katureebe.

Science.gov (United States)

Nuwagaba, Ephraim L; Rule, Peter N

2016-01-01

Despite Uganda's progress in promoting affirmative action for persons with disabilities and its strategy of using microfinance to fight poverty, access to microfinance services by persons with disabilities is still problematic due to barriers, characterised by discrepancies between policies and practices. Regarding education, the affirmative action in favour of learners with disabilities has not translated into actual learning opportunities due to personal and environmental barriers. The study on which this article is based investigated the non-formal and informal adult learning practices regarding microfinance that persons with disabilities engaged in. This article seeks to illuminate the barriers that a person with a visual impairment encountered while learning about and engaging with microfinance and the strategies that he developed to overcome them. This was a case study, framed within the social model of disability and critical research paradigm. Data were collected through in-depth interviews of a person with visual impairment and observations of the environment in which adult learning and engagement with Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) occurred. Findings indicate that the person with a visual disability faced barriers to learning about microfinance services. He experienced barriers in an integrated manner and developed strategies to overcome these barriers. The barriers and strategies are theorised using the social model of disability. The case of a person with visual impairment suggests that persons with disabilities face multiple barriers regarding microfinance, including social, psychological and educational. However, his own agency and attitudes were also of importance as they influenced his learning. Viewing these barriers as blockades can lead to non-participation in learning and engagement with microfinance whereas viewing them as surmountable hurdles can potentially motivate participants to succeed in learning about and engaging

RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF MARKETING RESEARCH ACTIVITY IN ROMANIAN MICROCREDIT ORGANIZATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Savescu Roxana Florenta

2012-12-01

Full Text Available As they mature, microcredit organizations in Romania are becoming aware of the importance of marketing in their current activities. Although marketing interventions should be considered important on all types of markets, the reality is that micro-credit companies in Romania have a limited institutional capacity to develop and implement marketing programs. This implies that marketing efforts should be focused and marketing needs should be prioritized, according to the appropriate level of market development (developing markets, growth markets and mature markets. The paper presents the results of an exploratory marketing research study regarding the marketing activity performed by microfinance institutions in Romania. The purpose of the research was to identify courses of action to institutionalize marketing research in the current activity of the subjects analyzed. It has been our intention to give a very practical dimension to the recommendations regarding the marketing information useful for microcredit organizations and categories of marketing research needing to be conducted regularly, making them applicable within the specific Romanian environment. Given the fact that on a national level scientific concerns about microfinance in Romania, in general or about marketing in the field of microfinance in particular are almost nonexistent, this thesis can be regarded as an innovation. This conclusion comes both from the investigation of existing literature and from the author's interviews with managers of microfinance institutions who have argued that this was the first time when Romanian academic institutions got interested in this sector. Potential beneficiaries of the results of this study are: managers of microcredit organizations interested in the development and sustainability of the institutions they manage; various national and international organizations interested in designing technical assistance programs in the areas identified as being

DOES MICROFINANCE MODEL DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MICROFINANCE INTERVENTION IN ENHANCING MICROENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE? EVIDENCE FROM BANK RAKYAT INDONESIA

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Weni Hawariyuni

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of different microfinance model in enhancing the performance of microenterprises in terms of income, fixed assets, and household expenditures. By focusing on the case of Bank Rakyat Indonesia, one of the most successful commercial microfinance providers in the world, two types of microfinance products, namely KUPEDES and KUR are being compared. The KUPEDES is original product of BRI Unit, while the KUR is a micro-product subsidized by the Indonesian government. Based on the experience of BRI Unit in Medan city, Indonesia, we assess the impact of microfinance intervention on 400 clients. The findings demonstrated that KUPEDES as original microproduct is more successful compared to KUR product in enhancing the performance of microenterprise through income, fixed assets, and household expenditures as successful indicators. =========================================== Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menginvestigasi keefektifan beragam model pendanaan mikro dalam meningkatkan performa usaha kecil dari segi pemasukan, aset tetap, dan belanja rumah tangga. Dengan fokus pada kasus Bank Rakyat Indonesia, salah satu pemberi dana mikro paling berhasil di dunia, kajian ini membandingkan dua macam produk pendanaan mikro, yaitu KUPEDES dan KUR. KUPEDES adalah produk original BRI sementara KUR adalah sebuah produk mikro yang disubsisdi oleh pemerintah Indonesia. Berdasarkan pengalaman BRI cabang Medan, Indonesia, penulis menilai dampak campur tangan pendanaan mikro terhadap 400 orang klien. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa KUPEDES sebagai produk mikro original dinilai lebih berhasil dibandingkan dengan KUR dalam meningkatkan performa usaha kecil dengan indikator kesuksesan: pemasukan, asset tetap, dan belanja rumah tangga.

The impact of microfinance institution in economic growth of a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The findings of the study show that microfinance loans have a significant positive impact on the short run economic performance in Nigeria. Microfinance loans enhanced consumption per capita in short run with an impressive coefficient, although these banks' loans do not have a significant impact on economic growth in ...

Language and market inclusivity for women entrepreneurship: the case of microfinance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drori, Israel; Manos, Ronny; Santacreu-Vasut, Estefania; Shenkar, Oded; Shoham, Amir

2018-01-01

Inclusive markets are key to fostering female entrepreneurship, and the microfinance sector has recognized and acted on this. Existing research has studied how institutions and organizational factors facilitate the process by which microfinance and other financial intermediaries tackle gender-based

Adopting Zero Interest Financing Model (ZIFM in Islamic Microfinance Institutions: The Case of Shariah People Credit Bank (BPRS, Indonesia

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Mohd Thas Thaker Mohamed Asmy Bin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Microfinance has emerged as an important instrument to alleviate poverty in many countries including in developing countries. Despite being able to demonstrate successes in the activity, conventional microfinance is not without controversy. The findings from the existing studies revealed that conventional microfinance is less effective, fail to reach the poorest people and generally have a limited effect on income. In addition, conventional microfinance also has highly criticized for charging excessive interest rates and fees to the poor entrepreneur. In some Muslim countries, conventional microfinance has always been rejected, due to its non-compliance with the Islamic principles, particularly on the issue related to interest or riba. Islamic microfinance evolved and reckoned as an alternative to its counterpart. However, the outreach of Islamic microfinance is very limited where only there is very few Islamic microfinance institutions and Islamic banks involved in microfinance activity. Also, Islamic microfinance is having an issue of convergence of activity with the conventional practices. Thus, this paper aims to propose to adopt Zero Interest Financing Model (ZIFM for Islamic microfinance institutions. This study focuses on the case of Indonesian Islamic microfinance institution namely Shariah People Credit Bank (BPRS by observing their experience and some emerging issues. The proposed model is expected to address an emerging issue in Islamic microfinance institutions.

The Malaysian microfinance system and a comparison with the Grameen Bank (Bangladesh and Bank Perkreditan Rakyat (BPR-Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suraya Hanim Mokhtar

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Microfinance programme in Malaysia has been implemented since 1987 as one of the poverty eradication strategies in the country. There are three large microfinance institutions in Malaysia namely AIM, YUM and TEKUN that targeted to different groups of people. Each of the microfinance institution has its own lending systems and has been subsidised by the government since their existence. This paper compares the Malaysian subsidised microfinance institutions’ lending systems with the unsubsidised microfinance institutions such as the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and People’s Bank (Bank Perkreditan Rakyat/BPR in Indonesia. This study found the Grameen Bank and BPR have more variety of microfinance services and flexible lending systems compared with Malaysian microfinance institutions.

The Effect of Credit Lines and Risks on Operations of Microfinance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... and make sure that loans are used for the purpose for which they were given as this will reduce the number of non performing loans. Keywords: Microfinance, Microfinance banks, Credit lines, Credit risks, Banks' depositors. International Journal of Development and Management Review (INJODEMAR) Vol. 7 June, 2012 ...

Capacity, Debility and Differential Inclusion: The Politics of Microfinance in South India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vandana Chaudhry

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This article uses a critical disability lens to map how differential inclusion shatters the promise of democratizing capital in microfinance. Based on an ethnographic study of disability microfinance projects of the World Bank in India, it traces the dynamics of inclusion through the exclusion of debilitated bodies that cannot be capacitated within the neoliberal logic of entrepreneurship. A disability perspective brings into relief the pernicious ways that microfinance operates through webs of ableism, capitalism, and other axes of power and domination. It builds upon and contributes to the ongoing debates on microfinance as a form of neoliberal populism by showing what disability has to say about political futures amidst globalizing desires for inclusion, social mobility, and democratizing access to capital. Examining disability as a culturally-specific configuration of precarity and marginalization that is deepened by microfinance programs allows us to challenge the inclusionist claims of finance capital, and re-envision ethically and socially responsible frameworks. Generating culturally grounded knowledge on disability in the global south, this article also makes an important contribution to the field of disability studies, which scholars have argued remains implicated within the hegemony of 'scholarly colonialism' (Meekosha, 2011.

PROPOSAL FOR STRATEGIES TO BUILD MISSING FOUNDATIONS OF THE CURRENT MICROFINANCE INDUSTRY

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MARTINA DRAŠAROVÁ

2011-01-01

Full Text Available As microfinance approaches the status of mainstream asset class, it inevitably starts to entice Socially Responsible Investment. However, precoscious capital inflow can be detrimental to all players involved. The industry is unprepared for global SRI arena. The gap between different microfinance concepts is widening, while identic terms are being used to describe different contents. The term „microfinance“ continues losing its informative value as divergent development foments nomenclative disorder. Microfinance is becoming too varied to be presented under a single term. MIVs, States and multilateral institutions must therefore in a concerted action impose basis of unified definitions, methodologies and coordinates, otherwise different concepts might mislead international public. The lack of standartized set of definitions, social impact reporting, bankruptcy procedures and evaluation infrastructure, while overstating development benefits can discredit microfinance, once SRI systems open their gates.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISES AND MICROFINANCE AS TOOLS FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

OANA-MIRELA COJOCARU (DIACONESCU

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Poverty is a dangerous indicator that situates Romania in top positions in many EU statistics: 40% of the population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion and 29% have severe material deprivation. Even though it has been stated on several occasions that funds for the eradication of poverty in Romania do exist, the lack of interest and focus on solving this problem have led to the mismanagement of these funds. In contrast with the previous EU financing programme, a new perspective on the policy creation regarding poverty alleviation has been recently developed and is presented as an integrated package. This wishes to bring together disparate programmes/projects and different stakeholders. This proposal is a very different approach from institutional/methodological point of view, and it has been said to mark “the start of an effective capacity building effort”. The purpose of this literature exploration is focused on the potential Romanian social enterprises and microfinance have in poverty alleviation, taking into consideration that these tools have been created especially for poverty eradication. Our conclusion has been that policy makers have to sustain the development of social enterprises through microfinance, which most of the times can be the single financial instrument available to them.

The Role of Islamic Microfinance in Socio-Economic Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina

OpenAIRE

Efendic, Velid; Karamustafic, Eldina

2018-01-01

This paper aims to explore the role of Islamic microfinance in the socio-economic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Due to the significant growth of the microfinance sector in the last 20 years and its impact on the country’s postwar reconstruction and development, B&H serves as a good case for this present research. The study relies on primary data collected from clients of Islamic and conventional microfinance institutions (MFI). Accordingly, the comparison betwee...

Financial Performance And Corporate Governance In Microfinance: Who Drives Who? An Evidence From Asia.

OpenAIRE

Nawaz, Ahmad; Iqbal, Sana

2015-01-01

This paper models the two-way relationship between corporate governance and financial performance of microfinance institutions of Asia. Unlike previous studies, the phenomena of better corporate governance mechanisms present in more financially oriented microfinance institutions is worth investigating. Using a panel of 173 microfinance institutions in 18 Asian countries between 2007 and 2011, a comprehensive corporate governance index (CGI) based on seven corporate governance variables is bei...

Enhancement of heat transfer. The performance of micro-fin tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muzzio, A.

2001-01-01

Micro-fin tubes are characterised by numerous, very small integral fins that spiral down the inner surface. A very interesting feature of their performance in flow boiling and condensation is a large heat transfer enhancement accompanied by a low pressure drop penalty. This paper presents a general overview of micro-fin tubes and of their performance in evaporation, condensation and single-phase flow [it

Sustainable Learning Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

Velazquez, Luis E.; Esquer, Javier; Munguia, Nora E.; Moure-Eraso, Rafael

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to debate how companies may better become a sustainable learning organization by offering the most used and insightful concepts of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: Through literature review, learning organization and sustainability perspectives are explored and compared. Findings: Learning…

Microfinance Participation, Control Over Resources, and Justification of IPV: Results From a Nationally Representative Sample of Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Murshid, Nadine Shaanta

2016-04-13

A high percentage of men and women are purported to justify intimate partner violence (IPV) in countries that are steeped in patriarchy even in the presence of programs such as microfinance that aim to address gender equity. This article examines two assertions that emerge from the literature on microfinance and its potential for positive outcomes for women who participate in it: (a) Microfinance participation is associated with reduced justification of IPV, and (b) microfinance participants with control over their own resources are less likely to justify IPV when compared with microfinance participants who do not have control over their resources. Couples data from a nationally representative survey, the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, were used in the present study. Propensity score matching and logistic regression analyses were conducted to reveal that (a) microfinance participation was not associated with justification of IPV and that (b) women who participated in microfinance were less likely to justify IPV when they had no control over their resources. Implications for practitioners and policymakers are discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

Vaporization inside a mini microfin tube: experimental results and modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Diani, A.; Rossetto, L.

2015-11-01

This paper proposes a comparison among the common R134a and the extremely low GWP refrigerant R1234yf during vaporization inside a mini microfin tube. This microfin tube has an internal diameter of 2.4 mm, it has 40 fins, with a fin height of 0.12 mm. Due to the high heat transfer coefficients shown by this tube, this technology can lead to a refrigerant charge reduction. Tests were run in the Heat Transfer in Micro Geometries Lab of the Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale of the Università di Padova. Mass velocities range between 375 and 940 kg m-2 s-1, heat fluxes from 10 to 50 kW m-2, vapour qualities from 0.10 to 0.99, at a saturation temperature of 30°C. The comparison among the two fluids is proposed at the same operating conditions, in order to highlight the heat transfer and pressure drop differences among the two refrigerants. In addition, two correlations are proposed to estimate the heat transfer coefficient and frictional pressure drop during refrigerant flow boiling inside mini microfin tubes. These correlations well predict the experimental values, and thus they can be used as a useful tool to design evaporators based on these mini microfin tubes.

Entrepreneurial and business skills and loan repayment rates of microfinance clients in Ghana

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Agbeko, Daniel; Block, Vincent; Omta, Onno; Velde, van der G.

2016-01-01

Entrepreneurial and business skills are generally considered key to microbusiness success, hence to Microfinance Institution (MFI) clients’ loan repayment as well. However, empirical evidence is largely lacking, and where present, it is inconclusive on the importance of these skills for microfinance

Book Review Microfinance: Perils and Prospects

African Journals Online (AJOL)

African Review of Economics and Finance, Vol 4, No. 2, June ... This book explores the perils and prospects of microfinance by looking at the issue ... qualitative data, and a list of references that could be useful to readers who want to learn ...

Housing policies in developing countries: Microfinance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smets, P.G.S.M.; Smith, S.J.; Elsinga, M.; O’Mahony, L.H.; Ong, S.E.; Wachter, S.; Wood, G.

2012-01-01

Shelter is a basic human need for which financial means are required. Poorer sections of society face difficulties in accessing and coping with conventional mortgage finance and are better assisted with housing microfinance. This enables the poor, especially in 'developing' countries to build their

A Correlation for Forced Convective Boiling Heat Transfer of Refrigerants in a Microfin Tube

Science.gov (United States)

Momoki, Satoru; Yu, Jian; Koyama, Shigeru; Fujii, Tetsu; Honda, Hiroshi

The experimental study is reported on the forced convective boiling of pure refrigerants HCFC22, HFC134a and HCFC123 flowing in a horizontal microfin tube. The local heat transfer coefficient defined based on the actual inside surface area is measured in the ranges of mass velocity of 200 to 400 kg/m2s, heat flux of 5 to 64 kW/m2 and reduced pressure of 0.07 to 0.24. Using the Chen-type model, a new correlation for microfin tubes is proposed considering the enhancement effect of microfins on both the convective heat transfer and the nucleate boiling components. In the convective heat transfer component, the correlation to predict the heat transfer coefficient of liquid-only flow is determined from preliminary experiments on single-phase flow in microfin tubes, and the two-phase flow enhancement factor is determined from the present experimental data. For the nucleate boiling component, the correlation of Takamatsu et al. for smooth tube is modified. The prediction of the present correlation agrees well with present experimental data, and is available for several microfin tubes which were tested by other researchers.

Outreach and Efficiency of Microfinance Institutions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hermes, N.; Lensink, B.W.; Meesters, A.

2011-01-01

This paper uses stochastic frontier analysis to examine whether there is a trade-off between outreach to the poor and efficiency of microfinance institutions (MFIs). We find convincing evidence that outreach is negatively related to efficiency of MFIs. More specifically, we find that MFIs that have

Evaluating the effect of integrated microfinance and health interventions: an updated review of the evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzetti, Lara M J; Leatherman, Sheila; Flax, Valerie L

2017-06-01

Solutions delivered within firm sectoral boundaries are inadequate in achieving income security and better health for poor populations. Integrated microfinance and health interventions leverage networks of women to promote financial inclusion, build livelihoods, and safeguard against high cost illnesses. Our understanding of the effect of integrated interventions has been limited by variability in intervention, outcome, design, and methodological rigour. This systematic review synthesises the literature through 2015 to understand the effect of integrated microfinance and health programs. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, EconLit, and Global Health databases and sourced bibliographies, identifying 964 articles exclusive of duplicates. Title, abstract, and full text review yielded 35 articles. Articles evaluated the effect of intentionally integrated microfinance and health programs on client outcomes. We rated the quality of evidence for each article. Most interventions combined microfinance with health education, which demonstrated positive effects on health knowledge and behaviours, though not health status. Among programs that integrated microfinance with other health components ( i.e. health micro-insurance, linkages to health providers, and access to health products), results were generally positive but mixed due to the smaller number and quality of studies. Interventions combining multiple health components in a given study demonstrated positive effects, though it was unclear which component was driving the effect. Most articles (57%) were moderate in quality. Integrated microfinance and health education programs were effective, though longer intervention periods are necessary to measure more complex pathways to health status. The effect of microfinance combined with other health components was less clear. Stronger randomized research designs with multiple study arms are required to improve evidence and disentangle the effects of multiple component

Men's response to their wives' participation in microfinance: perpetration and justification of intimate partner violence in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Murshid, N S

2016-12-01

The present study adds to extant literature on the association between microfinance participation and intimate partner violence (IPV) by assessing a national sample of men married to microfinance participants. The key objective was to assess whether there was a positive association between wives' microfinance participation and men's perpetration and justification of IPV in urban areas of Bangladesh. This study is based on a population-based secondary data analysis. In this cross-sectional study, data from a national sample of men from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were analysed using logistic regression analyses. IPV perpetration was measured using a modified Conflict Tactics Scale and justification of IPV was measured based on 'justification of wife beating' statements with which men agreed or disagreed. Men married to microfinance participants were not significantly different from men married to non-participants of microfinance in terms of IPV perpetration in both urban and rural areas. However, the interaction effect of wives' microfinance participation and urban living on men's justification of IPV revealed a significant and positive beta coefficient. Specifically, wives' participation in microfinance was positively associated with men's justification of IPV in urban areas (β = 0.51, P men and women. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Education and microfinance: an alternative approach to the empowerment of the poor people in Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadi, Rizali; Wahyudin, Uyu; Ardiwinata, Jajat S; Abdu, Wamaungo Juma

2015-01-01

There is good reason to combine education with microcredit for poverty alleviation in the poor communities of the developing world, including in Indonesia. Poverty is dangerous, it deprives people of their right to education, their right to good health, their right to freedom of speech, their right to democracy, their right to financial services and of course their right to knowledge enhancement, which are all crucial to living a better life. We must therefore, provide services beyond, credits for the poor. In this case, education should be included to each and every development agenda for the poor since it is key to any positive change and sustainable development of people. If well planned and well integrated within the microcredit services, education can serve a good purpose in poverty alleviation. This paper describes how education and microfinance have been used in combination to alleviate poverty in Indonesia, especially in the areas studied. The study uses a multi-cases approach to examine the purposively selected baitul maal tamwil (BMTs) organisations, which are sharia based semiformal microfinance institutions regarded to be among those few integrating education with their financial services.

Targeting married women in microfinance programmes: transforming or reinforcing gender inequalities? : evidence from Ethiopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bekele, H.

2010-01-01

With the expansion of microfinance programmes in the low-income countries, millions of
poor women in these countries have been able to access microfinancial services,
particularly microcredit and savings. The provision of microfinance services to women has
been largely premised on

MICROFINANCE AND POOREST COUNTRIES

OpenAIRE

阿部, 清司

2004-01-01

The world is divided into developing and developed countries. There are two kinds of banks: conventional ones and unconventional. Commercial banks are usually based on mutual distrust, while new unconventional banks, microfinances, are based on mutual trust. The origin of micro finance is deeply rooted in Asia. In 1976, Grameen Bank in Bangladesh was founded by Dr. Muhammad Yunus. It reverses conventional banking practice by removing the need for collateral. It creates a banking system based ...

Microfinance and female empowerment : Do institutions matter?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haile, Hirut Bekele; Bock, Bettina; Folmer, Henk

2012-01-01

Microfinance programmes increasingly target poor women in developing countries with the expectation that, besides poverty reduction, having access to microcredit advances their empowerment. However, research provides conflicting evidence and shows that empowerment may not, or may only be partially

Microfinance and female empowerment: Do institutions matter?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haile Hirut, Bekele; Folmer, H.; Bock, B.B.

2012-01-01

Microfinance programmes increasingly target poor women in developing countries with the expectation that, besides poverty reduction, having access to microcredit advances their empowerment. However, research provides conflicting evidence and shows that empowerment may not, or may only be partially

Microfinance institutions' failure to address poverty: A narrative critical literature review

OpenAIRE

Guðjónsson, Sigurður

2017-01-01

This critical literature review begins by giving a short introduction to the microfinance industry. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are explained and an account is given of their dual performance goals of financial performance (‘financial sustainability’) and social performance (‘outreach’). While MFIs’ social performance is directly aimed at poverty reduction, it is noteworthy that often they fail to address poverty (i.e., they fail to deliver outreach). The aim of the paper is to answer th...

Experimental research on single phase convection heat transfer in micro-fin tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Guangming; Sun Zhongning; Zhu Sheng

2011-01-01

An experimental investigation of heat transfer and flow resistance characteristics of single phase water in three micro-fin tubes with different fin height was conducted. At the same time, the efficiency of micro-fin tubes within the experimental scope was evaluated and the optimal working region was determined. Based on the experimental data in the optimal working region, correlations for predicting the heat transfer and flow resistance were also given by multiple regression method. The result indicates that the micro-fin tubes can greatly enhance the single-phase heat transfer in turbulent flow, and the increase of heat transfer coefficient is higher than the increase of flow resistance. The accuracy of the correlation is very high, of which the deviation from the experimental value is very small. (authors)

Microfinance participation and contraceptive decision-making: results from a national sample of women in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Murshid, N S; Ely, G E

2016-10-01

Our objective was to assess whether microfinance participation affords greater contraceptive decision-making power to women. Population based secondary data analysis. In this cross-sectional study using nationally representative data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011 we conducted multinomial logistic regression to estimate the odds of contraceptive decision-making by respondents and their husbands based on microfinance participation. Microfinance participation was measured as a dichotomous variable and contraceptive decision-making was conceptualized based on who made decisions about contraceptive use: respondents only; their partners or husbands only; or both. The odds of decision-making by the respondent, with the reference case being joint decision-making, were higher for microfinance participants, but they were not significant. The odds of decision-making by the husband, with the reference case again being joint decision-making, were significantly lower among men who were partnered with women who participated in microfinance (RRR = 0.70, P participation by women allowed men to share decision-making power with their wives that resulted in higher odds of joint decision-making. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Community Empowerment through Islamic Microfinances: Perceptions in Comparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lathif Hanafir Rifqi

2017-04-01

Full Text Available BMT (Islamic saving and loan cooperative has continuosly been one of the Islamic microfinance institutions playing a significant role in empowering economic society. There has been a number of research discussing on the effort, however none of them discussed on the perception between the empowers and the empowered group. Comparing these perceptions is a salient effort to find similarities or differencess of perceptions. This research seeks to compare empowerment perception between two organizations. One hand hand, the first party taking BMT BIF Ledok Timoho as the empowering organization and on the other hand focusing on a group of women's empowerment Ledok Timoho. Gathering data through doing observation and in-depth interview had been employed with selecting the purposive informants that contains a BMT BIF and four empowerment group representatives. To conclude, this research found that are similarities of perceptions on empowerment goals, process, outcomes and constraints.

Evaporation of R134a in a horizontal herringbone microfin tube: heat transfer and pressure drop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wellsandt, S; Vamling, L [Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg (Sweden). Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Science, Heat and Power Technology

2005-09-01

An experimental investigation of in-tube evaporation of R134a has been carried out for a 4 m long herringbone microfin tube with an outer diameter of 9.53 mm. Measured local heat transfer coefficients and pressure losses are reported for evaporation temperatures between -0.7 and 10.1 {sup o}C and mass flow rates between 162 and 366 kg m{sup -2} s{sup -1}. Results from this work are compared to experimental results from literature as well as predicted values from some available helical microfin correlations. Differences in heat transfer mechanisms between helical and herringbone microfin tubes are discussed, as heat transfer coefficients in the investigated herringbone tube tend to peak at lower vapour qualities compared to helical microfins. Correlations developed for helical microfin tubes generally predict experimental values within {+-}30% for vapour qualities below 50%. However, at higher qualities none of the correlations are able to reflect the early peak of heat transfer coefficients. Predicted pressure gradients reproduce measured values in general within {+-}20%. (author)

Do leadership styles matter in microfinance performance? Empirical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... been concerned with building vibrant institutions within the financial sector. In this direction, managers of these institutions need to bring their leadership styles to ... style should be encouraged for the management of microfinance institutions.

Microfinance als Geflecht von Anreizproblemen

OpenAIRE

Schmidt, Reinhard H.; Tschach, Ingo E.

2001-01-01

Während sich die Entwicklungsfinanzierung in Theorie und Praxis generell mit dem Finanzwesen in Entwicklungs- und Transformationsländern befasst, steht im Teilgebiet der Microfinance die Frage im Vordergrund, wie in diesen Ländern der Zugang ärmerer Bevölkerungsgruppen und speziell von Klein- und Kleinstunternehmer(innen), Kleinbauern und sonstigen wirtschaftlich Selbständigen aus eher niedrigen sozialen Schichten zu Kredit und anderen Finanzdiensleistungen verbessert werden kann. Obwohl es e...

human resource management for sustainable microfinance

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ada

history, the sector has not witnessed the existence of sustainable institutions. This prompted ... KEY WORDS: stakeholders, skills development, business entrepreneurship ability, employee development ... 1.1 Introduction: .... based collateral as security for credit advancement .... technology and the opportunity to be heard.

Interactions between microfinance programmes and non-economic empowerment of women associated with intimate partner violence in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Science.gov (United States)

Dalal, Koustuv; Dahlström, Örjan; Timpka, Toomas

2013-01-01

Objective This study aims to examine the associations between microfinance programme membership and intimate partner violence (IPV) in different socioeconomic strata of a nationally representative sample of women in Bangladesh. Methods The cross-sectional study was based on a nationally representative interview survey of 11 178 ever-married women of reproductive age (15–49 years). A total of 4465 women who answered the IPV-related questions were analysed separately using χ2 tests and Cramer's V as a measure of effect size to identify the differences in proportions of exposure to IPV with regard to microfinance programme membership, and demographic variables and interactions between microfinance programme membership and factors related to non-economic empowerment were considered. Results Only 39% of women were members of microfinance programmes. The prevalence of a history of IPV was 48% for moderate physical violence, 16% for severe physical violence and 16% for sexual violence. For women with secondary or higher education, and women at the two wealthiest levels of the wealth index, microfinance programme membership increased the exposure to IPV two and three times, respectively. The least educated and poorest groups showed no change in exposure to IPV associated with microfinance programmes. The educated women who were more equal with their spouses in their family relationships by participating in decision-making increased their exposure to IPV by membership in microfinance programmes. Conclusions Microfinance plans are associated with an increased exposure to IPV among educated and empowered women in Bangladesh. Microfinance firms should consider providing information about the associations between microfinance and IPV to the women belonging to the risk groups. PMID:24319278

Human resource management for sustainable microfinance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Microfinancing in Nigeria has developed from the traditional informal groups through direct government intervention to domination by private sector owned and managed institutions. Despite its long history, the sector has not witnessed the existence of sustainable institutions. This prompted the Obasanjo regime to adopt a ...

Microfinance and the Decision to Invest in Children’s Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PV Viswanath

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Although one of the primary objectives of microfinance has been the reduction of poverty through the provision of credit for income-generating purposes, evidence of its impact on poverty has been mixed. Even if there is no direct impact of microfinance, there may be an indirect positive impact through the effect of microcredit availability on families’ decisions to invest in their children’s education. In this paper, I describe a study undertaken to gauge the impact of microcredit availability on education expenditures for children of clients of a South Indian microfinance institution. I first look at some determinants of the demand for education and then go on to consider what we know about how microcredit affects this demand. I find that microcredit has an impact on the demand for education as mediated by wealth effects and status effects, i.e., microloans increase spending on education the greater the wealth and the greater the social status of the family. Focus group interviews suggest that the impact of microcredit on the demand for education comes mainly from the greater access to financial resources and, to a lesser degree, from an accompanying appreciation of the value of education.

Earthquake parametrics based protection for microfinance disaster management in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Sedayo, M. H.; Damanik, R.

2017-07-01

Financial institutions included microfinance institutions those lend money to people also face the risk when catastrophe event hit their operation area. Liquidity risk when withdrawal amount and Non Performance Loan (NPL) hiking fast in the same time could hit their cash flow. There are products in market that provide backup fund for this kind of situation. Microfinance institution needs a guideline too make contingency plan in their disaster management program. We develop a probabilistic seismic hazard, index and zonation map as a tool to help in making financial disaster impact reduction program for microfinance in Indonesia. GMPE was used to estimate PGA for each Kabupaten points. PGA to MMI conversion was done by applied empirical relationship. We used loan distribution data from Financial Service Authority and Bank Indonesia as exposure in indexing. Index level from this study could be use as rank of urgency. Probabilistic hazard map was used to pricing two backup scenarios and to make a zonation. We proposed three zones with annual average cost 0.0684‰, 0.4236‰ and 1.4064 for first scenario and 0.3588‰, 2.6112‰, and 6.0816‰ for second scenario.

Impact assessment of microfinance institutions in Nigeria: gaps, inefficiencies and emerging solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Okunnu,Mustapha Abiodun

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Microfinance has received a lot of attention recently, both from policy makers as well as in academic circles. Microfinance interventions have contributed significantly to small business development. The success story of microfinance schemes notwithstanding, they have the problem of excluding the poorest of the poor and at times do not have the characteristics that encourage entrepreneurial development. This paper reviews the achievements of the ‘microfinance revolution’, through reference to the now extensive literature. It finds that there are many opportunities to improve and innovate. The interpretation reveals that as more the number of years of formal education of respondents, the more the level of enlightenment which will determine the level of annual savings. It is also confirmed that there is negative relationship between the nature of business enterprises and social cultural expenses. This negative relationship could be explained as the more the expenditure on social and cultural issues the less the annual savings. To illustrate this finding, the paper concentrates on examining what we need to know to design and deliver better financial products to the poor, especially the poorest. It argues that financial services for the poor are essentially a matter of helping the poor turn their savings into sums large enough to satisfy a wide range of business, consumption, personal, social and asset-building needs.

Experimental analysis of refrigerants flow boiling inside small sized microfin tubes

Science.gov (United States)

Diani, Andrea; Rossetto, Luisa

2017-07-01

The refrigerant charge reduction is one of the most challenging issues that the scientific community has to cope to reduce the anthropic global warming. Recently, mini microfin tubes have been matter of research, since they can reach better thermal performance in small domains, leading to a further refrigerant charge reduction. This paper presents experimental results about R134a flow boiling inside a microfin tube having an internal diameter at the fin tip of 2.4 mm. The mass flux was varied between 375 and 940 kg m-2 s-1, heat flux from 10 to 50 kW m-2, vapor quality from 0.10 to 0.99. The saturation temperature at the inlet of the test section was kept constant and equal to 30 °C. R134a thermal and fluid dynamic performances are presented and compared against those obtained with R1234ze(E) and R1234yf and against values obtained during R134a flow boiling inside a 3.4 mm ID microfin tube.

Financial resources of the microfinance sector: Securitisation deals – Issues and challenges Interview with the MFIs Grameen Koota and Equitas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Jayadev

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Securitisation has emerged as an innovative and structured product that meets the funding requirements of microfinance institutions (MFIs. This paper provides a contextual note on the microfinance sector and the financial sources of MFIs. The note is followed by interviews with senior executives of two microfinance institutions on the securitisation deals of microfinance institutions. We argue in our note that the microfinance sector needs to be revived to meet the broader goal of financial inclusion. Banks and MFIs have to collaborate with each other to meet this objective. Banks have to encourage MFIs to shift over to low cost finance either by giving direct loans or through innovative deals like securitisation. Commercial banks have to leverage MFIs for their origination and recovery capabilities in small loans.

Experimental Study on Flow Boiling of Carbon Dioxide in a Horizontal Microfin Tube

Science.gov (United States)

Kuwahara, Ken; Ikeda, Soshi; Koyama, Shigeru

This paper deals with the experimental study on flow boiling heat transfer of carbon dioxide in a micro-fin tube. The geometrical parameters of micro-fin tube used in this study are 6.07 mm in outer diameter, 5.24 mm in average inner diameter, 0.256 mm in fin height, 20.4 in helix angle, 52 in number of grooves and 2.35 in area expansion ratio. Flow patterns and heat transfer coefficients were measured at 3-5 MPa in pressure, 300-540 kg/(m2s) in mass velocity and -5 to 15 °C in CO2 temperature. Flow patterns of wavy flow, slug flow and annular flow were observed. The measured heat transfer coefficients of micro-fin tube were 10-40 kW/(m2K). Heat transfer coefficients were strongly influenced by pressure.

Rural Finance and Microfinance Development in Transition Countries in Southeast and East Asia

OpenAIRE

Llanto, Gilberto M.; Fukui, Ryu

2006-01-01

Microfinance is an emerging important financial subsector in Asian transition countries. Its role is to improve financial access of the poor and small economic players and thus help them to build assets, thereby contribute to poverty alleviation. This paper provides an overview of rural finance and microfinance development in transition countries in Southeast and East Asia—Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Mongolia—focusing on the institutional evolution and the inter-relation between ...

Moving up the sanitation ladder with the help of microfinance in urban Malawi

OpenAIRE

Chunga, R; Jenkins, MW; Ensink, J; Brown, J

2017-01-01

We carried out a stated preference survey in Malawi to examine whether access to microfinance for sanitation would significantly increase the proportion of households upgrading to improved pit latrines or alternative improved sanitation technologies (urine diverting dry toilet, fossa alterna, pour flush). We presented a range of sanitation options at local market prices, initially without and then with a real microfinance option, to 1,300 households sampled across 27 low-income urban settleme...

The Impact of Microfinance on Household Welfare in Botswana ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

of poverty in Botswana include lack of opportunities for self-employment to generate income and constrained ... et al, 2013). Other scholars observed that microfinance has no significant impact on household ... including political leadership) ...

Social and Financial Exlusion: The Role of Microfinance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Becchitti, L.; Boot, A.; Lensink, B.W.; Zazzaro, A.

2013-01-01

Traditional banks have proved to have severe limits in mitigating financial exclusion. The microfinance revolution is intended to address this problem by devising new approaches which ease credit access for poor and uncollateralized borrowers. In this introductory essay we present a special issue of

Experimental Study of Flow Boiling Heat Transfer in a Horizontal Microfin Tube

OpenAIRE

Yu, Jian; Koyama, Shigeru; Momoki, Satoru

1995-01-01

An experimental study on flow boiling heat transfer in a horizontal microfin tube is conducted with pure refrigerants HFC134a, HCFC123 and HCFC22 using a water-heated double-tube type test section. The test microfin tube is a copper tube having the following dimensions: 8.37mm mean inside diameter, 0.168mm fin height, 60fin number and 18 degree of helix angle. The local heat transfer coefficients for both counter and parallel flows are measured in a range of heat flux of 1 to 93W/m^2, mass ve...

Towards Sustainable Health Care Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauro ROMANELLI

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Health care organizations have to develop a sustainable path for creating public value by seeking legitimacy for building and maintaining public trust with patients as social and economic institutions creating value and sustaining both health and wealth for people and communities within society. Health care organizations having at disposal decreasing resources and meeting increasing demands of citizens are following an unsustainable path. Designing sustainable health care systems and organizations is emerging as a strategic goal for developing the wealth of people and communities over time. Building sustainable organizations relies on valuing human resources, designing efficient and effective processes, using technology for better managing the relationships within and outside organizations. Sustainable health care organizations tend to rediscover the importance of human resource management and policies for effectively improving communication with patients and building trust-based relationships. While processes of accreditation contribute to legitimizing effectiveness and quality of health care services and efficient processes, introducing and using new information and communication technologies (ICTs and informatics helps communication leading to restore trust-based relationships between health care institutions and patients for value creation within society.

Targeting married women in microfinance programmes: transforming or reinforcing gender inequalities? : evidence from Ethiopia

OpenAIRE

Bekele, H.

2010-01-01

With the expansion of microfinance programmes in the low-income countries, millions of poor women in these countries have been able to access microfinancial services, particularly microcredit and savings. The provision of microfinance services to women has been largely premised on the assumption that credit facilitates or expands women’s selfemployment opportunities, and consequently leads to their empowerment. In recent years, however, this proposition is under scrutiny and debate, as t...

Microfinance Institutions' Successful Delivery Of Micronutrient Powders: A Randomized Trial In Rural Haiti.

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, Aaron; Elize, Wesly; Jean-Louis, Florence

2017-11-01

Globally, two-thirds of child deaths could be prevented by increased provision of health interventions such as vaccines, micronutrient supplements, and water purification tablets. We report the results from a randomized controlled trial in Haiti during 2012 that tested whether microfinance institutions-which reach 200 million households worldwide-can effectively deliver health products. These institutions provide loans to underserved entrepreneurs, primarily poor women in rural areas. In the intervention group, micronutrient powders to improve the nutrition of young children were distributed at regularly occurring microfinance meetings by a trained borrower. In both the control and the intervention groups, nurses led seminars on nutrition and extended breastfeeding during microfinance meetings. At three-month follow-up, the mean difference in hemoglobin concentration between children in the intervention group and those in the control group was 0.28 grams per deciliter (g/dL)-with a subsample of younger children (under two years of age) showing greater relative improvement (0.46 g/dL)-and the odds ratio for children in the intervention group meeting the diagnostic criteria for anemia was 0.64. The results are similar to those of previous studies that evaluated micronutrient powder distribution through dedicated health institutions. Our findings suggest that microfinance institutions are a promising platform for the large-scale delivery of health products in low-income countries.

Microfinance Programs in Uganda: An Analysis of Household ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper identifies a model of low-income household participation in microfinance credit programs and the effects on investment behavior from repeated access to these institutions using evidence from household survey data. The primary focus is on changes in household investment behavior, not the assessment of ...

The Empirics of Microfinance: What do we Know?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lensink, B.W.; Hermes, N.

2007-01-01

Microfinance has received a lot of attention recently, both from policy makers as well as in academic circles. Two of the main topics that have been hotly debated are explaining joint liability group lending and its implications for reducing information asymmetries, and the trade-off between the

Impact of Informal Microfinance on Rural Enterprises | Oluyombo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper set out to examine if rural enterprises that participate and patronise informal microfinance providers are also finding it difficult to grow their business activities. ... The findings show that members who had access to loan improved their businesses significantly through expansion of business facilities, addition of new ...

The Impact of Information and Communication Technology on Intermediation, Outreach, and Decision Rights in the Microfinance Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, David Michael

2012-01-01

The microfinance industry provides financial services to the world's poor in hopes of moving individuals and families out of poverty. This dissertation document suggests that information and communication technologies (ICTs) are changing the microfinance industry, especially given recent advancements in mobile banking, Internet usage and…

Business Management Models of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Africa:

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pashkova, Nadya; Trujillo-Barrera, Andres; Apostolakis, George; Dijk, Van Gert; Drakos, Periklis D.; Baourakis, George

2016-01-01

In this study, the authors analyse the socioeconomic, political and geographic conditions that are conducive of cooperative microfinance initiatives in comparison with other organizational forms in Africa. They distinguish three types of institutions (MFIs) and business models: cooperatives/credit

Condensation of refrigerant CFC 11 in horizontal microfin tubes. Proposal of a correlation equation for frictional pressure gradient; Reibai CFC11 no microfin tsuki suihei kannai gyoshuku. Atsuryoku koka no jikkenshiki no teian

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nozu, S [Univ. of Okayama Prefecture, Okayama (Japan); Katayama, H [Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Inc., Tokyo (Japan); Nakata, H [Daikin Industries, Ltd., Osaka (Japan); Honda, H [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Institute of Advanced Material Study

1996-09-25

Local heat transfer and pressure drop measurements were made during condensation of CFC 11 in microfin tubes. A smooth tube and two microfin tubes with different fin dimensions were used. Flow observation study with use of an industrial bore-scope revealed that the condensate swirled along the grooves, and a thick condensate film covered fins in the lower part of the tube in the low quality region. Static pressure gradients in the microfin tubes were up to 70 percent larger than that in a smooth tube. A correlation equation for the local frictional pressure gradient was derived, in which the effect of refrigerant mass velocity was introduced on the basis of the flow regime consideration. The measured frictional pressure gradient data were found by the present method to have a mean absolute deviation of 8.3 percent. 24 refs., 11 figs., 3 tabs.

Gendered Poverty and Education: Moving beyond Access to Expanding Freedoms through Microfinance Policy in India and Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Voola, Archana

2016-01-01

Microfinance has been recognized globally as a poverty alleviating strategy and particularly as a gender equality enhancing approach. There have been immense, intense and nuanced debates in the field of international development, feminist studies and comparative social policy regarding the role of microfinance in addressing gendered poverty. This…

Efficiency of Microfinance Institutions in Sub – Saharan Africa: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2016-10-02

Oct 2, 2016 ... major constraint on the development of the microfinance industry (Helms, 2006). The efficient ..... It also enables statistical tests of hypothesis to be performed. Hence, the ...... Cost efficiency in Australian Local Government: A.

Experimental Study on Cooling Heat Transfer of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Inside Horizontal Micro-Fin Tubes

Science.gov (United States)

Kuwahara, Ken; Higashiiu, Shinya; Ito, Daisuke; Koyama, Shigeru

This paper deals with the experimental study on cooling heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide inside micro-fin tubes. The geometrical parameters in micro-fin tubes used in the present study are 6.02 mm in outer diameter, 4.76 mm to 5.11 mm in average inner diameter, 0.15 mm to 0.24 mm in fin height, 5 to 25 in helix angle, 46 to 52 in number of fins and 1.4 to 2.3 in area expansion ratio. Heat transfer coefficients were measured at 8-10 MPa in pressure, 360-690 kg/(m2•s) in mass velocity and 20-75 °C in CO2 temperature. The measured heat transfer coefficients of micro-fin tubes were 1.4 to 2 times higher than those of the smooth tube having 4.42 in inner diameter. The predicted heat transfer coefficients using the correlation equation, which was developed for single-phase turbulent fluid flow inside micro-fin-tubes, showed large deviations to the measured values. The new correlation to predict cooling heat transfer coefficient of supercritical carbon dioxide inside micro-fin tubes was developed taking into account the shape of fins based on experimental data empirically. This correlation equation agreed within ±20% of almost all of the experimental data.

Condensation of pure and near-azeotropic refrigerants in microfin tubes: A new computational procedure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cavallini, A; Del Col, D; Mancin, S; Rossetto, L [Dipartimento di Fisica Tecnica, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, Padova 35131 (Italy)

2009-01-15

Microfin tubes are widely used in air cooled and water cooled heat exchangers for heat pump and refrigeration applications during condensation or evaporation of refrigerants. In order to design heat exchangers and to optimize heat transfer surfaces, accurate procedures for computing pressure drops and heat transfer coefficients are necessary. This paper presents a new simple model for the prediction of the heat transfer coefficient to be applied to condensation in horizontal microfin tubes of halogenated and natural refrigerants, pure fluids or nearly azeotropic mixtures. The updated model accounts for refrigerant physical properties, two-phase flow patterns in microfin tubes and geometrical characteristics of the tubes. It is validated against a data bank of 3115 experimental heat transfer coefficients measured in different independent laboratories all over the world including diverse inside tube geometries and different condensing refrigerants among which R22, R134a, R123, R410A and CO{sub 2}. (author)

An empirical approach to the credit risk assessment of a microfinance institution in Peru

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Lara Rubio

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The growth of micro-credit along with the excellent conditions to carry out microfinance activity in the economy and financial system of the Republic of Peru are pushing for Microfinance Institutions (IMF increased competition with banks in this segment business. Like in commercial banks, in microfinance questions such as: is this customer profitable?, What is the credit limit that I must accept to his/her application?, What interest rate should I charge to him/ her?, How I can reduce the risk default?, etc., are matters to be assessed properly. We propose a method that could facilitate improvement in customer qualification between failed and not failed. To this end, we propose a methodology that analyzes credit risk in the provision of microcredit through the design of a credit scoring model that we apply to a Development Agency for Small and Micro Enterprise (EDPYME, which is an IMF under the supervision by the Banking and Insurance Superintendency (SBS.

A Microfinance Program Targeting People Living with HIV in Uganda: Client Characteristics and Program Impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Linnemayr, Sebastian; Buzaalirwa, Lydia; Balya, James; Wagner, Glenn

HIV has disproportionately affected economically vulnerable populations. HIV medical care, including antiretroviral therapy, successfully restores physical health but can be insufficient to achieve social and economic health. It may therefore be necessary to offer innovative economic support programs such as providing business training and microcredit tailored to people living with HIV/AIDS. However, microfinance institutions have shown reluctance to reach out to HIV-infected individuals, resulting in nongovernment and HIV care organizations providing these services. The authors investigate the baseline characteristics of a sample of medically stable clients in HIV care who are eligible for microcredit loans and evaluate their business and financial needs; the authors also analyze their repayment pattern and how their socioeconomic status changes after receipt of the program. The authors find that there is a significant unmet need for business capital for the sample under investigation, pointing toward the potentially beneficial role of providing microfinance and business training for clients in HIV care. HIV clients participating in the loans show high rates of repayment, and significant increases in (disposable) income, as well as profits and savings. The authors therefore encourage other HIV care providers to consider providing their clients with such loans.

Macroeconomics of microfinance: how do the channels work?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Maksudova, Nargiza

-, č. 423 (2010), s. 1-27 ISSN 1211-3298 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC542 Grant - others:GA UK(CZ) 52010; MŠk(CZ) SVV-2010-261801 Institutional research plan: CEZ:MSM0021620846 Keywords : microfinance * economic growth * financial intermediation * dynamic panel Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp423.pdf

The importance of geographic access for the impact of microfinance

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Alimukhamedova, Nargiza; Filer, Randall K.; Hanousek, Jan

2017-01-01

Roč. 35, September (2017), s. 645-657 ISSN 0950-6764 Grant - others:UK(CZ) GAUK 586912 Institutional support: Progres-Q24 Keywords : geographic access * microcredit * microfinance institutions Subject RIV: AH - Economics OBOR OECD: Finance Impact factor: 0.700, year: 2016

Condensation heat transfer and pressure drop of R-410A in a 7.0 mm O.D. microfin tube at low mass fluxes

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Nae-Hyun

2016-12-01

R-410A condensation heat transfer and pressure drop data are provided for a 7.0 mm O.D. microfin tube at low mass fluxes (50-250 kg/m2 s). The heat transfer coefficient of the microfin tube shows a minimum behavior with the mass flux. At a low mass flux, where flow pattern is stratified, condensation induced by surface tension by microfins overwhelms condensation induced by shear, and the heat transfer coefficient decreases as mass flux increases. At a high mass flux, where flow pattern is annular, condensation induced by shear governs the heat transfer, and the heat transfer coefficient increases as mass flux increases. The pressure drop of the microfin tube is larger than that of the smooth tube at the annular flow regime. On the contrary, the pressure drop of the smooth tube is larger than that of the microfin tube at the stratified flow regime.

Prediction method for flow boiling heat transfer in a herringbone microfin tube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wellsandt, S; Vamling, L [Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg (Sweden). Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Science, Heat and Power Technology

2005-09-01

Based on experimental data for R134a, the present work deals with the development of a prediction method for heat transfer in herringbone microfin tubes. As is shown in earlier works, heat transfer coefficients for the investigated herringbone microfin tube tend to peak at lower vapour qualities than in helical microfin tubes. Correlations developed for other tube types fail to describe this behaviour. A hypothesis that the position of the peak is related to the point where the average film thickness becomes smaller than the fin height is tested and found to be consistent with observed behaviour. The proposed method accounts for this hypothesis and incorporates the well-known Steiner and Taborek correlation for the calculation of flow boiling heat transfer coefficients. The correlation is modified by introducing a surface enhancement factor and adjusting the two-phase multiplier. Experimental data for R134a are predicted with an average residual of 1.5% and a standard deviation of 21%. Tested against experimental data for mixtures R410A and R407C, the proposed method overpredicts experimental data by around 60%. An alternative adjustment of the two-phase multiplier, in order to better predict mixture data, is discussed. (author)

Flow boiling heat transfer of carbon dioxide inside a small-sized microfin tube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dang, Chaobin; Haraguchi, Nobori; Hihara, Eiji [Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba 277-8563 (Japan)

2010-06-15

This study investigated the flow boiling heat transfer of carbon dioxide inside a small-sized microfin tube (mean inner diameter: 2.0 mm; helix angle: 6.3 ) at a saturation temperature of 15 C, and heat and mass flux ranges of 4.5-18 kW m{sup -2} and 360-720 kg m{sup -2} s{sup -1}, respectively. Although, experimental results indicated that heat flux has a significant effect on the heat transfer coefficient, the coefficient does not always increase with mass flux, as in the case of conventional refrigerants such as HFCs or HCFCs. Under certain conditions, the heat transfer coefficient at a high mass flux was lower than that at a lower mass flux, indicating that convective heat transfer had a suppression effect on nucleate boiling. The heat transfer coefficients in the microfin tubes were 1.9{proportional_to}2.3 times the values in smooth tubes of the same diameter under the same experimental conditions, and the dryout quality was much higher, ranging from 0.9 to 0.95. The experimental results indicated that using microfin tubes may considerably increase the overall heat transfer performance. (author)

The Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development for Well-Being in Organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Fabio, Annamaria

2017-01-01

This article discusses the contribution of the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development to well-being in organizations from a primary prevention perspective. It deals with sustainability not only in terms of the ecological, economic, and social environment but also in terms of improving the quality of life of every human being. The psychology of sustainability and sustainable development is seen as a primary prevention perspective that can foster well-being in organizations at all the different levels going from the worker, to the group, to the organization, and also to inter-organizational processes. The possibilities for further research and interventions are also discussed.

Feasibility and pilot study of the effects of microfinance on mortality and nutrition in children under five amongst the very poor in India: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Ojha, Shalini; Szatkowski, Lisa; Sinha, Ranjeet; Yaron, Gil; Fogarty, Andrew; Allen, Stephen; Choudhary, Sunil; Smyth, Alan R

2014-07-23

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals include targets for the health of children under five years old. Poor health is linked to poverty and microfinance initiatives are economic interventions that may improve health by breaking the cycle of poverty. However, there is a lack of reliable evidence to support this. In addition, microfinance schemes may have adverse effects on health, for example due to increased indebtedness. Rojiroti UK and the Centre for Promoting Sustainable Livelihood run an innovative microfinance scheme that provides microcredit via women's self-help groups (SHGs). This pilot study, conducted in rural Bihar (India), will establish whether it is feasible to collect anthropometric and mortality data on children under five years old and to conduct a limited cluster randomized trial of the Rojiroti intervention. We have designed a cluster randomized trial in which participating tolas (small communities within villages) will be randomized to either receive early (SHGs and microfinance at baseline) or late intervention (SHGs and microfinance after 18 months). Using predesigned questionnaires, demographic, and mortality data for the last year and information about participating mothers and their children will be collected and the weight, height, and mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) of children will be measured at baseline and at 18 months. The late intervention group will establish SHGs and microfinance support at this point and data collection will be repeated at 36 months.The primary outcome measure will be the mean weight for height z-score of children under five years old in the early and late intervention tolas at 18 months. Secondary outcome measures will be the mortality rate, mean weight for age, height for age, prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting among children under five years of age. Despite economic progress, marked inequalities in child health persist in India and Bihar is one of the worst affected states. There

How microfinance empowers women in Côte d'Ivoire

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fofana, B.; Antonides, G.; Niehof, A.; Ophem, van J.A.C.

2015-01-01

This study deals with the effect of microcredit on women’s livelihood and empowerment in rural areas of Côte d’Ivoire. A cross-section survey was conducted among 185 borrowers from two microfinance institutions and 209 non-borrowers in rural areas of Côte d’Ivoire. In addition, a focus group

The Impact of Micro-Finance on the Performance of Small-Scale ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Impact of Micro-Finance on the Performance of Small-Scale Enterprises: A Comparison of ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... the impact that the study-MFIs are making on their SMEs-client in the Wa Municipality.

The importance of geographic access for the impact of microfinance

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Alimukhamedova, N.; Filer, R. K.; Hanousek, Jan

2017-01-01

Roč. 35, September (2017), s. 645-657 ISSN 0950-6764 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-31783S Institutional support: RVO:67985998 Keywords : geographic access * microcredit * microfinance institutions Subject RIV: AH - Economics OBOR OECD: Finance Impact factor: 0.700, year: 2016

Heat transfer performance during in-tube condensation in horizontal smooth, micro-fin and herringbone tubes

OpenAIRE

2008-01-01

M.Ing. An experimental investigation was conducted into the heat transfer characteristics of horizontal smooth, micro-fin and herringbone tubes during in-tube condensation. The study focused on the heat transfer coefficients of refrigerants R-22, R-134a and R-407C inside the three tubes. The herringbone tube results were compared to the smooth and micro-fin tube results. The average increase in the heat transfer coefficient when compared to the smooth tube was found to be as high as 322% w...

Comparison of four microfinance markets from the point of view of the effectuation theory, complemented by proposed musketeer principle illustrating forces within village banks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hes Tomáš

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Microfinance services are essential tools of formalization of shadow economics, leveraging immature entrepreneurship with external capital. Given the importance of shadow economics for the social balance of developing countries, the importance of an answer to a question of how microfinance entities come into existence, is rather essential. While decision-taking process leading to entrepreneurship were explained by the effectuation theory developed in the 90’, these explanations were not concerned with the logics of creation of microenterprises in neither developing countries nor microfinance village banks. While the abovementioned theories explain the nascence of companies in environment of developed markets, importance of a focus on emerging markets related to large share of human society of microfinance clientele is obvious. The study provides a development streak to the effectuation Theory, adding the musketeer principle to the five effectuation principles proposed by Sarasvathy. Furthermore, the hitherto not considered relationship between social capital and effectuation related concepts is another proposal of the paper focusing on description of the nature of microfinance clientele from the point of view of effectuation theory and social capital drawing a comparison of microfinance markets in four countries, Turkey, Sierra Leone, Indonesia and Afghanistan.

Experimental study on void fraction of two-phase flow inside a micro-fin tube

OpenAIRE

Koyama, Shigeru; Chen, Yongchang; Kitano, Ryuji; Kuwahara, Ken

2001-01-01

In this paper the void fraction and flow pattern of the two-phase flow in a micro-fin tube were investigated experimentally for a pure refrigerant HFC134a. The experiment was carried out at a pressure range of 0.6 and 1.2MPa with mass velocities of 90 and 180kg/m^2 s, in which the vapor quality varied from 0 to 1. The void fraction was measured by means of simultaneously closing valves of both sides of the test tube at adiabatic condition. Experimental results for the micro-fin tube were comp...

The impact of microfinance bank credit on economic development of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper x-rays the contribution of microfinance bank to the economic development of Nigeria for fifteen years by using secondary data collected from the Central Bank of Nigeria records, annual reports and statistical bulletin. The ordinary least square estimation technique was adopted using linear regression model.

Microfinance et les TIC : soutien au programme STAR de Hivos en ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Open source framework : opportunities for microfinance ... Le Conseil des gouverneurs félicite Jean Lebel pour son nouveau mandat au ... CDRI est heureux d'annoncer que le premier appel à candidatures pour les bourses de début de.

Integrating microfinance and health strategies: examining the evidence to inform policy and practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Leatherman, Sheila; Metcalfe, Marcia; Geissler, Kimberley; Dunford, Christopher

2012-03-01

Single solutions continue to be inadequate in confronting the prevalent problems of poverty, ill health and insufficient health system capacity worldwide. The poor need access to an integrated set of financial and health services to have income security and better health. Over 3500 microfinance institutions (MFIs) provide microcredit and financial services to more than 155 million households worldwide. Conservative estimates indicate that at least 34 million of these households are very poor by the definition in the Millennium Development Goals, representing around 170 million people, many in remote areas beyond the reach of health agencies, both private and governmental. A small but increasing number of MFIs offer health-related services, such as education, clinical care, community health workers, health-financing and linkages to public and private health providers. Multiple studies indicate the effectiveness of microfinance and its impact on poverty. A small but growing number of studies also attempt to show that MFIs are capable of contributing to health improvement by increasing knowledge that leads to behavioural changes, and by enhancing access to health services through addressing financial, geographic and other barriers. While these studies are of uneven quality, they indicate positive health benefits in diverse areas such as maternal and child health, malaria and other infectious disease, and domestic violence. While more rigorous research is needed to inform policy and guide programme implementation to integrate microfinance and health interventions that can reliably enhance the well-being of the poor, there is useful evidence to support the design and delivery of integrated programmes now. Worldwide, current public health programmes and health systems are proving to be inadequate to meet population needs. The microfinance sector offers an underutilized opportunity for delivery of health-related services to many hard-to-reach populations.

Development Innovations through Entrepreneurial Microfinance and the Attempt to Achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saleh Ahmed

2012-08-01

Full Text Available As one of the countries in the Global South, Bangladesh has experienced numerous development challenges since its liberation in 1971. Bangladesh has showcased how to fight against poverty and to initiate meaningful change and development in human lives. Nobel Prize (2006 winner Grameen Bank is one of the popular development innovations in the country. Since the beginning of this Bank in the early 1970s, microfinance and entrepreneurship development with small amounts of money have proliferated to nearly every corner of the globe with the paramount goal of alleviating global poverty and ensuring human development. Like all other new social science techniques, the societal revolution brought about by microfinance expansion has left substantial room for refinement and further support by empirical evidence. This article critically evaluates a non-governmental initiative to empower extremely poor women through entrepreneurial microfinance, and examines the socioeconomic impacts in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UNMDGs. This article covers both primary and secondary information. The aim is to demonstrate how countries of the Global South can use carefully designed microfinance projects to address major development challenges and meaningfully contribute to creating a more equal, humane society.

Economic analysis of the role of microfinance banks in funding ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The quest to meet the credit need of the Nigerian farmers necessitated the focus of this study. Specifically, the study examined the contribution of microfinance banks (MFBs) towards agricultural development, analyzed and compared the loans given out by these banks to agricultural sector with those given to other ...

Effect of doctoring on the performance of direct gravure printing for conductive microfine lines

Science.gov (United States)

Phuong Hoang, Huu; Lim Ko, Sung

2015-11-01

Printed electronics on flexible thin film has challenged and inspired the motivation of scientists in many fields. Among traditional printing methods such as stamping, flexography, offset, screen-printing, and inkjet, the gravure method is expected to reduce costs and increase productivity for printed electronics applications. In this research, conductive microfine line patterns, which print out the layer as microelectrodes for organic thin film transistor (OTFT) or microcircuit lines, have been designed with different size widths and lengths according to the printing direction, MD (machine direction), and CMD (cross machine direction, or transverse direction, TD, which is popularly used in industry). These patterns were printed with nano-particle silver ink on PI thin film, but had some serious problems with discontinuity and less filling after doctoring and printing. To solve these problems, the doctoring effect is investigated and analyzed before ink transferring, mainly in the printing machine direction and CMD. The uniformity and accuracy of the microfine lines are controlled and improved in order to achieve the stability of the printed pattern lines. In this work, considering the effect of the deflection of the doctor blade in the CMD (transverse direction), a doctoring model in the CMD is proposed and compared with the experimental result. Experimentally, proper doctoring conditions like blade stiffness and doctoring pressure are sought.

Effect of doctoring on the performance of direct gravure printing for conductive microfine lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoang, Huu Phuong; Ko, Sung Lim

2015-01-01

Printed electronics on flexible thin film has challenged and inspired the motivation of scientists in many fields. Among traditional printing methods such as stamping, flexography, offset, screen-printing, and inkjet, the gravure method is expected to reduce costs and increase productivity for printed electronics applications. In this research, conductive microfine line patterns, which print out the layer as microelectrodes for organic thin film transistor (OTFT) or microcircuit lines, have been designed with different size widths and lengths according to the printing direction, MD (machine direction), and CMD (cross machine direction, or transverse direction, TD, which is popularly used in industry). These patterns were printed with nano-particle silver ink on PI thin film, but had some serious problems with discontinuity and less filling after doctoring and printing. To solve these problems, the doctoring effect is investigated and analyzed before ink transferring, mainly in the printing machine direction and CMD. The uniformity and accuracy of the microfine lines are controlled and improved in order to achieve the stability of the printed pattern lines. In this work, considering the effect of the deflection of the doctor blade in the CMD (transverse direction), a doctoring model in the CMD is proposed and compared with the experimental result. Experimentally, proper doctoring conditions like blade stiffness and doctoring pressure are sought. (paper)

Evidence of Product Differentiation in the Microfinance Industry

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-09

terms of social yardsticks.6 To date, empirical studies such as Navajas et al. (2003) delve into the effects of microcredit financing in specific...2011, Jan 19). Post Carbon Institute. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Energy Bulletin: http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2011-01-20/ microcredit ...34Remarks by Muhammed Yunus, Managing Director, Grameen Bank.". Microcredit Summit E-News, 5(1). Mutalima, I. K. (2007). Microfinance and gener

Energy-microfinance intervention for below poverty line households in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, P. Sharath Chandra; Miller, Jeffrey B.; Wang, Young Doo; Byrne, John B.

2009-01-01

More than 72% of India's population resides in rural India and it also has a high concentration of people living under abject poverty. Of the total rural population 27.1-28.3% lives below the poverty line (BPL). A lack of energy-finance options is hampering the 'quality of life' of the BPL community. The members of this disadvantaged household which forms 27.1% and 23.6% of the India's rural and urban population has no ready access to mainstream finance or know-how of sustainable energy products nor do they have access to energy service providing agency. This lack of energy-finance options has provided the marginalized population little means to break the conventional energy paradigm and the corresponding poverty cycle. Considering the afore-mentioned problem we propose an energy-microfinance intervention or a model that encompasses two independent entities. One has an energy expertise and the other possesses finance management skills. Alternately, we also propose a special purpose entity that comprises of these two entities. This entity fosters different institutional, technical and financial engineering approaches to the provision of energy, finance and infrastructure services necessary for poverty alleviation.

Funding for self-employment of people with disabilities. Grants, loans, revolving funds or linkage with microfinance programmes.

Science.gov (United States)

de Klerk, Ton

2008-03-01

In 2005, Handicap International commissioned a study on the practices of funding for self-employment activities of people with disabilities (PWD), with a special focus on access to microfinance. The overall goal of the study was to produce a framework document highlighting good practices, strategies, tools and operational methods that guarantee the efficiency and sustainability of self-employment projects for PWDs. The first phase of the study consisted of a literature review and a worldwide survey. Through this first phase the research team identified the most innovative programmes for further analysis through field visits. In the second phase field visits were conducted in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nicaragua and Uganda, while regional workshops were organised in Dhaka and Nairobi. Phase three involved consolidation and analysis of the information and finally drafting of the framework document. This paper summarises the findings and good practices as presented in the framework document, based on the results of the literature review, the survey and the field research. It is not a scientific paper, i.e. it doesn't contain a discussion of the literature reviewed or systematic reference to sources, the same as the document on which it is based, as it is primarily meant for 'practitioners'. A main finding of the study was that there is no single 'best solution' to funding of self employment activities. While inclusion of PWDs in existing microfinance institutions (MFIs) is the preferred strategy, guaranteeing efficiency, sustainability and future access to funding for the target group, it was found that in reality many PWDs do not have access to microfinance programmes. This can be explained by stigmatisation of PWDs by staff of MFIs, who do not believe in their income earning and repayment capacity, and self-exclusion by PWDs. To fight against it projects have been set-up linking MFIs with programmes for PWDs, focusing on better information

Experiment of flow regime map and local condensing heat transfer coefficients inside three dimensional inner microfin tubes

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Yang; Xin, Ming Dao

1999-03-01

This paper developed a new type of three dimensional inner microfin tube. The experimental results of the flow patterns for the horizontal condensation inside these tubes are reported in the paper. The flow patterns for the horizontal condensation inside the new made tubes are divided into annular flow, stratified flow and intermittent flow within the test conditions. The experiments of the local heat transfer coefficients for the different flow patterns have been systematically carried out. The experiments of the local heat transfer coefficients changing with the vapor dryness fraction have also been carried out. As compared with the heat transfer coefficients of the two dimensional inner microfin tubes, those of the three dimensional inner microfin tubes increase 47-127% for the annular flow region, 38-183% for the stratified flow and 15-75% for the intermittent flow, respectively. The enhancement factor of the local heat transfer coefficients is from 1.8-6.9 for the vapor dryness fraction from 0.05 to 1.

Application and Prospect of Superconducting High Gradient Magnetic Separation in Disposal of Micro-fine Tailings

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Changqiao; Li, Suqin; Guo, Zijie; Kong, Jiawei

2017-12-01

Magnetic separation technology is playing an increasingly important role in the field of environmental protection such as waste gas, waste water and solid waste treatment. As a new type of solid waste treatment technology, superconducting high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) is mainly applied in the separation of micro-fine weakly magnetic particles because of the advantages of high separation efficiency, energy saving, simple equipment and easy automation. In this paper, the basic principle of superconducting HGMS was firstly introduced, then the research status of scholars at home and aboard on the disposal of micro-fine tailings were summarized. Finally, the direction of development for HGMS was put forward.

Analysis of Post Loan Disbursement Allocation and Performance of Non-Prime Household Loan in Microfinance Banks in Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernard Ndirangu Wachira

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The part played by non-prime household loans in improving the lives of many people who cannot afford collateral globally cannot be ignored. Many Microfinance Banks in many economies worldwide have tried to maintain the Grameen Bank Model of granting microloans, mainly non-prime household loans. However, the credit risks associated with this initiative hamper the pace at which the granting of this credit facility is expected to grow. This study intends to explore the relationship between the post loan disbursement allocation and the performance of non-prime household loans in the Microfinance Banks in Kenya. The theory associated to this study is the Credit Risk Theory. This theory, which is regarded as credit structural theory, was developed by Merton in 1972. The descriptive survey research design method was applied, and the sample size was 150 respondents. The data-collection tool used was a questionnaire. A logistic regression analysis was conducted for the purpose of predicting non-prime household performance in the Microfinance Banks using training budget, recoveries budget, percentage of training budget, and percentage of recoveries budget as predictors. The Wald test shows that training budget, recoveries budget, and percentage of training budget were good predictors, making a significant contribution to prediction. The percentage of budget on recoveries was not a significant predictor. The Microfinance Banks should enhance the performance of non-prime household loans through capacity building to the borrowers and educate the borrowers on dangers of enforced loan recoveries. The government, through the Central Bank of Kenya, should have a training policy for the Microfinance Banks so that they can enlighten the borrowers on proper financial management to avoid conflicts with borrowers during loan recoveries.

Human Capital Accountability and Construct: Evidence from Islamic Microfinance Institutions in Malaysia

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Amrizah Kamaluddin

2018-03-01

Full Text Available To identify the human capital construct that significantly relates to the performance of Islamic organizations, this study obtained data from Islamic microfinance organizations in Malaysia using the survey questionnaire method. In addition, we interviewed renowned scholars in the fields of Islamic accounting and Shariah law. Consequently, this study proposes an extended model of human capital that is applicable to Islamic organizations. Apart from knowledge and competency, this study includes spiritual value as another construct of human capital in Islamic organizations. Knowledge includes ideas that are relevant to the accounting and auditing spectra, as well as Shariah principles and jurisprudence. By contrast, competency refers to the ability to innovate unique Shariah-compliant products that are rare and difficult to imitate. Meanwhile, spiritual values embrace the elements of “Siddiq,” “Amanah,” “Fathonah,” and “Tabligh.” This study affirms that knowledge, competency, and satisfaction are the most significant constructs of human capital that explain performance. Factor analysis indicates that spiritual value is embedded in and forms part of the human capital construct. Hence, spiritual value is a key element in company culture and contributes significantly to organizational success. This model can be a platform for human capital reporting in the relevant Islamic and conventional organizations.

MARKETING ACTIVITY IN ROMANIAN MICROCREDIT ORGANIZATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Savescu Roxana Florenta

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Microfinance is the solution that ensures the provision of loans and other basic financial services to those entrepreneurs who have limited access to the banking sector. These financial services provided by microfinance institutions allow small business owners to take advantage of their entrepreneurship skills by developing small businesses capable of generating additional income. As they mature, Romanian microcredit organizations become gradually aware of the importance of marketing in their current activities. The paper presents the results of a qualitative research on the experience and marketing practices in major microfinance institutions in Romania, highlighting at the same time the factors influencing decisions to invest resources in this area. The conclusions of the research reveal that microcredit organizations have a limited institutional capacity to develop complex marketing programs that drive marketing activities and resources to achieve the objectives of the organization. The approach here is one of a reactive management, the situations that pushes microcredit organizations into engaging in some marketing activities and using various instruments being determined by changes in the structure and level of market development and competition or by the availability of funds for current activity. Although marketing interventions should be considered important on all markets, the truth is that different types of markets (emerging, developing, mature markets require certain marketing activities. The proposed marketing mix contains 8 elements ("8 P" that ought to be optimally combined within the marketing strategy, in order to get the expected response from the target group: product, price, placement, promotion, processes, procedures, personnel, partnership. The topic chosen for this paper answers a need for know-how in the Romanian microcredit organizations, in terms of their marketing activity. From a scientific point of view, the paper

Réglementation et supervision des institutions de microfinance en ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

30 juil. 2016 ... Les institutions de microfinance (IMF) interviennent auprès d'une clientèle qui est dans la majorité exclue du système bancaire formel. Étant donné qu'elles opèrent dans la collecte de l'épargne des pauvres en milieu rural, il est important de développer des cadres réglementaires qui protègent les clients ...

Evaporation heat transfer and pressure drop of R-410A in three 7.0 mm O.D. microfin tubes having different inside geometries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Nae Hyun

2015-01-01

R-410A evaporation heat transfer and pressure drop data are provided for three 7.0 mm O.D. microfin tubes. The microfin tubes had different helix angle, fin height and fin apex angle. Tests were conducted for a range of quality (0.2 ∼ 0.8), mass flux (216 ∼ 390 kg/m 2 s), heat flux (9 ∼ 17 kW/m 2 ) and saturation temperature (8 ∼ 12 .deg. C). It was found that three microfin tubes yielded approximately the same heat transfer coefficients. Microfin tube with larger inter-fin spacing or smaller helix angle yielded lager pressure drop. Both heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop increased as mass flux or quality increased. However, they decreased as saturation temperature increased. The range of heat transfer enhancement factor (1.37 ∼ 1.97) was comparable with that of pressure drop penalty factor (1.22 ∼ 1.77). Data are compared with available heat transfer and pressure drop correlations

Managing Operational Risk Related to Microfinance Lending Process using Fuzzy Inference System based on the FMEA Method: Moroccan Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alaoui Youssef Lamrani

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Managing operational risk efficiently is a critical factor of microfinance institutions (MFIs to get a financial and social return. The purpose of this paper is to identify, assess and prioritize the root causes of failure within the microfinance lending process (MLP especially in Moroccan microfinance institutions. Considering the limitation of traditional failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA method in assessing and classifying risks, the methodology adopted in this study focuses on developing a fuzzy logic inference system (FLIS based on (FMEA. This approach can take into account the subjectivity of risk indicators and the insufficiency of statistical data. The results show that the Moroccan MFIs need to focus more on customer relationship management and give more importance to their staff training, to clients screening as well as to their business analysis.

The Analysis on the Sources of Micro-finance Institutions Funding and Financing Level rate%小额信贷机构资金来源及融资杠杆率探析

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

高晨红

2013-01-01

小额信贷机构在促进经济增长、增加就业、推动科技创新等方面具有不可替代的作用。但较之于国外发展较为成熟的经济体，我国的小额信贷机构尚处于探索阶段，信贷资金来源受限难以满足现金需求，融资杠杆率低制约着其资本收益率，这些都限制着我国小额信贷机构的可持续发展。对比国外成功经验，我国应给予小额信贷机构更多政策扶持，提高其融资杠杆率，拓宽其资金来源。%Micro-finance institutions have an irreplaceable role in promoting economic growth, increasing employment, promoting innovation of science and technology etc.. The petty loan companies in recent years the rapid development of our country. But economies compared with foreign mature, micro-finance institutions of China is still in the exploratory stage, the credit limited sources of funding to meet the demands for cash, leverage ratio is low restricted small loan company capital profit rate, these are restricting the sustainable development of China's micro-finance institutions. Micro-finance institutions compared to the foreign successful funding and financing leverage, China should give more policy support, improve the financing lever small loan rate, broaden the sources of funding of small loan companies.

Convective boiling performance of refrigerant R-134a in herringbone and microfin copper tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bandarra Filho, Enio P [Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica, Universidade Federal de Uberlandia, Av. Joao Naves de Avila, 2160 Bloco 1M, Santa Monica, Uberlandia, MG (Brazil); Saiz Jabardo, Jose M [Escuela Politecnica Superior, Universidad de la Coruna, Calle Mendizabal s/n, 15403 Ferrol, Espana (Spain)

2006-01-01

This paper reports an experimental investigation of convective boiling heat transfer and pressure drop of refrigerant R-134a in smooth, standard microfin and herringbone copper tubes of 9.52mm external diameter. Tests have been conducted under the following conditions: inlet saturation temperature of 5{sup o}C, qualities from 5 to 90%, mass velocity from 100 to 500kgs{sup -1}m{sup -2}, and a heat flux of 5kWm{sup -2}. Experimental results indicate that the herringbone tube has a distinct heat transfer performance over the mass velocity range considered in the present study. Thermal performance of the herringbone tube has been found better than that of the standard microfin in the high range of mass velocities, and worst for the smallest mass velocity (G=100kgs{sup -1}m{sup -2}) at qualities higher than 50%. The herringbone tube pressure drop is higher than that of the standard microfin tube over the whole range of mass velocities and qualities. The enhancement parameter is higher than one for both tubes for mass velocities lower than 200kgs{sup -1}m{sup -2}. Values lower than one have been obtained for both tubes in the mass velocity upper range as a result of a significant pressure drop increment not followed by a correspondent increment in the heat transfer coefficient. (author)

The diffusion of microfinance.

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Abhijit; Chandrasekhar, Arun G; Duflo, Esther; Jackson, Matthew O

2013-07-26

To study the impact of the choice of injection points in the diffusion of a new product in a society, we developed a model of word-of-mouth diffusion and then applied it to data on social networks and participation in a newly available microfinance loan program in 43 Indian villages. Our model allows us to distinguish information passing among neighbors from direct influence of neighbors' participation decisions, as well as information passing by participants versus nonparticipants. The model estimates suggest that participants are seven times as likely to pass information compared to informed nonparticipants, but information passed by nonparticipants still accounts for roughly one-third of eventual participation. An informed household is not more likely to participate if its informed friends participate. We then propose two new measures of how effective a given household would be as an injection point. We show that the centrality of the injection points according to these measures constitutes a strong and significant predictor of eventual village-level participation.

Evaluation of microfinance projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, S

1999-08-01

This paper criticizes the quick system proposed by Henk Moll for evaluating microfinance projects in the article ¿How to Pre-Evaluate Credit Projects in Ten Minutes¿. The author contended that there is a need to emphasize the objectives of the project. The procedure used by Moll, he contended, is applicable only to projects that have only two key objectives, such as credit operations, and the provision of services. Arguments are presented on the three specific questions proposed by Moll, ranging from the availability of externally audited financial reports, the performance of interest rate on loans vis-a-vis the inflation rate, and the provision of loans according to the individual requirements of the borrowers. Lastly, the author emphasizes that the overall approach is not useful and suggests that careful considerations should be observed in the use or abuse of a simple scoring system or checklist such as the one proposed by Moll.

Discourse, complexity and sustainability ambiental in organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clóvis Ricardo Montenegro de Lima

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this article we seek to conduct an investigation into the dynamics of internalization of environmental sustainability in a productive organization of the sugarcane industry. The theoretical discussion is developed from the criticism of Jurgen Habermas to systemic functionalism of Niklas Luhmann. Also, we discuss the theme environmental public sphere and administration of environmental sustainability as a way of adapting organizations to new quality standards required and demanded by the State, Market and Society. The methodological procedures used were: interviews, document analysis and closed questionnaire application. The questionnaire used with 12 representatives of the plant has thirty (30 assertive, accompanied each of two extreme scenarios. The results show that the organization started to internalize environmental sustainability in their organizational system from a Conduct Adjustment Term, prepared by the Public Ministry State. As well as to internalize sustainable practices were adapted in different areas such as: organizational management, procurement, production management, people management and marketing management.

The impact of gender and business training for female microfinance clients in Vietnam

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vu, Nhung; van Velzen, Rosine; Lensink, Robert; Bulte, Erwin H.

2015-01-01

This study documents the impact of offering a gender and business training to female microfinance clients in Vietnam on business outcomes and women empowerment using a randomised controlled trial. Many researchers argue that management and business skills are crucial to increase productivity and

La microfinance et les TIC : systèmes d'information de gestion en ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Extrants. Études. MIFOS presentation. 46627. Études. Research results : analyzing the impact of introducing an automated management information system within microfinance institutions. 46626. Études. ICT considerations for MFIs. 46625. Études. Open MIS and micro-banking for everyone! 46624 ...

Theoretical study of evaporation heat transfer in horizontal microfin tubes: stratified flow model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Honda, H; Wang, Y S [Kyushu Univ., Inst. for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kasuga, Fukuoka (Japan)

2004-08-01

The stratified flow model of evaporation heat transfer in helically grooved, horizontal microfin tubes has been developed. The profile of stratified liquid was determined by a theoretical model previously developed for condensation in horizontal microfin tubes. For the region above the stratified liquid, the meniscus profile in the groove between adjacent fins was determined by a force balance between the gravity and surface tension forces. The thin film evaporation model was applied to predict heat transfer in the thin film region of the meniscus. Heat transfer through the stratified liquid was estimated by using an empirical correlation proposed by Mori et al. The theoretical predictions of the circumferential average heat transfer coefficient were compared with available experimental data for four tubes and three refrigerants. A good agreement was obtained for the region of Fr{sub 0}<2.5 as long as partial dry out of tube surface did not occur. (Author)

A Production Approach to Performance of Banks with Microfinance Operations

OpenAIRE

Emilyn Cabanda; Eleanor C. Domingo

2014-01-01

Banking institutions, nowadays, serve as intermediaries of funds to a variety of clients, including the micro enterprisers. This study analyzes and measures the performance of rural and thrift banks with microfinance operations in the Philippines, using combined measures of data envelopment analysis and traditional financial performance indicators. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) method is employed to measure the productive efficiency of these banks under the production approach. The variable...

Microfinance Institutions’ Social Intermediation and Micro and Small Enterprises Survival in Thika Town, Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZabronChege Wairimu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The continuous rapid growth of microfinance institutions in Kenya seems not to offer enough solution to the micro and small enterprises survival challenges with more than a one-third of MSEs start-ups collapsing within the first three years. It is the high rate of collapse and low rate of survival of MSEs that motivated this research to fill the existing gap on the missing linkage between MFIs and MSEs survival. This study looked at the role of the social intermediation services offered by MFIs on survival of MSEs in Thika Town which is both an industrial town and a business hub. A descriptive study design was adopted. Stratified and purposive sampling methods were used to select a sample 272 MSEs. Findings indicated that; regular microfinance participation help reduce loan application and payment bureaucracy while keeping entrepreneur updated on available opportunities. Training equips MSEs owners with necessary managerial skills on financial management, book keeping, and business operations. Group liability eliminates the need for collateral security when accessing loan while it increases the amount of loan accessed. Networking increases business link widening goods and services markets and allows for formation of business clubs. Finally, it was found that training was the most sought service followed by group liability, microfinance participation, and networking. From the study findings, the researcher recommends that MSEs continue seeking for social intermediation services and especially networking to improve their competitiveness and create a competitive advantage over their competitors boosting their survival.

La microfinance en Afrique centrale: Le défi des exclus

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

GOUVERNANCE ET PERFORMANCES DES INSTITUTIONS DE ... la Faculté des Sciences Économiques et de Gestion, Université de Yaoundé II – Soa, Cameroun. ..... De fait, dans la mesure où la microfinance favorise un lissage des revenus, ...... 10 n'avaient pas le contrôle de leur crédit et le remettaient soit à leur mari, ...

The impact of training and monitoring on loan repayment of microfinance debtors in Ghana

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Agbeko, Daniel; Blok, Vincent; Omta, S.W.F.; Velde, van der G.

2017-01-01

Microbusiness entrepreneurs training and monitoring programmes are widely recognized as key to loan repayment performance of microfinance institution (MFI) loan clients in developing countries. Empirical evidence is, however, largely lacking and where present, not consistent. The present paper

Managing Knowledge And Information In The Sustainable Organization

Science.gov (United States)

Grecu, Valentin

2015-09-01

Knowledge and information management are essential for the success of organizations and bring significant competitive advantages. There has been significant investments in setting up technological platforms that support business processes and increase the efficiency of operational structure in many organizations through an efficient management of knowledge and information. This research highlights the importance of using knowledge and information management in order to increase the competitiveness of organizations and to foster the transition towards the sustainable organization, as nowadays an organization that wants to be competitive needs to be sustainable.

Microfinance: Diagnosis of the micro-business, medium-sized business and its financial technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emerson Toledo Concha

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This research work shows how the financing for micro and small businesses in Peru has increased and has greatlyexpanded in the last few years, not only in institutions specialized in this field, focused their efforts in giving financialservices to businesspeople of micro and medium-sized business, but most of the so-called traditional banks havefocused their attention to this emerging sector using the know-how of microfinance lending technology, banking seekto work with people of low income sectors, that were not subject for credit opportunities to develop their business andas a consequence not able to improve their quality of life .Throughout this investigation, we make a diagnosis of macro and micro environment of the microfinance field, itsdevelopment and expectations for a strong presence in the Peruvian financial market. We consider the development oflending technology, where the analysis of the ability and willingness to pay are the fundamental basis for the evaluationof credits in specialized companies in this sector.

Research on optimizing components of microfine high-performance composite cementitious materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Shuguang; Guan Xuemao; Ding Qingjun

2002-01-01

The relationship between material components and mechanical properties was studied in terms of composite material principles and orthogonal experimental design. Moreover, the microstructure of microfine high-performance composite cementitious material (MHPCC) paste was investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. The results showed that the composite material consisting of blast furnace slag (BFS), gypsum (G 2 ) and expansive agent (EA) could obviously improve the strength of the cementitious material containing 40% fly ash (FA). Although microfine cement (MC) was merely 45% percent of the MHPCC, the compressive strength of MHPCC paste was higher than that of neat MC paste. BFS played an important role in MHPCC. The optimum-added quantity of BFS was 15%. The needle-shaped ettringite obtained from the EA reacting with Ca(OH) 2 forms a three-dimensional network structure, which not only improved the early strength of MHPCC paste but also increased its late strength. The reason was that the network structure, which was similar to a fiber-reinforced composite, was formed in the late period of hydration with the progress of hydration and the deposition of hydration products into the network structure

ISLAMIC MICROFINANCE AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAM: PRELIMINARY RESEARCH FINDINGS FROM INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasushi Suzuki

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Poverty should be defined, measured, and scrutinized its root causes from a multi-dimension perspectives. Therefore, in designing and implementation of poverty alleviation program, it should consider economic factors, social and political contexts surrounding the poor. Sen (1982; 1999 views poverty as a multifaceted world and ethical dimension essentially should be placed underpinning it as a vital economic problem. The paper takes the stance that the poor themselves have potential capacity to alleviate their condition in resolving poverty trap. Community development program is one of the strategies to deal with the poverty problem. Islamic microfinance can play an important role in combating poverty dilemma especially in Muslim majority population communities. Through the approach proposed by Bigg and Satterthwaite (2005 with strengthening local organizations and community development programs, Islamic microfinance should engage a strategic partnership with the Masjid and Islamic charity institutions (zakat and waqf organization. This strategic alliance will result more integrated programs and also capacity building of the institutions involved. This paper aims to contribute a grass root model in the purpose of combating poverty in the framework of Islamic economic system. =========================================== Kemiskinan harus didefinisikan, diukur, dan diteliti akar penyebabnya dari berbagai perspektif. Oleh karena itu, dalam merancang dan mengimplementasikan program pengentasan kemiskinan, faktor-faktor ekonomi, konteks sosial dan politik yang mengelilingi kemiskinan juga harus dipertimbangkan. Sen (1982; 1999 memandang kemiskinan sebagai sebuah dunia yang kompleks, dan dimensi dasar etika harus ditempatkan sebagai sebuah masalah ekonomi yang vital. Peneliti sendiri dalam hal ini berpandangan bahwa orang-orang miskin pada dasarnya punya kapasitas yang memadai untuk keluar dari garis kemiskinan. Salah satunya adalah dengan program

Organic versus Conventional Cropping Sustainability: A Comparative System Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiffany L. Fess

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We are at a pivotal time in human history, as the agricultural sector undergoes consolidation coupled with increasing energy costs in the context of declining resource availability. Although organic systems are often thought of as more sustainable than conventional operations, the lack of concise and widely accepted means to measure sustainability makes coming to an agreement on this issue quite challenging. However, an accurate assessment of sustainability can be reached by dissecting the scientific underpinnings of opposing production practices and crop output between cropping systems. The purpose of this review is to provide an in-depth and comprehensive evaluation of modern global production practices and economics of organic cropping systems, as well as assess the sustainability of organic production practices through the clarification of information and analysis of recent research. Additionally, this review addresses areas where improvements can be made to help meet the needs of future organic producers, including organic-focused breeding programs and necessity of coming to a unified global stance on plant breeding technologies. By identifying management strategies that utilize practices with long-term environmental and resource efficiencies, a concerted global effort could guide the adoption of organic agriculture as a sustainable food production system.

La microfinance et les TIC : systèmes d'information de gestion en ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Hivos procède actuellement à l'exécution d'un programme (STAR) visant à mettre les technologies de l'information et de la communication (TIC) au service des ONG qui oeuvrent dans les ... Research results : analyzing the impact of introducing an automated management information system within microfinance institutions.

In-tube flow boiling of R-407C and R-407C/oil mixtures. Part 1: Microfin tube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zuercher, O; Thome, J R; Favrat, D

1999-07-01

In-tube evaporation tests for R-407C and R-407C/oil are reported for a microfin tube. The tests were run at a nominal inlet pressure of 645 kPa (93.5 psia) at mass velocities of 100, 200 and 300 kg/(m{sup 2}{center{underscore}dot}s) (20.5, 41, and 61 lb/s{center{underscore}dot}ft{sup 2}) over nearly the entire vapor quality range. At similar operating conditions, pure R-407C performed similarly to previous pure R-134a tests at the highest mass velocity, but lower than R-134a for the other mass velocities. Any amount of oil tended to decrease local R-407C microfin heat transfer coefficients, especially at high vapor qualities were degradations of as much as 50% or more occurred. Two-phase pressure drops were increased by the presence of oil, especially at high vapor qualities. Buildup of the local oil mass fraction in the microfin test sections was observed at high vapor qualities, together with the formation of slowly flowing viscous liquid films, a phenomenon that became more acute at lower mass velocities.

Econometric analyses of microfinance credit group formation, contractual risks and welfare impacts in Northern Ethiopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berhane Tesfay, G.

2009-01-01

Key words
Microfinance, joint liability, contractual risk, group formation, risk-matching, impact evaluation, Panel data econometrics, dynamic panel probit, trend models, fixed-effects, composite counterfactuals, propensity score matching, farm households, Ethiopia.

Lack of

Development of a culture of sustainability in health care organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez, Bernardo; West, Daniel J; Costell, Michael M

2013-01-01

This paper aims to examine the concept of sustainability in health care organizations and the key managerial competencies and change management strategies needed to implant a culture of sustainability. Competencies and management development strategies needed to engrain this corporate culture of sustainability are analyzed in this document. This paper draws on the experience of the authors as health care executives and educators developing managerial competencies with interdisciplinary and international groups of executives in the last 25 years, using direct observation, interviews, discussions and bibliographic evidence. With a holistic framework for sustainability, health care managers can implement strategies for multidisciplinary teams to respond to the constant change, fine-tune operations and successfully manage quality of care. Managers can mentor students and provide in-service learning experiences that integrate knowledge, skills, and abilities. Further empirical research needs to be conducted on these interrelated innovative topics. Health care organizations around the world are under stakeholders' pressure to provide high quality, cost-effective, accessible and sustainable services. Professional organizations and health care providers can collaborate with university graduate health management education programs to prepare competent managers in all the dimensions of sustainability. The newly designated accountable care organizations represent an opportunity for managers to address the need for sustainability. Sustainability of health care organizations with the holistic approach discussed in this paper is an innovative and practical approach to quality improvement that merits further development.

sustainability and outreach performance of Ethiopian

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Eyerusalem

Third, the poor lack skills to use borrowed money productively. MFIs have ... The findings of this paper are important to MFIs management and regulatory bodies .... Firstly, women invest the loans in productive activities or in ..... Microfinance a comprehensive review of existing ... Microfinance Risk Management, St. Louis.

Sustainability management for operating organizations of research reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kibrit, Eduardo; Aquino, Afonso Rodrigues de, E-mail: ekibrit@ipen.br, E-mail: araquino@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNE-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2017-07-01

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In a country like Brazil, where nuclear activity is geared towards peaceful purposes, any operating organization of research reactor should emphasize its commitment to social, environmental, economic and institutional aspects. Social aspects include research and development, production and supply of radiopharmaceuticals, radiation safety and special training for the nuclear sector. Environmental aspects include control of the surroundings and knowledge directed towards environment preservation. Economic aspects include import substitution and diversification of production. Institutional aspects include technology, innovation and knowledge. These aspects, if considered in the management system of an operating organization of research reactor, will help with its long-term maintenance and success in an increasingly competitive market scenario. About this, we propose a sustainability management system approach for operating organizations of research reactors. A bibliographical review on the theme is made. A methodology for identifying indicators for measuring sustainability in nuclear research reactors processes is also described. Finally, we propose a methodology for sustainability perception assessment to be applied at operating organizations of research reactors. (author)

Sustainability management for operating organizations of research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kibrit, Eduardo; Aquino, Afonso Rodrigues de

2017-01-01

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In a country like Brazil, where nuclear activity is geared towards peaceful purposes, any operating organization of research reactor should emphasize its commitment to social, environmental, economic and institutional aspects. Social aspects include research and development, production and supply of radiopharmaceuticals, radiation safety and special training for the nuclear sector. Environmental aspects include control of the surroundings and knowledge directed towards environment preservation. Economic aspects include import substitution and diversification of production. Institutional aspects include technology, innovation and knowledge. These aspects, if considered in the management system of an operating organization of research reactor, will help with its long-term maintenance and success in an increasingly competitive market scenario. About this, we propose a sustainability management system approach for operating organizations of research reactors. A bibliographical review on the theme is made. A methodology for identifying indicators for measuring sustainability in nuclear research reactors processes is also described. Finally, we propose a methodology for sustainability perception assessment to be applied at operating organizations of research reactors. (author)

Experimental study on condensation heat transfer enhancement and pressure drop penalty factors in four microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, D [Korea University, Seoul (Korea). Institute of Advanced Machinery Design; Lee, Kyu-Jung [Korea University, Seoul (Korea). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2005-08-01

Heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of four microfin tubes were experimentally investigated for condensation of refrigerants R134a, R22, and R410A in four different test sections. The microfin tubes examined during this study consisted of 8.92, 6.46, 5.1, and 4 mm maximum inside diameter. The effect of mass flux, vapor quality, and refrigerants on condensation was investigated in terms of the heat transfer enhancement factor and the pressure drop penalty factor. The pressure drop penalty factor and the heat transfer enhancement factor showed a similar tendency for each tube at given vapor quality and mass flux. Based on the experimental data and the heat-momentum analogy, correlations for the condensation heat transfer coefficients in an annular flow regime and the frictional pressure drops are proposed. (author)

R245fa Flow Boiling inside a 4.2 mm ID Microfin Tube

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, G. A.; Mancin, S.; Righetti, G.; Zilio, C.

2017-11-01

This paper presents the R245fa flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop measurements inside a mini microfin tube with internal diameter at the fin tip of 4.2 mm, having 40 fins, 0.15 mm high with a helix angle of 18°. The tube was brazed inside a copper plate and electrically heated from the bottom. Sixteen T-type thermocouples are located in the copper plate to monitor the wall temperature. The experimental measurements were carried out at constant mean saturation temperature of 30 °C, by varying the refrigerant mass velocity between 100 kg m-2 s-1 and 300 kg m-2 s-1, the vapour quality from 0.15 to 0.95, at two different heat fluxes: 30 and 60 kW m-2. The experimental results are presented in terms of two-phase heat transfer coefficient, onset dryout vapour quality, and frictional pressure drop. Moreover, the experimental measurements are compared against the most updated models for boiling heat transfer coefficient and frictional pressure drop estimations available in the open literature for microfin tubes.

Synthesis of nanoparticle emulsion collector HNP and its application in microfine chalcopyrite flotation

Science.gov (United States)

He, G. C.; Ding, J.; Huang, C. H.; Kang, Q.

2018-01-01

Hydrophobic polystyrene nanoparticles bearing thiazole groups named HNP were used as collectors to improve recovery of microfine chalcopyrite in flotation. HNP adsorbs onto microfine particles selectively, which were modified hydrophobically to induce flotation effectively. Particle size and scanning electron microscope analysis for HNP show that HNP is a spherical nano particles with small size, uniform distribution and good dispersion. Infrared spectrum analysis for HNP proved that functional monomer 2-mercapto styrene acrylic thiazole was bonded chemically onto styrene. Flotation test results indicate that HNP is the right collector of chalcopyrite. Especially, the recovery of chalcopyrite is higher than 95% in neutral and acid media. FTIR results reveal that the flotation selectivity of collector HNP is due to strong chemical absorption onto chalcopyrite surface. Zeta potential analysis shows that the zeta potential of chalcopyrite decreased more quickly after interaction with HNP with the increase of pulp pH value, confirming that collector HNP is an anionic collector. Scanning electron microscope conform that HNP has good selective adsorption on chalcopyrite.

Heat transfer during condensation of HFC-134a and R-404A inside of a horizontal smooth and micro-fin tube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sapali, S N [Govt. College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411 005 (India); Patil, Pradeep A [AISSMS College of Engineering, Pune University, Mechanical Engineering Department, Kennedy Road, Near R.T.O., Pune, Maharashtra 411 001 (India)

2010-11-15

In recent small and medium capacity refrigeration systems, the condenser tubes are provided with micro-fins from inside. The vapour refrigerant at the compressor outlet and the condenser inlet is in superheat state. As it advances in the condenser it is in two phases and at the outlet it is in sub cooled liquid. The heat transfer coefficient (HTC) during condensation of HFC-134a and R-404A in a smooth (8.56 mm ID) and micro-fin tubes (8.96 mm ID) are experimentally investigated. Different from previous studies, the present experiments are performed for various condensing temperatures, with superheating and sub cooling and using hermetically sealed compressor. The test runs are done at average saturated condensing temperatures ranging from 35 C to 60 C. The mass fluxes are between 90 and 800 kg m{sup -2} s{sup -1}. The experimental results indicate that the average HTC increases with mass flux but decreases with increasing condensing temperature for both smooth and micro-fin tubes. The average condensation HTCs of HFC-134a and R-404A for the micro-fin tubes were 1.5-2.5 and 1.3-2 times larger than that in smooth tube respectively. The HTCs for R-404A are less than that of HFC-134a. New correlations based on the data gathered during the experimentation for predicting condensation HTCs are proposed for wide range of operating conditions. (author)

Assessment of Environmental Sustainability in Health Care Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Carmen Carnero

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Healthcare organizations should set a standard in corporate social responsibility and encourage environmental sustainability, since protection of the environment implies the development of preventive measures in healthcare. Environmental concern has traditionally focused on manufacturing plants. However, a Health Care Organization (HCO is the only type of company which generates all existing classes of waste, and 20% is dangerous, being infectious, toxic or radioactive in nature. Despite the extensive literature analysing environmental matters, there is no objective model for assessing the environmental sustainability of HCOs in such a way that the results may be compared over time for an organization, and between different organizations, to give a comparison or benchmarking tool for HCOs. This paper presents a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis model integrating a Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and utility theory, to evaluate environmental sustainability in HCOs. The model uses criteria assessed as a function of the number of annual treatments undertaken. The model has been tested in two HCOs of very different sizes.

Discipline and Flexibility: A Behavioral Perspective on Product Design in Microfinance

OpenAIRE

Labie, Marc; Laureti, Carolina; Szafarz, Ariane

2016-01-01

The success of both microcredit and micro-savings products rests upon simplicity and standardization in order to stimulate client discipline. Meanwhile, these products lack flexibility. This paper attempts to make sense of behavioral product design in microfinance. We focus on the potential trade-offs between discipline and flexibility. While discipline devices encourage clients make payments duly on time, flexibility improves clients’ day-to-day money management and helps them cope with shoc...

CONSEQUENCES OF ORGANIC FARMING ON THE SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY - ROMANIA AND EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BURJA CAMELIA

2017-02-01

Full Text Available A major trend adopted by the European Union member countries that are making efforts for sustainable development is the development of organic farming. The article studies the influences generated by the organic farming development in the EU countries, in the period 2006-2014, in terms of sustainable society. The statistical analysis is based on the use of certain variables that have a significant influence on the components of sustainable society. The identification of estimators for panelling data showed the favourable consequences of increasing the organic area for many indicators underpinning the economic, environmental and human wellbeing. The results confirm that the organic farming is a viable alternative to the conventional agriculture for raising the quality of life. The paper essentially quantifies the multiple effects of the organic farming for sustainable development and demonstrates that one of the directions to accelerate the development of the European economy on a sustainable basis is to stimulate the organic farming.

R404A condensing under forced flow conditions inside smooth, microfin and cross-hatched horizontal tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Infante Ferreira, C A; Nan, X [Delft University of Technology (Netherlands). Laboratory for Refrigeration and Indoor Climate Control; Newell, T A; Chato, J C [University of Illinois, Urbana, IL (United States). Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

2003-06-01

Two-phase heat transfer coefficient characteristics of R404A condensing under forced flow conditions inside smooth, microfin and cross-hatched horizontal tubes are experimentally investigated. Experimental parameters include a lubricating polyol ester oil concentration varied from 0 to 4%. The test runs were done at average inlet saturated condensing temperatures of 40{sup o}C. The inlet vapor was kept at saturation (quality = 1.0). The mass fluxes were between 200 and 600 kg/m{sup 2}s, and the heat fluxes were selected to obtain a quality of 0.0 at the outlet of the test section, varying from 5 to 45 kW/m{sup 2}. The heat transfer enhancement factor varied between 1.8 and 2.4 for both microfin and cross-hatched tubes. The larger values applied for larger mass fluxes for the cross-hatched tube and smaller mass fluxes for the microfin tube. Enhancement factors increased as oil concentration increased up to oil concentrations of 2%. For higher oil concentrations the enhancement decreased especially at high mass fluxes, the cross-hatched tube being less sensitive to oil contamination. Pressure drop in the test section increased by approximately 25% as the oil concentration increased from 0 to 4%. The results from the experiments are compared with those calculated from correlations reported in the literature. Moreover, modified correlations for the condensation heat transfer coefficient are proposed for practical applications. (author)

Sustainability of organic food production: challenges and innovations.

Science.gov (United States)

Niggli, Urs

2015-02-01

The greatest challenge for agriculture is to reduce the trade-offs between productivity and long-term sustainability. Therefore, it is interesting to analyse organic agriculture which is a given set of farm practices that emphasise ecological sustainability. Organic agriculture can be characterised as being less driven by off-farm inputs and being better embedded in ecosystem functions. The literature on public goods and non-commodity outputs of organic farms is overwhelming. Most publications address the positive effects of organic farming on soil fertility, biodiversity maintenance and protection of the natural resources of soil, water and air. As a consequence of focusing on public goods, organic agriculture is less productive. Meta-analyses show that organic agriculture yields range between 0·75 and 0·8 of conventional agriculture. Best practice examples from disadvantaged sites and climate conditions show equal or, in the case of subsistence farming in Sub-Saharan Africa, higher productivity of organic agriculture. Hence, organic agriculture is likely to be a good model for productive and sustainable food production. Underfunding in R&D addressing specific bottlenecks of organic agriculture are the main cause for both crop and livestock yield gaps. Therefore, the potential for improving the performance of organic agriculture through agricultural research is huge. Although organic farming is a niche in most countries, it is at the verge of becoming mainstream in leading European countries. Consumer demand has grown over the past two decades and does not seem to be a limiting factor for the future development of organic agriculture.

Evaporation heat transfer and pressure drop of R-410A in a 7.0 mm O.D. microfin tube at low flow rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hae Hyun

2015-01-01

Microfin tubes having an outside diameter (O.D.) of 7.0 mm are widely used in residential air conditioning systems and heat pumps. It is known that the mass fluxes for air conditioners and heat pumps under partial load conditions are several tens of kg/m 2 s. However, literature surveys reveal that previous investigations were limited to mass flux over 100 kg/m 2 s. In this study, we conduct R-410A evaporation heat-transfer tests at low mass fluxes (50-250 kg/m 2 s) using a 7.0 mm O.D. microfin tube. During the test, the saturation temperature was maintained at 8 degrees celsius, and the heat flux was maintained at 4.kW/m"2. For comparison purposes, we also test a smooth tube with a 7.0 mm O.D. The results showed that the heat-transfer enhancement factor of the microfin tube increased as the mass flux decreased up to 150 kg/m 2 s, which decreased as the mass flux further decreased. The reason for this was attributed to the change of the flow pattern from an annular flow to a stratified flow. Within the test range, the frictional pressure drops of the microfin tube were approximately the same as those of the smooth tube. We then compare experimental data obtained with the predictions obtained for the existing correlations

Positive Healthy Organizations: Promoting Well-Being, Meaningfulness, and Sustainability in Organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Fabio, Annamaria

2017-01-01

This contribution deals with the concept of healthy organizations and starts with a definition of healthy organizations and healthy business. In healthy organizations, culture, climate, and practices create an environment conducive to employee health and safety as well as organizational effectiveness (Lowe, 2010). A healthy organization thus leads to a healthy and successful business (De Smet et al., 2007; Grawitch and Ballard, 2016), underlining the strong link between organizational profitability and workers' well-being. Starting from a positive perspective focused on success and excellence, the contribution describes how positive organizational health psychology evolved from occupational health psychology to positive occupational health psychology stressing the importance of a primary preventive approach. The focus is not on deficiency and failure but on a positive organizational attitude that proposes interventions at different levels: individual, group, organization, and inter-organization. Healthy organizations need to find the right balance between their particular situation, sector, and culture, highlighting the importance of well-being and sustainability. This contribution discusses also the sustainability of work-life projects and the meaning of work in healthy organizations, stressing the importance of recognizing, respecting, and using the meaning of work as a key for growth and success. Finally, the contribution discusses new research and intervention opportunities for healthy organizations.

Consumer perception of sustainability attributes in organic and local food.

Science.gov (United States)

Annunziata, Azzurra; Angela, Mariani

2017-12-14

Although sustainable food consumption is gaining growing importance on the international agenda, research on this subject is still quite fragmented and most studies analyse single aspects of sustainable food consumption with particular reference to environmental sustainability. In addition, the literature highlights the need to take account of the strong heterogeneity of consumers in studying sustainable behaviour. Identifying consumer segments with common profiles, needs and values is essential for developing effective communication strategies to promote sustainability in food consumption. Consumer segmentation based on the perception of the sustainability attributes of organic and local products was realized using descriptive data collected through a consumer online survey in southern Italy (Campania). K-means cluster analysis was performed to identify different consumer segments based on consumer perception of sustainable attributes in organic and local food. Results confirm the support of consumers for organic and local food as sustainable alternative in food choices even if occasional buying behaviour of these products still predominates. In addition, our results show that an egoistic approach prevails among consumers, who seem to attach more value to attributes related to quality and health than to environmental, social and economic sustainability. Segmentation proves the existence of three consumer segments that differ significantly in terms of perception of sustainability attributes: a large segment of individuals who seem more egocentric oriented, an environmental sustainability oriented segment and a small segment that includes sustainability oriented consumers. The existence of different levels of sensitivity to sustainability attributes in organic and local food among the identified segments could be duly considered by policy makers and other institutions in promoting sustainable consumption patterns. Consumers in the first cluster could be educated

Acceptability of a microfinance-based empowerment intervention for transgender and cisgender women sex workers in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Lall, Priya; Shaw, Stacey A.; Saifi, Rumana; Sherman, Susan G.; Azmi, Nuruljannah Nor; Pillai, Veena; El-Bassel, Nabila; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Wickersham, Jeffrey A.

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Cisgender and transgender woman sex workers (CWSWs and TWSWs, respectively) are key populations in Malaysia with higher HIV-prevalence than that of the general population. Given the impact economic instability can have on HIV transmission in these populations, novel HIV prevention interventions that reduce poverty may reduce HIV incidence and improve linkage and retention to care for those already living with HIV. We examine the feasibility of a microfinance-based HIV prevention intervention among CWSW and TWSWs in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Methods: We conducted 35 in-depth interviews to examine the acceptability of a microfinance-based HIV prevention intervention, focusing on: (1) participants’ readiness to engage in other occupations and the types of jobs in which they were interested in; (2) their level of interest in the components of the potential intervention, including training on financial literacy and vocational education; and (3) possible barriers and facilitators to the successful completion of the intervention. Using grounded theory as a framework of analysis, transcripts were analysed through Nvivo 11. Results: Participants were on average 41 years old, slightly less than half (48%) were married, and more than half (52%) identified as Muslim. Participants express high motivation to seek employment in other professions as they perceived sex work as not a “proper job” with opportunities for career growth but rather as a short-term option offering an unstable form of income. Participants wanted to develop their own small enterprise. Most participants expressed a high level of interest in microfinance intervention and training to enable them to enter a new profession. Possible barriers to intervention participation included time, stigma, and a lack of resources. Conclusion: Findings indicate that a microfinance intervention is acceptable and desirable for CWSWs and TWSWs in urban Malaysian contexts as participants

Acceptability of a microfinance-based empowerment intervention for transgender and cisgender women sex workers in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lall, Priya; Shaw, Stacey A; Saifi, Rumana; Sherman, Susan; Azmi, Nuruljannah Nor; Pillai, Veena; El-Bassel, Nabila; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Wickersham, Jeffrey A

2017-08-02

Cisgender and transgender woman sex workers (CWSWs and TWSWs, respectively) are key populations in Malaysia with higher HIV-prevalence than that of the general population. Given the impact economic instability can have on HIV transmission in these populations, novel HIV prevention interventions that reduce poverty may reduce HIV incidence and improve linkage and retention to care for those already living with HIV. We examine the feasibility of a microfinance-based HIV prevention intervention among CWSW and TWSWs in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We conducted 35 in-depth interviews to examine the acceptability of a microfinance-based HIV prevention intervention, focusing on: (1) participants' readiness to engage in other occupations and the types of jobs in which they were interested in; (2) their level of interest in the components of the potential intervention, including training on financial literacy and vocational education; and (3) possible barriers and facilitators to the successful completion of the intervention. Using grounded theory as a framework of analysis, transcripts were analysed through Nvivo 11. Participants were on average 41 years old, slightly less than half (48%) were married, and more than half (52%) identified as Muslim. Participants express high motivation to seek employment in other professions as they perceived sex work as not a "proper job" with opportunities for career growth but rather as a short-term option offering an unstable form of income. Participants wanted to develop their own small enterprise. Most participants expressed a high level of interest in microfinance intervention and training to enable them to enter a new profession. Possible barriers to intervention participation included time, stigma, and a lack of resources. Findings indicate that a microfinance intervention is acceptable and desirable for CWSWs and TWSWs in urban Malaysian contexts as participants reported that they were ready to engage in alternative forms of

Evaporation of R407C and R410A in a horizontal herringbone microfin tube: heat transfer and pressure drop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wellsandt, S; Vamling, L [Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg (Sweden). Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Science, Heat and Power Technology

2005-09-01

An experimental investigation of in-tube evaporation of R410A and R407C has been carried out for a 4 m long herringbone microfin tube with an outer diameter of 9.53 mm. Measured local heat transfer coefficients and pressure losses are reported for evaporation temperatures for R410A and R407C between -2.2 and 9.5 {sup o}C and between -5.5 and 13.8 {sup o}C, respectively. Mass flow rates between 162 and 366 kg m{sup -2} s{sup -1} have been investigated. Results from this work are compared to R134a data from an earlier work by the present authors, and also to predicted values from some available helical microfin correlations. Compared to R134a data, heat transfer coefficients for the investigated mixtures are generally lower, especially at low mass flow rates. No major effect of heat flux on heat transfer coefficients was found, with the exception of the high quality region. Predicted heat transfer coefficients from helical microfin correlations strongly overpredict the present data. Global pressure losses are predicted well, even though local deviations are found. (author)

Experimental study of the condensation heat transfer characteristics of CO2 in a horizontal microfin tube with a diameter of 4.95 mm

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Chang-Hyo; Oh, Hoo-Kyu

2012-11-01

The condensation heat transfer characteristics for CO2 flowing in a horizontal microfin tube were investigated by experiment with respect to condensation temperature and mass flux. The test section consists of a 2,400 mm long horizontal copper tube of 4.6 mm inner diameter. The experiments were conducted at refrigerant mass flux of 400-800 kg/m2s, and saturation temperature of 20-30 °C. The main experimental results showed that annular flow was highly dominated the majority of condensation flow in the horizontal microfin tube. The condensation heat transfer coefficient increases with decreasing saturation temperature and increasing mass flux. The experimental data were compared against previous heat transfer correlations. Most correlations failed to predict the experimental data. However, the correlation by Cavallini et al. showed relatively good agreement with experimental data in the microfin tube. Therefore, a new condensation heat transfer correlation is proposed with mean and average deviations of 3.14 and -7.6 %, respectively.

Aesthetic mediation of creativity, sustainability and the organization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poldner, Kim; Dentoni, Domenico; Ivanova, Olga

2017-01-01

The literature on sustainability often focuses on its technical side, such as in studies of life cycle assessment, supply chain management and cleaner production systems. It traditionally assumes that creativity and sustainability are two separate entities in organizations. Contrasting with this

Experiments on condensation heat transfer characteristics inside a microfin tube with R410A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, D H; Cho, Y J [Korea University Graduate School, Seoul (Korea); Lee, K J; Park, S S [Korea University, Seoul (Korea)

2000-11-01

Due to the ozone depletion and global warming potentials, some refrigerants (CFCs and HCFCs) have been rapidly substituted. R410A is considered as the alternative refrigerant of R22 for the air-conditioners used at home and in industry. Experiments on the condensation heat transfer characteristics inside a smooth or a micro-fin tube with R410A are performed in this study. The test tubes 7/9.52 mm in outer diameters and 3 m in length are used. Varying the mass flux of the refrigerant and the condensation temperatures, the average heat transfer coefficients and pressure drop are investigated. It is shown that the heat transfer is enhanced and the amount of pressure drops are larger in the microfin tube than the smooth tube. From the heat transfer enhancement coefficient and the pressure penalty factor, it is found that the high heat transfer enhancement coefficients are obtained in the range of small mass flux while the penalty factors are almost equal. (author). 13 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.

Commercial banks moving into microfinance: which market entry model works best?

OpenAIRE

Kielb, Rachel

2008-01-01

This study examines the performance of business models used by commercial banks to enter the microfinance industry. The purpose of the study was to provide a high level indication of whether there is a model or models that yield better success than others. To conduct the research, four commer cial market entry models were chosen, and analysis of secondary data from the MixMaket dataset was completed compare model performance. Results indicated based on the methodology that the “service compan...

Flow condensation pressure drop characteristics of R410A-oil mixture inside small diameter horizontal microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Xiangchao; Ding, Guoliang; Hu, Haitao; Zhu, Yu [Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Gao, Yifeng [International Copper Association Shanghai Office, Shanghai 200020 (China); Deng, Bin [Institute of Heat Transfer Technology, Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group Inc., Shanghai 200135 (China)

2010-11-15

Flow condensation pressure drop characteristics of R410A-oil mixture inside small diameter (5.0 mm and 4.0 mm O.D.) horizontal microfin tubes were investigated experimentally covering nominal oil concentrations from 0% to 5%. The research results indicate that, comparing with the frictional pressure drop of pure R410A, the frictional pressure drop of R410A-oil mixture may decrease by maximum of 18% when the vapor quality is lower than 0.6, and increase by maximum of 13% when the vapor quality is higher than 0.6. A new frictional pressure drop correlation for R410A-oil mixture flow condensation inside microfin tubes is developed based on the refrigerant-oil mixture properties, and can agree with 94% of the experimental data within a deviation of -30% to +30%. (author)

Evaporation heat transfer and pressure drop of R-410A in a 7.0 mm O.D. microfin tube at low flow rates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hae Hyun [Div. of Mechanical System Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-09-15

Microfin tubes having an outside diameter (O.D.) of 7.0 mm are widely used in residential air conditioning systems and heat pumps. It is known that the mass fluxes for air conditioners and heat pumps under partial load conditions are several tens of kg/m{sup 2}s. However, literature surveys reveal that previous investigations were limited to mass flux over 100 kg/m{sup 2}s. In this study, we conduct R-410A evaporation heat-transfer tests at low mass fluxes (50-250 kg/m{sup 2}s) using a 7.0 mm O.D. microfin tube. During the test, the saturation temperature was maintained at 8 degrees celsius, and the heat flux was maintained at 4.kW/m{sup 2}. For comparison purposes, we also test a smooth tube with a 7.0 mm O.D. The results showed that the heat-transfer enhancement factor of the microfin tube increased as the mass flux decreased up to 150 kg/m{sup 2}s, which decreased as the mass flux further decreased. The reason for this was attributed to the change of the flow pattern from an annular flow to a stratified flow. Within the test range, the frictional pressure drops of the microfin tube were approximately the same as those of the smooth tube. We then compare experimental data obtained with the predictions obtained for the existing correlations.

How the Organic Food System Supports Sustainable Diets and Translates These into Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Strassner, Carola; Cavoski, Ivana; Di Cagno, Raffaella; Kahl, Johannes; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle; Lairon, Denis; Lampkin, Nicolas; Løes, Anne-Kristin; Matt, Darja; Niggli, Urs; Paoletti, Flavio; Pehme, Sirli; Rembiałkowska, Ewa; Schader, Christian; Stolze, Matthias

2015-01-01

Organic production and consumption provide a delineated food system that can be explored for its potential contribution to sustainable diets. While organic agriculture improves the sustainability performance on the production side, critical reflections are made on how organic consumption patterns, understood as the practice of people consuming significant amounts of organic produce, may also be taken as an example for sustainable food consumption. The consumption patterns of regular organic consumers seem to be close to the sustainable diet concept of FAO. Certain organic-related measures might therefore be useful in the sustainability assessment of diets, e.g., organic production and organic consumption. Since diets play a central role in shaping food systems and food systems shape diets, the role of organic consumption emerges as an essential topic to be addressed. This role may be based on four important organic achievements: organic agriculture and food production has a definition, well-established principles, public standards, and useful metrics. By 2015, data for organic production and consumption are recorded annually from more than 160 countries, and regulations are in force in more than 80 countries or regions. The organic food system puts the land (agri-cultura) back into the diet; it is the land from which the diet in toto is shaped. Therefore, the organic food system provides essential components of a sustainable diet.

How the Organic Food System Supports Sustainable Diets and Translates These into Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Strassner, Carola; Cavoski, Ivana; Di Cagno, Raffaella; Kahl, Johannes; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle; Lairon, Denis; Lampkin, Nicolas; Løes, Anne-Kristin; Matt, Darja; Niggli, Urs; Paoletti, Flavio; Pehme, Sirli; Rembiałkowska, Ewa; Schader, Christian; Stolze, Matthias

2015-01-01

Organic production and consumption provide a delineated food system that can be explored for its potential contribution to sustainable diets. While organic agriculture improves the sustainability performance on the production side, critical reflections are made on how organic consumption patterns, understood as the practice of people consuming significant amounts of organic produce, may also be taken as an example for sustainable food consumption. The consumption patterns of regular organic consumers seem to be close to the sustainable diet concept of FAO. Certain organic-related measures might therefore be useful in the sustainability assessment of diets, e.g., organic production and organic consumption. Since diets play a central role in shaping food systems and food systems shape diets, the role of organic consumption emerges as an essential topic to be addressed. This role may be based on four important organic achievements: organic agriculture and food production has a definition, well-established principles, public standards, and useful metrics. By 2015, data for organic production and consumption are recorded annually from more than 160 countries, and regulations are in force in more than 80 countries or regions. The organic food system puts the land (agri-cultura) back into the diet; it is the land from which the diet in toto is shaped. Therefore, the organic food system provides essential components of a sustainable diet. PMID:26176912

Microfinance Impact on Socio-Economic Empowerment: A special Reference to Andhra Pradesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V Vachya L

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The present study seeks to examine the role of microfinance and its impact on economic and social empowerment of women. There are great debates going on whether forming groups, membership for women, providing credit and imparting some business skills would change the social equations in the society or whether provision of credit may lead to pervasively entrenched political and economic relations among the genders. The proponents argue that providing credit, targeting women can prove to be a suitable mechanism in ameliorating poor women’s socio-economic conditions and thereby can alter the relations between gender and class. Undoubtedly, there have been significant advances in women empowerment in recent years and the concept and practice of SHG-based microfinance has now developed deep roots in many parts of the country. Impact assessment being rather limited so far, it is hard to measure and quantify the effect the Indian microfinance experience so far had on the poverty situation in rural India. The present study seeks to examine the process of women empowerment and changes in the economic status of SHG members in particular and rural women in general. For this study, multi-stage stratified proportionate random sampling technique was adopted for selecting the representative districts, mandals/talukas, villages and households. The primary data was collected from six villages in the three regions (Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana of Andhra Pradesh. Tabular and statistical analyses were applied for examining the data. Empirically acclaimed logistic regression model has been employed for analyzing significant impact of plausible socio-economic factors on women empowerment. The study found that the socio-economic indicators have changed. It also emerged that there has been an increase in women participation in the household decision making process. The study has suggested that the government should prepare suitable plans and programmes

Condensation heat transfer of R22 and R410A in horizontal smooth and microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Man-Hoe; Shin, Joeng-Seob [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea). Department of Mechanical Engineering

2005-09-01

An experimental investigation of condensation heat transfer in 9.52 mm O.D. horizontal copper tubes was conducted using R22 and R410A. The test rig had a straight, horizontal test section with an active length of 0.92 m and was cooled by the heat transfer fluid (cold water) circulated in a surrounding annulus. Constant heat flux of 11.0 kW/m{sup 2} was maintained throughout the experiment and refrigerant quality varied from 0.9 to 0.1. The condensation test results at 45 {sup o}C were reported for 40-80 kg/h mass flow rate. The local and average condensation coefficients for seven microfin tubes were presented compared to those for a smooth tube. The average condensation coefficients of R22 and R410A for the microfin tubes were 1.7-3.19 and 1.7-2.94 times larger than those in smooth tube, respectively. (author)

Sustainability of organic, integrated and conventional farming systems in Tuscany

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pacini, C.; Giesen, G.W.J.; Vazzana, C.; Wossink, G.A.A.

2002-01-01

Agricultural researchers widely recognise the importance of sustainable agricultural production systems and the need to develop appropriate methods to measure sustainability. The principal purpose of this paper is to evaluate the financial and environmental aspects of sustainability of Organic,

Microfinance Non-Financial Services: A Key for Poverty Alleviation? Lessons from Mexico

OpenAIRE

Olga Biosca; Pamela Lenton; Paul Mosley

2011-01-01

Microfinance non-financial services have been recently reformulated as high quality demand-led programs. In the Mexican context, these are now voluntary, can have a cost for the borrower and are frequently supplied in partnership with specialized public or private agencies. Using primary data from a survey of clients of two credit-plus programs in Chiapas, this paper examines and compares the participation determinants and added impact of the training sessions on monetary poverty outcomes of ...

How the organic food system supports sustainable diets and translates these into practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carola eStrassner

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Organic production and consumption provide a delineated food system that can be explored for its potential contribution to sustainable diets. While organic agriculture improves the sustainability performance on the production side, critical reflections are made on how organic consumption patterns, understood as the practice of people consuming significant amounts of organic produce, may also be taken as an example for sustainable food consumption. The consumption patterns of regular organic consumers seem to be close to the sustainable diet concept of FAO. Certain organic-related measures might therefore be useful in the sustainability assessment of diets, e.g. organic production and organic consumption. Since diets play a central role in shaping food systems and food systems shape diets, the role of organic consumption emerges as an essential topic to be addressed. This role may be based on four important organic achievements: organic agriculture and food production has a definition, well-established principles, public standards and useful metrics. By 2015 data for organic production and consumption is recorded annually from more than 160 countries, and regulations are in force in more than 80 countries or regions. The organic fo

The Poor Don’t Need Another Prophet: A People-Centered Approach to Microfinance and Education in Bolivia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P.A. Arora (Payal)

2006-01-01

textabstractIntroduction: As international aid agencies increasingly embrace microfinance, the darling of international development, questions are beginning to surface. Who benefits from this savings and lending system that claims to target the poor? Does an increase in social capital of the poor

Evaporation heat transfer characteristics inside the U-bend of the smooth and the microfin tube using alternative refrigerant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, K N [Sung Kyun Kwan University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, B G [Sung Kyun Kwan University Graduate School, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1997-09-01

The present work experimentally investigated the effects of mass flux, heat flux, inlet quality on the heat transfer performance inside the U-bend of smooth and microfin tube using R-22 and R-407C refrigerants. The parameters were 200 and 400 kg/m{sup 2} s for mass flux, 6 and 12 kw/m{sup 2} for heat flux, 0.1 and 0.2 for inlet quality under the pressure of 0.65 MPa. The apparatus consisted of the test section of four straight sections and three U-bends, preheater, condenser, refrigerant pump, mass flow meter etc. The average heat transfer coefficient at the downstream straight section after U-bend was affected by U-bend due to the centrifugal force and mixing of two-phase flow in the U-bend. The average heat transfer coefficient at the U-bend was 4{approx}33 % higher than that at the straight section. The average heat transfer coefficients were affected in the order of mass flux, heat flux and inlet quality. The average heat transfer coefficients in the microfin tube were lager by 19{approx}49 % and 33{approx}69 % than that in the smooth tube at the straight section and at the U-bend separately. The average heat transfer coefficients for R-407C were larger by 33{approx}41 % and 17{approx}29% than that for R-22 in the smooth tube and the microfin tube separately. (author). 24 refs., 9 figs.

Organization-level predictors of sustained social movement participation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tesdahl, Eric A; Speer, Paul W

2015-03-01

Long-term sustained participation represents one of the most important resources available to community organizations and social movement organizations (SMOs). The participatory literature on community and SMOs has identified a host of individual-level factors that influence participation beyond initial engagement, and has more recently identified contextual factors that influence participation. This study builds upon current understandings of participation in SMOs by examining how sustained participation in movement activities is affected by two qualities of SMO settings: repertoire of organizational activity, and equality of staff contact with organization members to cultivate and facilitate individual participation. To this end, we employ multi-level regression techniques to examine longitudinal data on participation within 50 local chapters of a national congregation-based community organizing federation. We find that the conduct of organizational activities previously shown to increase levels of participation among individual persons does not necessarily lead to increases in aggregate or organization-level participation. Further, we find that conditions of unequal staff contact among organization members represent a notable drag on organization-level participation over time. Our findings suggest that organizers and organizational leaders may well see greater levels of participation in their organizations by simply re-distributing resources and opportunities more equitably within their organizations.

Heat transfer and flow pattern during two-phase flow boiling of R-134a in horizontal smooth and microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Minghuei; Lin, Tsunkuo; Tseng, Chyuanchyi [National Sun Yat Sen Univ., Taiwan (China). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2002-09-01

Flow pattern and heat transfer during evaporation in a 10.7 mm diameter smooth tube and a micro-fin tube are presented. The tubes were tested in the ranges of mass flux between 163 and 408 kg m{sup -2}s{sup -1} and heat flux between 2200 and 56 000 W m{sup -2}. The evaporation temperature was 6{sup o}C. Flow maps for both the tubes are plotted in the coordinates of mass flux and vapor quality. The relations of flow pattern and local heat transfer coefficient are discussed. The heat transfer coefficients for intermittent and annular flows in both the smooth tube and the micro-fin tube are shown to agree well with Gungor and Winterton's correlation with modified constants. (author)

Microcredit and Poverty Alleviation: The Grameen Bank in Focus

OpenAIRE

Tazul Islam

2008-01-01

The Nobel Peace Prize to Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus and the concept of Grameen Bank (GB) has refreshed the public’s interest in GB and microfinance in general. Looking into the GB model of microfinance, this article argues that there is a need to take stock of the services currently being provided by microfinance institutions (MFIs) for poor clients. The microfinance industry has reached a critical stage in its development, with MFIs focusing on financial sustainability through their credit-...

SUSTAINABILITY OF TURKISH GREY CATTLE IN ORGANIC SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hülya HANOĞLU

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Beef consumption has significantly increased in the last fifty years as a response to the increase in population size, whereas the sustainability of production systems has begun to be questioned. Because the residues left in the animal feed additives used in conventional food production constitute major health problems in consumers. Therefore, an interest in organic farming methods based on natural grazing and feed production without the use of chemicals is increasing. One of the most important examples of organic beef production in Turkey is the project carried out in the villages of Ayvacık district in Çanakkale. This region has an ecological structure which does not allow an extensive production of culture cattle. The most important advantages of the Turkish grey cattle living in the pastures in the region covered with bushes are that they have less needs of shelter, they do not need supplementary feeding throughout the year and labor costs for their production for beef are low. Breeders in this region maintained a market price for their products by shifting to organic system and thus allowed the sustainable production of the Turkish grey cattle. In this study, Ayvacık Organic Beef Production Project which sets an example for the sustainability of Turkish grey cattle production by featuring its surplus values was evaluated.

Consumer perceptions on sustainable practices implemented in foodservice organizations in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, Seyoung; Chang, Hyeja

2016-02-01

Sustainable practices in foodservice organizations including commercial and noncommercial ones are critical to ensure the protection of the environment for the future. With the rapid growth of the foodservice industry, wiser usage of input sources such as food, utilities, and single use packaging should be reconsidered for future generations. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the customer's perceptions on sustainable practices and to identify the relationship among sustainable practices, social contribution and purchase intention. The study was conducted using content analyses by reviewing articles on sustainable food service practices published domestically and abroad. Thereafter, data were collected with a face-to-face survey using a questionnaire and analyzed with factor analyses and multiple regressions. Sustainable practices classified with factor analysis consisted of 6 dimensions of green food material procurement, sustainable food preparation, green packaging, preservation of energy, waste management, and public relations on green activity, with a total of 25 green activities in foodservice operations. Consumers were not very familiar with the green activities implemented in the foodservice unit, with the lowest awareness of "green food material procurement (2.46 out of 5 points)", and the highest awareness of "green packaging (3.74)" and "waste management (3.28). The factors influencing the perception of social contribution by foodservice organizations among 6 sustainable practice dimensions were found to be public relations on green activity (β = 0.154), waste management (β = 0.204) and sustainable food preparation (β = 0.183). Green packaging (β = 0.107) and the social contribution of the foodservice organization (β = 0.761) had strong relationships with the image of the organization. The purchase intentions of customers was affected only by the foodservice image (β = 0.775). The results of this study suggest that sustainable practices by

From Credit to Collective Action: The Role of Microfinance in Promoting Women's Social Capital and Normative Influence

Science.gov (United States)

Sanyal, Paromita

2009-01-01

Can economic ties positively influence social relations and actions? If so, how does this influence operate? Microfinance programs, which provide credit through a group-based lending strategy, provide the ideal setting for exploring these questions. This article examines whether structuring socially isolated women into peer-groups for an…

Sustainable Enterprise Excellence and the Continuously Relevant and Responsible Organization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edgeman, Rick; Bøllingtoft, Anne; Eskildsen, Jacob Kjær

2013-01-01

Innovation and sustainability are critical to the design, activities, results, and financial viability of organizations. These support one another, with “sustainable innovation” addressing economic sustainability, and “innovating for sustainability” addressing societal and environmental...... sustainability. Both sustainable innovation and innovation for sustainability have gained traction as partial means of confronting economic, environmental and societal challenges. Although garnering footholds is promising, the growth rate of these challenges has thus far exceeded trajectory, scale, and velocity...... issues surrounding enterprise innovation and sustainability efforts and capabilities. Innovation and sustainability of the necessary trajectory, scale, and velocity are strategically integrated to deliver what we refer to as innovating sustainability. This provides an accelerated means path toward...

Microfinance Non-Financial Services: A Key for Poverty Alleviation? Lessons from Mexico\\ud

OpenAIRE

Biosca, Olga; Lenton, Pamela; Mosley, Paul

2011-01-01

Microfinance non-financial services have been recently reformulated as high quality demand-led programs. In the Mexican context, these are now voluntary, can have a cost for the borrower and are frequently supplied in partnership with specialized public or private agencies. Using primary data from a survey of clients of two credit-plus programs in Chiapas, this paper examines and compares the participation determinants and added impact of the training sessions on monetary poverty outcomes of ...

Sustainable Materials for Sustainable Energy Storage: Organic Na Electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Oltean, Viorica-Alina; Renault, Stéven; Valvo, Mario; Brandell, Daniel

2016-01-01

In this review, we summarize research efforts to realize Na-based organic materials for novel battery chemistries. Na is a more abundant element than Li, thereby contributing to less costly materials with limited to no geopolitical constraints while organic electrode materials harvested from biomass resources provide the possibility of achieving renewable battery components with low environmental impact during processing and recycling. Together, this can form the basis for truly sustainable electrochemical energy storage. We explore the efforts made on electrode materials of organic salts, primarily carbonyl compounds but also Schiff bases, unsaturated compounds, nitroxides and polymers. Moreover, sodiated carbonaceous materials derived from biomasses and waste products are surveyed. As a conclusion to the review, some shortcomings of the currently investigated materials are highlighted together with the major limitations for future development in this field. Finally, routes to move forward in this direction are suggested. PMID:28773272

Global recession and microfinance risk governance in developing countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Moro Visconti

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Global recession, started in 2008, is still proving an unresolved perfect storm and the financial crisis has affected also the real economy, creating widespread social unrest. Microfinance institutions (MFIs in developing countries seem however less affected by the worldwide turmoil, due to their segmentation and resilience to external shocks. Recession has a big impact on governance mechanisms, altering the equilibriums among different stakeholders and increasing the risk of investment returns; any governance improvement is highly welcome and recommended. No governance, no money for growth or bare survival. In the confused phase we are living in, at the moment there are not evident winners, but the underbanked poorest, unless properly supported, once again risk being the ultimate losers.

The Global Sustainability Index: An Instrument For Assessing The Progress Towards The Sustainable Organization

Science.gov (United States)

Grecu, Valentin

2015-09-01

There is rarely an optimal solution in sustainable development but most frequently a need to build compromises between conflicting aspects such as economic, social and environmental ones and different expectations of stakeholders. Moreover, information is rarely available and precise. This paper will focus on how to use indicators to monitor sustainable development, integrating the information provided by many of them into a complex general sustainability index. Having this general indicator is essential for decision makers as it is very complicated to evaluate the performance of the organization based on multiple indicators. The objective of this paper is to find mathematical algorithms for simplifying the decision-making process by offering an instrument for the evaluation of the sustainability progress.

Multi-criteria approach to support strategically sustainable decisions in organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Diogho Heuer de Carvalho

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Keeping the social and environmental conditions in a favorable conservation status for allowing the society to develop itself without restrictions is the central idea which underpins the sustainability concept. Different spheres such as media, academia and business organizations started to give more importance to the study of sustainability, once it directly affects aspects that influence the economy in the world. Organizationally, the use of sustainable strategies can bring returns in favor of a healthy development and a conscious culture about the waste as well as reflecting how organizations connect with society and the environment. The objective of this work is to propose a model for prioritizing strategies to support the creation of an environment and a culture based on sustainability in organizations. This model has four steps, beginning with the problem structuring, including the definition of criteria and alternatives, the application of a multi-criteria method for prioritization, and finally, the implementation of the alternatives according to the decision maker opinion as well as on prioritization results.

The Development of Psychological Capacity for Action : The Empowering Effect of a Microfinance Programme on Women in Sri Lanka

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hansen, Nina

This work examines the effect of a microfinance intervention on psychological empowerment among women in the North of Sri Lanka. Psychological empowerment is defined as personal (personal control beliefs) and social (social networks) capacity for action. The intervention included relevant skills

Sustainable Organic Farming For Environmental Health A Social Development Model

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Ijun Rijwan Susanto

2015-05-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT In this study the researcher attempted 1 to understand the basic features of organic farming in The Paguyuban Pasundans Cianjur 2 to describe and understand how the stakeholders were are able to internalize the challenges of organic farming on their lived experiences in the community 3 to describe and understand how the stakeholders were are able to internalize and applied the values of benefits of organic farming in support of environmental health on their lived experiences in the community 4 The purpose was to describe and understand how the stakeholders who are able to articulate their ideas regarding the model of sustainable organic farming 5 The Policy Recommendation for Organic Farming. The researcher employed triangulation thorough finding that provides breadth and depth to an investigation offering researchers a more accurate picture of the phenomenon. In the implementation of triangulation researchers conducted several interviews to get saturation. After completion of the interview results are written compiled and shown to the participants to check every statement by every participant. In addition researchers also checked the relevant documents and direct observation in the field The participants of this study were the stakeholders namely 1 The leader of Paguyuban Pasundans Organic Farmer Cianjur PPOFC 2 Members of Paguyuban Pasundans Organic FarmersCianjur 3 Leader of NGO 4 Government officials of agriculture 5 Business of organic food 6 and Consumer of organic food. Generally the findings of the study revealed the following 1 PPOFC began to see the reality as the impact of modern agriculture showed in fertility problems due to contaminated soil by residues of agricultural chemicals such as chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides. So he wants to restore the soil fertility through environmentally friendly of farming practices 2 the challenges of organic farming on their lived experiences in the community farmers did not

Sustainability and Competitiveness of Romanian Farms through Organic Agriculture

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Mirela Ionela Aceleanu

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Currently, the development of any sector involves respecting the principles of sustainability, which means economic, social and environmental development. Moreover, organic farming is a very important field for ensuring sustainable development. Romania has great potential for the development of organic agriculture, especially due to the large number of available farmland and reduced use of fertilizers and other chemicals. However, the development of organic farming in Romania is in an early stage, due to the numerous problems that Romanian agriculture is still facing. Concern for the environment should be reflected at the level of production processes and consumption. As market demand influences and stimulates production, we can ask the question to what extent stimulating the consumption of organic products through green marketing can boost organic agriculture development and competitiveness of Romanian farms. Using several methods of research, such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, statistical methods and by calling on studies, reports and data series on organic farming in the EU and Romania, this paper highlights Romania's position in terms of the level of development of organic agriculture and recommends several ways to improve the outcomes obtained by Romania in the field. Moreover, based on regression equations, the trend of convergence of Romanian organic agriculture development in relation to the EU countries is analysed. The paper demonstrates that one of the measures that can be taken by Romanian farms is green marketing strategy development that can stimulate both consumption and production of organic products. Therefore, with increasing interest in the development of organic agriculture in Romania, green marketing can play an increasingly important role in promoting the benefits of consuming organic products, thus contributing to business development of organic products as well as to the development of Romanian agriculture

Sustainability & Organization Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Morten Bygvraa; Obel, Børge; Kallehave, Pernille

The global financial crisis has forced a profound rethink of the optimal form of capitalism and the relationship between business, environment and government. The current crisis has exposed systemic failures of corporate governance in administering the purpose of the firm. It has shown the failure...... of global governance to match the new dynamics and consequences of globalization. Governments are re-examining corporate accountability to society and how companies earn their license to operate. Furthermore companies are re-examining their code of conduct and leadership values. Thus, sustainability...... organization. Here we follow the Global Compact criteria. The consequences for processes, structure, and human skills and values are analyzed. In particular the analysis will investigate exploration and exploitation from a holistic perspective using the principles of requisite variety and information...

Sustainable competitive advantage for accountable care organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Macfarlane, Michael Alex

2014-01-01

In the current period of health industry reform, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have emerged as a new model for the delivery of high-quality and cost-effective healthcare. However, few ACOs operate in direct competition with one another, and the accountable care business model has yet to present a means of continually developing new marginal value for patients and network partners. With value-based purchasing and patient consumerism strengthening as market forces, ACOs must build organizational sustainability and competitive advantage to meet the value demands set by customers and competitors. This essay proposes a strategy, adapted from the disciplines of agile software development and Lean product development, through which ACOs can engage internal and external customers in the development of new products that will provide sustainability and competitive advantage to the organization by decreasing waste in development, promoting specialized knowledge, and closely targeting customer value.

Energy-microfinance intervention for low income households in India

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, P. Sharath Chandra

In India, limited energy access and energy inequity hamper the lives of low income households. Traditional fuels such as firewood and dung cake account for 84 percent and 32 percent of the rural and urban household cooking energy (NSSO, 2007). With 412 million people without access to electricity in 2005, India hosts the world's largest such population (IEA, 2007). But, low income households still spend 9 - 11.7 percent1 of their incomes on inefficient forms of energy while wealthy households spend less than 5 percent on better energy products (Saghir, 2005). Renewable energy technologies coupled with innovative financial products can address the energy access problem facing the low income households in India (MacLean & Siegel, 2007; REEEP, 2009). Nevertheless, the low income households continue to face low access to mainstream finance for purchasing renewable energy technology at terms that meet their monthly energy related expenditure (ESMAP, 2004a; SEEP, 2008a) and low or no access to energy services (Ailawadi & Bhattacharyya, 2006; Modi et. al., 2006). The lack of energy-finance options has left the marginalized population with little means to break the dependence on traditional fuels. This dissertation proposes an energy microfinance intervention to address the present situation. It designed a loan product dedicated to the purchase of renewable energy technologies while taking into account the low and irregular cash flows of the low income households. The arguments presented in this dissertation are based on a six-month pilot project using this product designed and developed by the author in conjunction with a microfinance institution and its low income clients and Energy Service Companies in the state of Karnataka. Finding the right stakeholders and establishing a joint agreement, obtaining grant money for conducting the technology dissemination workshops and forming a clear procedure for commissioning the project, are the key lessons learnt from this study

An experimental investigation of the effects of spiral angle on the evaporation heat transfer coefficients in microfin tubes with visualization technique

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Se-Yoon

A smooth tube and five microfin tubes were tested, and evaporation heat transfer coefficients were measured and compared for mass fluxes, 50, 100 and 200 kg/m2 s, and heat fluxes, 5, 10 and 20 kW/m 2, with Refrigerant 134a as a working fluid. The evaporation heat transfer coefficients at quality 0.5 were compared among the smooth and five microfin tubes with spiral angles 6, 12, 18, 25 and 44 degrees. The effect of the spiral angle on the heat transfer coefficients was examined. It was found that the optimal spiral angle where the maximum heat transfer coefficient occurs, mainly depends on mass flux. The optimal spiral angle was 18 degrees for G=50 kg/m2 s, and 6 degrees for G=100 and 200 kg/m 2 s. A borescope was used to visualize the flow on the inside wall of test tubes. The purpose was to find out the effect of the grooves on the liquid flow in microfin tubes and to explain the mechanism of heat transfer enhancement. Temperatures on the tube wall were measured at the same axial location as the imaging sensor of the borescope, and were related to the behavior of the liquid flow on the inside wall of the tubes. The liquid flow in the grooves on the wall was found to be the most important factor in enhancing heat transfer coefficients. The liquid flowed upward along the grooves and covered the upper inside wall of the microfin tubes at G=50 kg/m2 s. When heat flux increases, the liquid flow was found at a higher position. Both liquid viscosity and surface tension decrease, when temperature increases. Thus, the lower viscosity at higher heat flux facilitated the upward motion of the liquid flow in the grooves, so that the momentum force as well as the capillary effect was found to push the liquid along the grooves.* *A CD is included with dissertation containing video clips in avi format which can be viewed with media player.

Backyard Living – Integrative Policies Towards Migrant Workers: Housing Microfinance in Greater Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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Martin Noltze

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The urban agglomeration of the Vietnamese southeast industrial driving force Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC has become the most outstanding benefi ciary of the remarkable economic growth and foreign investments in the Vietnamese economy since the start of a comprehensive economic reform process in the mid 1980s. The notable development towards the foremost economic centre led to a high influx of migrant workers. In the course of an ongoing expansion process towards a megacity of tomorrow, the defi cient provision of adequate housing remains one of the most challenging problems of rural migrants in Greater HCMC. However, a future-oriented sustainable megacity concept is strongly dependent on the successful integration of migrants into the urban society. Within this context, the housing market is considered to be a key aspect of comprehensive urban planning. Hereby, housing microfinance (HMF will be presented as an alternative housing finance scheme meeting the demand of a noteworthy number of poor and low-income people. Thereby HMF can do both: focus on specifi c needs of migrants with respect to their current life situation and enhance its outreach to a potential target group.

Flow condensation heat transfer coefficients of R22, R134a, R407C, and R410A inside plain and microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Dongsoo; Cho, Youngmok; Park, Kiho [Inha Univ., Incheon (Korea). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2004-01-01

Flow condensation heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) of R22, R134a, R407C, and R410A inside horizontal plain and microfin tubes of 9.52 mm outside diameter and 1 m length were measured at the condensation temperature of 40{sup o}C with mass fluxes of 100, 200, and 300 kg m{sup -2} s{sup -1} and a heat flux of 7.7-7.9 kW m{sup -2}. For a plain tube, HTCs of R134a and R410A were similar to those of R22 while HTCs of R407C are 11-15% lower than those of R22. For a microfin tube, HTCs of R134a were similar to those of R22 while HTCs of R407C and R410A were 23-53% and 10-21% lower than those of R22. For a plain tube, our correlation agreed well with the present data for all refrigerants exhibiting a mean deviation of 11.6%. Finally, HTCs of a microfin tube were 2-3 times higher than those of a plain tube and the heat transfer enhancement factor decreased as the mass flux increased for all refrigerants tested. (Author)

Socially sustainable work organizations and systems thinking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kira, M.; Eijnatten, van F.M.

2010-01-01

This Research Note seeks to add to the body of knowledge concerning social sustainability in work organizations, especially within the context of new challenges and threats in contemporary, post-industrial working life. Moreover, the intention is to explore the added value of the complexity lens in

Evaporating heat transfer of R22 and R410A in horizontal smooth and microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Man-Hoe; Shin, Joeng-Seob [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea). Department of Mechanical Engineering

2005-09-01

An experimental investigation of evaporating heat transfer in 9.52 mm O.D. horizontal copper tubes was conducted. The refrigerants tested were R22 and the near-azeotropic mixture, R410A. The test rig had a straight, horizontal test section with an active length of 0.92 m and was heated by the heat transfer fluid (hot water) circulated in a surrounding annulus. Constant heat flux of 11.0 kW/m{sup 2} was maintained and refrigerant quality varied from 0.2 to 0.8.. The results were reported for evaporation at 15 {sup o}C in a 0.92 m long test section for 30-60 kg/h mass flow rate. The local and average heat transfer coefficients for seven microfin tubes were presented compared to those for a smooth tube. The average evaporation heat transfer coefficients of R22 and R410A for the microfin tubes were 1.86-3.27 and 1.64-2.99 times higher than those for the smooth tube, respectively. When compared to R22 at the same test conditions, the evaporating heat transfer coefficients for R410A were 97-129% of R22. (author)

Condensation of refrigerants in horizontal, spirally grooved microfin tubes: Numerical analysis of heat transfer in the annular flow regime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nozu, S; Honda, H

2000-02-01

A method is presented for estimating the condensation heat transfer coefficient in a horizontal, spirally grooved microfin tube. Based on the flow observation study performed by the authors, a laminar film condensation model in the annular flow regime is proposed. The model assumes that all the condensate flow occurs through the grooves. The condensate film is segmented into thin and thick film regions. In the thin film region formed on the fin surface, the condensate is assumed to be drained by the combined surface tension and vapor shear forces. In the thick film region formed in the groove, on the other hand, the condensate is assumed to be driven by the vapor shear force. The present and previous local heat transfer data including four fluids (CFC11, HCFC22, HCFC123, and HFCl34a) and three microfin tubes are found to agree with the present predictions to a mean absolute deviation of 15.1%.

Condensation of refrigerants in horizontal microfin tubes: comparison of prediction methods for heat transfer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, H S; Honda, H [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Institute of Advanced Material Study

2003-06-01

A comparison was made between the predictions of previously proposed empirical correlations and theoretical model and available experimental data for the heat transfer coefficient during condensation of refrigerants in horizontal microfin tubes. The refrigerants tested were R11, R123, R134a, R22 and R410A. Experimental data for six tubes with the tube inside diameter at fin root of 6.49-8.8 8 mm, the fin height of 0.16-0.24 mm, fin pitch of 0.34-0.53 mm and helix angle of groove of 12-20{sup o} were adopted. The r.m.s. error of the predictions for all tubes and all refrigerants decreased in the order of the correlations proposed by Luu and Bergies [ASHRAE Trans. 86 (1980) 293], Cavallini et al. Condensation of new refrigerants inside smooth and enhanced tubes. In: Proc. 19th Int. Cong. Refrigeration, vol. IV, Hague, The Netherlands, 1995. p. 105-114, Shikazono et al. [Trans. Jap. Sco. Mech. Engrs. 64 (1995) 196], Kedzierski and Goncalves [J. Enhanced Heat Transfer 6 (1999) 16], Yu and Koyama [Yu J, Koyama S. Condensation heat transfer of pure refrigerants in microfin tubes. In: Proc. Int. Refrigeration Conference at Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, USA, 1998. p. 325-330], and the theoretical model proposed by Wang et al. [Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 45 (2002) 1513]. (author)

Sustainable solar home systems model: Applying lessons from Bangladesh to Myanmar's rural poor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Newcombe, Alex; Ackom, Emmanuel

2017-01-01

Myanmar's rural population has very low access to electricity, mainly due to low disposal income and the remoteness of communities. This paper attempts to test the potential applicability of Grameen Shakti-Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), which is a Bangladeshi public private...... partnership microfinance model, to rural Myanmar towards enhanced solar home systems (SHS) deployment. Rural poor are enabled by this microfinancing scheme to own SHSs in a few years for as low as US$6.40 per month. The objectives of this paper are to assess the experience of Grameen Shakti-IDCOL and other...... similar projects for invaluable lessons, identify barriers to sustainable electrification for Myanmar's rural poor and to apply these lessons learned to overcome barriers by developing policy recommendations for sustainable electrification for rural poor in Myanmar. Recommendations are provided suggesting...

Ecological Citizenship and Sustainable Consumption: Examining Local Organic Food Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Seyfang, Gill

2006-01-01

Sustainable consumption is gaining in currency as a new environmental policy objective. This paper presents new research findings from a mixed-method empirical study of a local organic food network to interrogate the theories of both sustainable consumption and ecological citizenship. It describes a mainstream policy model of sustainable…

Sustained activity in hierarchical modular neural networks: self-organized criticality and oscillations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng-Jun Wang

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Cerebral cortical brain networks possess a number of conspicuous features of structure and dynamics. First, these networks have an intricate, non-random organization. They are structured in a hierarchical modular fashion, from large-scale regions of the whole brain, via cortical areas and area subcompartments organized as structural and functional maps to cortical columns, and finally circuits made up of individual neurons. Second, the networks display self-organized sustained activity, which is persistent in the absence of external stimuli. At the systems level, such activity is characterized by complex rhythmical oscillations over a broadband background, while at the cellular level, neuronal discharges have been observed to display avalanches, indicating that cortical networks are at the state of self-organized criticality. We explored the relationship between hierarchical neural network organization and sustained dynamics using large-scale network modeling. It was shown that sparse random networks with balanced excitation and inhibition can sustain neural activity without external stimulation. We find that a hierarchical modular architecture can generate sustained activity better than random networks. Moreover, the system can simultaneously support rhythmical oscillations and self-organized criticality, which are not present in the respective random networks. The underlying mechanism is that each dense module cannot sustain activity on its own, but displays self-organized criticality in the presence of weak perturbations. The hierarchical modular networks provide the coupling among subsystems with self-organized criticality. These results imply that the hierarchical modular architecture of cortical networks plays an important role in shaping the ongoing spontaneous activity of the brain, potentially allowing the system to take advantage of both the sensitivityof critical state and predictability and timing of oscillations for efficient

Piloting a Savings-Led Microfinance Intervention with Women Engaging in Sex Work in Mongolia: Further Innovation for HIV Risk Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Laura Cordisco; Witte, Susan S.; Aira, Toivgoo; Altantsetseg, Batsukh; Riedel, Marion

2014-01-01

This paper describes a pilot study testing the feasibility of an innovative savings-led microfinance intervention in increasing the economic empowerment and reducing the sexual risk behavior of women engaging in sex work in Mongolia. Women’s economic vulnerability may increase their risk for HIV by compromising their ability to negotiate safer sex with partners and heightening the likelihood they will exchange sex for survival. Microfinance has been considered a potentially powerful structural HIV prevention strategy with women conducting sex work, as diversification of income sources may increase women’s capacity to negotiate safer transactional sex. With 50% of all reported female HIV cases in Mongolia detected among women engaging in sex work, direct prevention intervention with women conducting sex work represents an opportunity to prevent a potentially rapid increase in HIV infection in urban Mongolia. The piloted intervention consisted of a matched savings program in which matched savings could be used for business development or vocational education, combined with financial literacy and business development training for women engaging in sex work. Results of the pilot demonstrate participants’ increased confidence in their ability to manage finances, greater hope for pursuing vocational goals, moderate knowledge gains regarding financial literacy, and an initial transition from sex work to alternative income generation for five out of nine participants. The pilot findings highlight the potential for such an intervention and the need for a clinical trial testing the efficacy of savings-led microfinance programs in reducing HIV risk for women engaging in sex work in Mongolia. PMID:24900163

Piloting a Savings-Led Microfinance Intervention with Women Engaging in Sex Work in Mongolia: Further Innovation for HIV Risk Reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Laura Cordisco; Witte, Susan S; Aira, Toivgoo; Altantsetseg, Batsukh; Riedel, Marion

2011-12-30

This paper describes a pilot study testing the feasibility of an innovative savings-led microfinance intervention in increasing the economic empowerment and reducing the sexual risk behavior of women engaging in sex work in Mongolia. Women's economic vulnerability may increase their risk for HIV by compromising their ability to negotiate safer sex with partners and heightening the likelihood they will exchange sex for survival. Microfinance has been considered a potentially powerful structural HIV prevention strategy with women conducting sex work, as diversification of income sources may increase women's capacity to negotiate safer transactional sex. With 50% of all reported female HIV cases in Mongolia detected among women engaging in sex work, direct prevention intervention with women conducting sex work represents an opportunity to prevent a potentially rapid increase in HIV infection in urban Mongolia. The piloted intervention consisted of a matched savings program in which matched savings could be used for business development or vocational education, combined with financial literacy and business development training for women engaging in sex work. Results of the pilot demonstrate participants' increased confidence in their ability to manage finances, greater hope for pursuing vocational goals, moderate knowledge gains regarding financial literacy, and an initial transition from sex work to alternative income generation for five out of nine participants. The pilot findings highlight the potential for such an intervention and the need for a clinical trial testing the efficacy of savings-led microfinance programs in reducing HIV risk for women engaging in sex work in Mongolia.

Are Organic Standards Sufficient to Ensure Sustainable Agriculture? Lessons From New Zealand’s ARGOS and Sustainability Dashboard Projects

OpenAIRE

Merfield, Charles; Moller, Henrik; Manhire, Jon; Rosin, Chris; Norton, Solis; Carey, Peter; Hunt, Lesley; Reid, John; Fairweather, John; Benge, Jayson; Le Quellec, Isabelle; Campbell, Hugh; Lucock, David; Saunders, Caroline; MacLeod, Catriona

2015-01-01

Our review concludes that organic standards need to account for a broader set of criteria in order to retain claims to ‘sustainability’. Measurements of the ecological, economic and social outcomes from over 96 kiwifruit, sheep/beef and dairy farms in New Zealand between 2004 and 2012 by The Agricultural Research Group on Sustainability (ARGOS) project showed some enhanced ecosystem services from organic agriculture that will assist a “land-sharing” approach for sustainable land management. H...

Human Aspect as a Critical Factor for Organization Sustainability in the Tourism Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Ulus

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Organizations adopt diverse strategies to govern the technical and managerial aspects of sustainability implementation processes. The need for better leading and managing people-related issues emerges as companies aim for more effective change towards sustainability. The human aspect of the sustainability implementation process is mostly not paid enough attention, but it can significantly affect the success of a change management program by creating hurdles or easing the process. This study considers three human-related factors: resistance to change, internal communication, and employee engagement in sustainability activities of organizations. The aim of the study is to explore how these human factors are managed by tourism companies for organizational sustainability. For this purpose four companies from different sectors of tourism are chosen as case studies and the results are examined using qualitative data analysis techniques. The results indicate that the companies which are in a more advanced stage of sustainability implementation manage human factors using a greater number of channels and employ varied strategies. The results can provide insights into how organizations tackle the challenges of managing human aspect and display the practices that contribute to successful change management programs for achieving organizational sustainability through people.

La incidencia social de las microfinanzas rurales de la Cooperativa Coopmego en el cantón Paltas - 2011

OpenAIRE

Tacuri Peña, Lorena del Cisne

2015-01-01

The present study expects to develop an analysis about the incidence of rural microfinance, to contribute and determine the actual perspective on the growth of the same, in the economic environment and their financial sustainability in 2011 and help to determine the actual growth of the Microfinance in the system of credit cooperatives of Paltas Canton. In recent years, rural microfinances have evolved, experienced a remarkable growth, expanding its coverage and improving its services, demons...

Biobased Organic Chemistry Laboratories as Sustainable Experiment Alternatives

Science.gov (United States)

Silverman, Julian R.

2016-01-01

As nonrenewable resources deplete and educators seek relevant interdisciplinary content for organic chemistry instruction, biobased laboratory experiments present themselves as potential alternatives to petroleum-based transformations, which offer themselves as sustainable variations on important themes. Following the principles of green chemistry…

Sustainability Strategies for Regional Health Information Organization Startups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winkler, Till J.; Ozturk, Pinar; Brown, Carol V.

2016-01-01

the population health of an underserved urban population, and an HIE capability to enable the transition to a healthcare landscape that rewards care coordination across suburban hospitals and physician practices. Conclusions: We propose two models of technology and sustainability strategies for developing bottom...... initiatives by states and regional health information organizations (HIOs). Given the high failure rates of regional U.S. HIOs in the past, our primary objective is to identify the key characteristics of HIO startups that became operational and demonstrated sustainability with non-renewable SHIECAP funding...

Scalability of Sustainable Business Models in Hybrid Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Jabłoński

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The dynamics of change in modern business create new mechanisms for company management to determine their pursuit and the achievement of their high performance. This performance maintained over a long period of time becomes a source of ensuring business continuity by companies. An ontological being enabling the adoption of such assumptions is such a business model that has the ability to generate results in every possible market situation and, moreover, it has the features of permanent adaptability. A feature that describes the adaptability of the business model is its scalability. Being a factor ensuring more work and more efficient work with an increasing number of components, scalability can be applied to the concept of business models as the company’s ability to maintain similar or higher performance through it. Ensuring the company’s performance in the long term helps to build the so-called sustainable business model that often balances the objectives of stakeholders and shareholders, and that is created by the implemented principles of value-based management and corporate social responsibility. This perception of business paves the way for building hybrid organizations that integrate business activities with pro-social ones. The combination of an approach typical of hybrid organizations in designing and implementing sustainable business models pursuant to the scalability criterion seems interesting from the cognitive point of view. Today, hybrid organizations are great spaces for building effective and efficient mechanisms for dialogue between business and society. This requires the appropriate business model. The purpose of the paper is to present the conceptualization and operationalization of scalability of sustainable business models that determine the performance of a hybrid organization in the network environment. The paper presents the original concept of applying scalability in sustainable business models with detailed

Sustained Activity in Hierarchical Modular Neural Networks: Self-Organized Criticality and Oscillations

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Wang, Sheng-Jun; Hilgetag, Claus C.; Zhou, Changsong

2010-01-01

Cerebral cortical brain networks possess a number of conspicuous features of structure and dynamics. First, these networks have an intricate, non-random organization. In particular, they are structured in a hierarchical modular fashion, from large-scale regions of the whole brain, via cortical areas and area subcompartments organized as structural and functional maps to cortical columns, and finally circuits made up of individual neurons. Second, the networks display self-organized sustained activity, which is persistent in the absence of external stimuli. At the systems level, such activity is characterized by complex rhythmical oscillations over a broadband background, while at the cellular level, neuronal discharges have been observed to display avalanches, indicating that cortical networks are at the state of self-organized criticality (SOC). We explored the relationship between hierarchical neural network organization and sustained dynamics using large-scale network modeling. Previously, it was shown that sparse random networks with balanced excitation and inhibition can sustain neural activity without external stimulation. We found that a hierarchical modular architecture can generate sustained activity better than random networks. Moreover, the system can simultaneously support rhythmical oscillations and SOC, which are not present in the respective random networks. The mechanism underlying the sustained activity is that each dense module cannot sustain activity on its own, but displays SOC in the presence of weak perturbations. Therefore, the hierarchical modular networks provide the coupling among subsystems with SOC. These results imply that the hierarchical modular architecture of cortical networks plays an important role in shaping the ongoing spontaneous activity of the brain, potentially allowing the system to take advantage of both the sensitivity of critical states and the predictability and timing of oscillations for efficient information

Theoretical analysis of film condensation in horizontal microfin tubes; Microfin tsuki suihei kannai gyoshuku no riron kaiseki

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Honda, H; Wang, H [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Institute of Advanced Material Study; Nozu, S [Okamaya Prefectural University, Okayama (Japan). Faculty of Computer Science and System Engineering

2000-10-25

A theoretical study has been made of film condensation in helically-grooved, horizontal microfin tubes. The annular flow regime and the stratified flow regime were considered. For the annular flow regime, a previously developed theoretical model was applied. For the stratified flow regime, the height of stratified condensate was estimated by a modified Taitel and Dukler model. For the upper part of the tube exposed to the vapor flow, numerical calculation of Laminar film condensation considering the combined effects of gravity and surface tension forces was conducted. The heat transfer coefficient at the lower part of the tube was estimated by an empirical equation for the internally finned tubes developed by Carnavos. The theoretical predictions of the circumferential average heat transfer coefficient by the two theoretical models were compared with available experimental data for four refrigerants and four tubes. Generally, the annular flow model gave a higher heat transfer coefficient than the stratified flow model in the high quality region, whereas the stratified flow model gave a higher heat transfer coefficient in the low quality region. For tubes with fin heights of 0.16 {approx} 0.24 mm, most of the experimental data agreed within {+-} 20% with the higher of the two theoretical predictions. (author)

Government-sponsored microfinance program: Joint liability vs. individual liability

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Arghya Kusum Mukherjee

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY is a government-sponsored microfinance program. The scheme is based on four features: group lending with joint liability, progressive lending, back-ended subsidy, and social capital. We propose a new model of SGSY having these features: group lending with individual liability, progressive lending, back-ended subsidy, and social capital. “Joint liability” clause of the existing model is replaced with individual liability in the new model. The paper shows that problem of adverse selection is removed in both models, i.e. in “SGSY with group lending and joint liability” and “SGSY with group lending and individual liability.” The problem of “moral hazard” is more severe in the existing model of SGSY compared with the proposed model of SGSY. Borrowers are also benefitted from participation in the proposed scheme of SGSY than that in the existing model of SGSY.

Learning for Sustainability Among Faith-Based Organizations in Kenya

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Moyer, Joanne M.; Sinclair, A. John; Diduck, Alan P.

2014-08-01

The complex and unpredictable contexts in which environmental and development work take place require an adaptable, learning approach. Faith-based organizations (FBOs) play a significant role in sustainability work around the world, and provide a unique setting in which to study learning. This paper explores individual learning for sustainability within two FBOs engaged in sustainability work in Kenya. Learning outcomes covered a broad range of areas, including the sustainability framework, environment/conservation, skills, community work, interpersonal engagement, and personal and faith development. These outcomes were acquired through embodied experience and activity, facilitation by the workplace, interpersonal interaction, personal reflection, and Bible study and worship. Grounded categories were compared to learning domains and processes described by Mezirow's transformative learning theory. The findings indicate that for learning in the sustainability field, instrumental learning and embodied learning processes are particularly important, and consequently they require greater attention in the theory when applied in this field.

Indonesian Private University Lecturer Performance Improvement Model to Improve a Sustainable Organization Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Suryaman

2018-01-01

Lecturer performance will affect the quality and carrying capacity of the sustainability of an organization, in this case the university. There are many models developed to measure the performance of teachers, but not much to discuss the influence of faculty performance itself towards sustainability of an organization. This study was conducted in…

Understanding female empowerment : The impact of offering goal setting training to couples in the context of a microfinance intervention for women

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huis, Marloes; Hansen, Nina; Otten, Sabine; Lensink, Bernardus

2016-01-01

Previous research on the impact of offering access to microfinance (micro loan and training) to women provided mixed results with respect to female empowerment. We propose that empowerment is a three-level concept and should be investigated at the personal, relational, and societal level. In the

Leveraging strong social ties among young men in Dar es Salaam: A pilot intervention of microfinance and peer leadership for HIV and gender-based violence prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Maman, Suzanne; Kajula, Lusajo; Balvanz, Peter; Kilonzo, Mrema; Mulawa, Marta; Yamanis, Thespina

2016-12-01

Gender inequality is at the core of the HIV patterns that are evident in sub-Saharan Africa. Gender-based violence (GBV) and lack of economic opportunity are important structural determinants of HIV risk. We piloted a microfinance and health promotion intervention among social networks of primarily young men in Dar es Salaam. Twenty-two individuals participated in the microfinance component and 30 peer leaders were recruited and trained in the peer health leadership component. We collected and analysed observational data from trainings, monitoring data on loan repayment, and reports of peer conversations to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Eighteen of the loan recipients (82%) paid back their loans, and of these 15 (83%) received a second, larger loan. Among the loan defaulters, one died, one had chronic health problems, and two disappeared, one of whom was imprisoned for theft. The majority of conversations reported by peer health leaders focused on condoms, sexual partner selection, and HIV testing. Few peer leaders reported conversations about GBV. We demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of this innovative HIV and GBV prevention intervention. The lessons learned from this pilot have informed the implementation of a cluster-randomised trial of the microfinance and peer health leadership intervention.

Condensing heat transfer characteristics of R22 and R410A in 9.52 mm O.D. smooth and microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, M H; Shin, J S; Lim, B H [Sam Sung Electronics Corporation Limited (Korea, Republic of)

1998-10-01

An experimental investigation of condensation heat transfer in 9.52 mm horizontal copper tubes was conducted using R22 and R410A. The test rig had a straight, horizontal test section with an active length of 0.92 m and was cooled by the heat transfer fluid(cold water) circulated in a surrounding annulus. Constant heat flux of 11.0 kW/m{sup 2} was maintained throughout the experiment and refrigerant quality varied from 0.9 to 0.1. The condensation test results at 45 deg. C were reported for 40{approx}80 kg/h mass flow rate. The local and average condensation coefficients for seven microfin tubes were presented compared to those for a smooth tube. The average condensation coefficients of R22 and R410A for the microfin tubes were 1.7{approx}3.19 and 1.7{approx}2.94 times larger than those in smooth tube, respectively. (author). 19 refs., 9 figs., 4 tabs.

Determinants of microfinance outreach in Sub-Saharan Africa: A panel approach

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Abdulai Adams

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Orientation: The study focused on analysing the outreach performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs in providing critical services for the poor using innovative lending techniques within constrained environments. Research purpose: The study examined the trade-off relations between the depth and the breadth of outreach and identified institutional level factors that influence MFIs outreach in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA. Motivation for the study: MFIs continue to play critical roles in extending financial services to the poor and yet previous studies have not analysed comprehensively the dimensions of outreach necessary for financial inclusion. Research design, approach and methods: The study employed correlation analysis and random effects methodology to panel data regression analysis (619 observations, 71 MFIs across 10 countries to establish the trade-off relations and the determinants of outreach in SSA. Main findings: It was established that a trade-off exists between the depth of outreach (access to credit disbursement by poor clients and breadth of outreach (number of clients served. The results further revealed that gross loan portfolio, portfolio at risk, borrower per staff member, interest rate, and operating expenses to assets ratio are the main institutional determinants of MFIs outreach in SSA. Practical/managerial implications: The policy implication is that MFIs that concentrate efforts in reaching the relatively poor do so at the expense of reaching a large number of poor clients. We suggest that effective monitoring of depth and breadth and the adoption and implementation of cost-saving outreach technologies by MFIs could enable them to operate sustainably and efficiently. Contribution/value added: A major contribution of the study is the trade-off relations revealed between the depth of outreach and the breadth of outreach of MFIs which advances the outreach literature.

Types of financial institution and their supply of financial services: the case of microfinance in Europe

OpenAIRE

Sergio Lagoa; Abdul Suleman

2014-01-01

The profit-oriented financial sector has grown in importance and influence, leading some authors to talk about a financialised economy. The question we raise in this paper is what is the role of non-profit oriented financial institutions and public programmes in the microfinance segment. We conclude that in this market there is a large diversity of institutions and non-for profit organisations have a significant role. Our analysis also shows that the diversity of institutional forms is import...

Sustainability of Rural Nonprofit Organizations: Czech Republic and Beyond

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Vladislav Valentinov

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Sustainability of nonprofit organizations is a key concern for today’s nonprofit scholars and practitioners. Building upon the nonprofit economics literature, the present paper introduces the distinction between the demand-side and supply-side determinants of nonprofit sustainability and makes the case for the discrepancy between them. This discrepancy presents not only a generic conceptual explanation of the nonprofit sustainability problems but is also applicable to the context of the European rural nonprofit sector. Three arguments are advanced. First, the notorious implementation problems of LEADER partnerships can be explained as a manifestation of the above discrepancy. Second, and related, the rural context implies the tendency of the supply-side determinants of nonprofit sustainability to undermine the demand-side ones. Third, recent empirical findings from the Czech Republic show that this tendency does not necessarily imply the possibility of a clear classification of the demand-side and supply-side sustainability determinants. Rather, those features of rural areas and communities that significantly affect the size of the local nonprofit sector exhibit a controversial entanglement of demand-side and supply-side identities.

Where do the poorest go to seek outpatient care in Bangladesh: hospitals run by government or microfinance institutions?

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, Yu-hwei; Khan, Mujibul Alam

2015-01-01

Health programs implemented by microfinance institutions (MFIs) aim to benefit the poor, but whether these services reach the poorest remains uncertain. This study intended to investigate the socioeconomic distribution of patients in hospitals operated by microfinance institutions (i.e. MFI hospitals) in Bangladesh and compare the differences with public hospitals to determine if the programs were consistent with their pro-poor mandate. In this cross-sectional study, we used the convenience sampling method to conduct an interviewer-assisted questionnaire survey among 347 female outpatients, with 170 in public hospitals and 177 in MFI hospitals. Independent variables were patient characteristics categorized into predisposing factors (age, education, marital status, family size), enabling factors (microcredit membership, household income) and need factors (self-rated health, perceived needs for care). We employed Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) to evaluate how these factors contributed to MFI hospital use. Use of MFI hospitals was associated with microcredit membership over 5 years (OR=2.9, pmicrocredit members had a higher tendency towards utilization but membership effect pertained to the non- and moderately-poor. Compared with the group who were non-members and the poorest, microcredit members who were non-poor had the highest likelihood (OR=7.46, p<.001) to visit MFI hospitals, followed by members with moderate income (OR=6.91, p<.001) and then non-members in non-poor households (OR=4.48, p<.01). Those who were members but the poorest had a negative association (OR=0.42), though not significant. Despite a higher utilization of preventive services in MFI hospitals, expenditure there was significantly higher. Inequity was more pronounced in MFI hospitals than public ones. MFI hospitals appeared to miss their target population. We suggest that MFIs reorganize health programs toward primary health care to make care equitable and universally accessible. This

Exploring Reasons for the Resistance to Sustainable Management within Non-Profit Organizations

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Claus-Heinrich Daub

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The numerous empirical and conceptual studies that have been conducted over recent years concerning the social responsibility of enterprises and their contributions towards sustainable development have given very little consideration to non-profit organizations (NPOs. This is surprising, because NPOs are confronted with very similar challenges to profit-orientated enterprises regarding their evolution into sustainable organizations. This paper is a preliminary conceptual study and explores the question of why the corporate social responsibility, or corporate sustainability, of NPOs has to date been both neglected by research establishments and also extensively ignored by the NPOs during their day-to-day practical management. The example of church and pastoral institutions in Germany is used to demonstrate the extent to which they take account of ecological and social aspects in their management systems and processes and, thus, implement sustainable management within their day-to-day practice. The paper concludes with some proposals for further empirical and conceptual research projects, which are designed to analyze developments within NPOs with relation to the integration of sustainability into their management systems and processes.

FEATURES OF MICROFINANCING IN RUSSIA

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Ekaterina B. Makarova

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Small business is the basis for the development of the modern economy of Russia. In modern conditions, small enterprises can be credited in various credit institutions, the most significant and popular among which are banks and microfinance organizations. The volume of the microfinance market is many times smaller than the banking one, although the number of registered microfinance organizations exceeds the number of banking credit institutions by more than 3 times. Microfinance institutions are actively developing, although in recent years, due to the economic and political situation, there has been a slowdown in their growth rates. To date, microfinance organizations are becoming a more significant element of the financial infrastructure that supports and stimulates the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, which in turn serves as an effective tool for combating poverty and improving the living standards of the country’s population. Microfinance in the narrow interpretation is understood only as the provision of small monetary loans (loans, and in a broader context, “microfinance” includes, in addition to direct lending, operations to attract savings, payments, insurance, leasing and a number of other financial services. This article is devoted to the specifics of microfinance in Russia. On the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the domestic microfinance system with the systems of a developed and a developing country, namely, the USA and India, the features of providing microfinance services for small and medium businesses, as well as for nonprotected sections of the population, are revealed. The analysis of foreign experience is very important for Russia since the mechanisms of microfinance in this country are only being formed.

Sustainable development induction in organizations: a convergence analysis of ISO standards management tools' parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Merlin, Fabrício Kurman; Pereira, Vera Lúciaduarte do Valle; Pacheco, Waldemar

2012-01-01

Organizations are part of an environment in which they are pressured to meet society's demands and acting in a sustainable way. In an attempt to meet such demands, organizations make use of various management tools, among which, ISO standards are used. Although there are evidences of contributions provided by these standards, it is questionable whether its parameters converge for a possible induction for sustainable development in organizations. This work presents a theoretical study, designed on structuralism world view, descriptive and deductive method, which aims to analyze the convergence of management tools' parameters in ISO standards. In order to support the analysis, a generic framework for possible convergence was developed, based on systems approach, linking five ISO standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 31000 and ISO 26000) with sustainable development and positioning them according to organization levels (strategic, tactical and operational). The structure was designed based on Brundtland report concept. The analysis was performed exploring the generic framework for possible convergence based on Nadler and Tushman model. The results found the standards can contribute to a possible sustainable development induction in organizations, as long as they meet certain minimum conditions related to its strategic alignment.

Consumers’ Motivations Driving Organic Demand: Between Selfinterest and Sustainability

OpenAIRE

Monier-Dilhan, Sylvette; Berges, Fabian

2016-01-01

We study consumers’ motivations for buying organic food by analyzing their shopping baskets. Buying organic can be motivated by concern about sustainable development and/or self-interest (considerations related to health or product quality). Pro-social motivation is inferred from the presence of fair trade products in the consumer's basket; consumer self-interest is deduced from the presence of healthy and higher-quality products bearing special quality labels or certifications. Our results i...

Prediction of evaporation heat transfer coefficient based on gas-liquid two-phase annular flow regime in horizontal microfin tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yueshe; Wang Yanling; Wang, G.-X.; Honda, Hiroshi

2009-01-01

A physical model of gas-liquid two-phase annular flow regime is presented for predicting the enhanced evaporation heat transfer characteristics in horizontal microfin tubes. The model is based on the equivalence of a periodical distortion of the disturbance wave in the substrate layer. Corresponding to the stratified flow model proposed previously by authors, the dimensionless quantity Fr 0 = G/[gd e ρ v (ρ l - ρ v )] 0.5 may be used as a measure for determining the applicability of the present theoretical model, which was used to restrict the transition boundary between the stratified-wavy flow and the annular/intermittent flows. Comparison of the prediction of the circumferential average heat transfer coefficient with available experimental data for four tubes and three refrigerants reveals that a good agreement is obtained or the trend is better than that of the previously developed stratified flow model for Fr 0 > 4.0 as long as the partial dry out of tube does not occur. Obviously, the developed annular model is applicable and reliable for evaporation in horizontal microfin tubes under the case of high heat flux and high mass flux.

Prediction of evaporation heat transfer coefficient based on gas-liquid two-phase annular flow regime in horizontal microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Yueshe, E-mail: wangys@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Yanling, Wang [State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Wang, G -X [Mechanical Engineering Department, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3903 (United States); Honda, Hiroshi [Kyushu University, 337 Kasuya-machi, Kasuya-gun, Kukuoka 811-2307 (Japan)

2009-10-15

A physical model of gas-liquid two-phase annular flow regime is presented for predicting the enhanced evaporation heat transfer characteristics in horizontal microfin tubes. The model is based on the equivalence of a periodical distortion of the disturbance wave in the substrate layer. Corresponding to the stratified flow model proposed previously by authors, the dimensionless quantity Fr{sub 0} = G/[gd{sub e}{rho}{sub v}({rho}{sub l} - {rho}{sub v})]{sup 0.5} may be used as a measure for determining the applicability of the present theoretical model, which was used to restrict the transition boundary between the stratified-wavy flow and the annular/intermittent flows. Comparison of the prediction of the circumferential average heat transfer coefficient with available experimental data for four tubes and three refrigerants reveals that a good agreement is obtained or the trend is better than that of the previously developed stratified flow model for Fr{sub 0} > 4.0 as long as the partial dry out of tube does not occur. Obviously, the developed annular model is applicable and reliable for evaporation in horizontal microfin tubes under the case of high heat flux and high mass flux.

Transnational organizing: Issue professionals in environmental sustainability networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Henriksen, Lasse Folke; Seabrooke, Leonard

2016-09-01

An ongoing question for institutional theory is how organizing occurs transnationally, where institution building occurs in a highly ambiguous environment. This article suggests that at the core of transnational organizing is competition and coordination within professional and organizational networks over who controls issues. Transnational issues are commonly organized through professional battles over how issues are treated and what tasks are involved. These professional struggles are often more important than what organization has a formal mandate over an issue. We highlight how 'issue professionals' operate in two-level professional and organizational networks to control issues. This two-level network provides the context for action in which professionals do their institutional work. The two-level network carries information about professional incentives and also norms about how issues should be treated and governed by organizations. Using network and career sequences methods, we provide a case of transnational organizing through professionals who attempt issue control and network management on transnational environmental sustainability certification. The article questions how transnational organizing happens, and how we can best identify attempts at issue control.

Is product diversification the Ultimate Quid Pro Quo for Gender sensitive Poverty Alleviation? Adverse Social Externalities from Combined Microfinance in Latin America and the Caribbean

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ROSSEL-CAMBIER, Koen

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Documented deficiencies in traditional social transfer mechanisms have led to the emergence of alternative methods for reducing poverty. In many countries, microfinance institutions (MFIs have become popular instruments for redistributive propoor policies. However, they are also criticised for not being inclusive enough. This paper explores if product diversification has an effect on poverty outreach, in particular when combining micro- credit with savings and insurance. It applies cross-sectional analysis of 250 microfinance schemes in Latin America and the Caribbean. By focusing on elements of the depth of poverty outreach, the research highlights a number of possible effects of combined microfinance (CMF. Product diversification can significantly contribute to increased social outreach («breadth» of poverty outreach. However, the findings suggest that, in the case of combining credit with savings, this is leading to a relatively lower participation of poor and female clients («depth» of poverty outreach. Exclusionary and discriminatory vulnerabilities and dynamics, linked to specific financial products, may apply double or even reinforce each other. Cumulative financial, cultural, geographical or communication barriers can make participation in multiple financial products more challenging. These findings have not been adequately tackled by academic literature, but are most relevant for MFI stakeholders and policy makers. If gender-sensitive or pro-poor income generation is at the heart of the mission of MFIs, corrective measures to these forms of adverse externalities should be considered.

Swedish Consumers’ Perception of Food Quality and Sustainability in Relation to Organic Food Production

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Techane Bosona

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Consumers’ demand for locally produced and organic foods has increased in Sweden. This paper presents the results obtained from the analysis of data acquired from 100 consumers in Sweden who participated in an online survey during March to June 2016. The objective was to identify consumers’ demand in relation to organic food and sustainable food production, and to understand how the consumers evaluate food quality and make buying decisions. Qualitative descriptions, descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Chi-square test (with alpha value of p < 0.05 as level of significance, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used for analysis. About 72% of participants have the perception that organic food production method is more sustainable than conventional methods. Female consumers have more positive attitudes than men towards organic food. However, age difference, household size and income level do not significantly influence the consumers’ perception of sustainable food production concepts. Regionality, sustainable methods of production and organic production are the most important parameters to characterize the food as high quality and make buying decisions. On the other hand, product uniformity, appearance, and price were found to be relatively less important parameters. Food buying decisions and food quality were found to be highly related with Pearson’s correlation coefficient of r = 0.99.

Empowerment as a multifaceted concept: : The impact of offering goal setting training to couples in the context of a microfinance intervention for women.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huis, Marloes; Hansen, Nina; Otten, Sabine; Lensink, Bernardus

2016-01-01

Previous research on the impact of offering access to microfinance (micro loan and training) to women provided mixed results with respect to female empowerment. We propose that empowerment is a three-level concept and should be investigated at the personal, relational, and societal level. In the

Condensation heat transfer for refrigerant-oil mixtures in microfin tube condenser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, K N [Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul (Korea); Tae, S J [Sungkyunkwan University Graduate School, Seoul (Korea)

2000-04-01

Condensation heat transfer experiments for R-22 and R-407 C refrigerants mixed with mineral oil and POE oil respectively were performed in straight and U-bend sections of a microfin tube. Experimental parameters were an oil concentration from 0 to 5 %, a mass flux from 100 to 400 kg/m{sup 2}s and an inlet quality from 0.5 to 0.9. The enhancement factors for R-22 and R-407 C refrigerants at the first straight section decreased continuously as the oil concentration increased. They decreased rapidly as the mass maximum at the 90 deg. position. The heat transfer coefficients at the second straight section within the dimensionless length of 48 were larger by a maximum of 33 % than the average heat transfer coefficients at the first straight section. (author). 10 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

Swedish Consumers’ Perception of Food Quality and Sustainability in Relation to Organic Food Production

Science.gov (United States)

Gebresenbet, Girma

2018-01-01

Consumers’ demand for locally produced and organic foods has increased in Sweden. This paper presents the results obtained from the analysis of data acquired from 100 consumers in Sweden who participated in an online survey during March to June 2016. The objective was to identify consumers’ demand in relation to organic food and sustainable food production, and to understand how the consumers evaluate food quality and make buying decisions. Qualitative descriptions, descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Chi-square test (with alpha value of p production method is more sustainable than conventional methods. Female consumers have more positive attitudes than men towards organic food. However, age difference, household size and income level do not significantly influence the consumers’ perception of sustainable food production concepts. Regionality, sustainable methods of production and organic production are the most important parameters to characterize the food as high quality and make buying decisions. On the other hand, product uniformity, appearance, and price were found to be relatively less important parameters. Food buying decisions and food quality were found to be highly related with Pearson’s correlation coefficient of r = 0.99. PMID:29614785

Consumer perceptions on sustainable practices implemented in foodservice organizations in Korea

OpenAIRE

Ju, Seyoung; Chang, Hyeja

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Sustainable practices in foodservice organizations including commercial and noncommercial ones are critical to ensure the protection of the environment for the future. With the rapid growth of the foodservice industry, wiser usage of input sources such as food, utilities, and single use packaging should be reconsidered for future generations. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the customer's perceptions on sustainable practices and to identify the relationship amo...

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING AS AN ELEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION

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Natalia Ivanovna Gorlova

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The article is devoted to the topic of development of corporate volunteering, which is topical for Russian society. The subject of the analysis is corporate volunteering in Russia and its impact on the sustainable development of the organization. Corporate volunteering is seen at the intersection of the interests of the company, employees and the local community. The aim of the research is a theoretical analysis of modern practices of corporate volunteer activity as a factor of sustainable development of the organization. Methodology. Within the framework of the article, using the method of comparison and grouping, we analyzed and studied the materials of the latest international and Russian studies based on expert opinions from business, government, civil society on this phenomenon. Results. The results of the work consist in the fact that the authors grouped and summarized the motivational attitudes of participants in the corporate volunteer movement, presented practical recommendations on the formation of a system for supporting corporate volunteering, and showed the relationship between the organization’s sustainable development and corporate volunteering. Practical implications. The practical significance of the study is that its conclusions and recommendations can be used in the organization of corporate volunteering in Russian companies.

A Review of Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture in Northern India

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S. K. Yadav

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the post independence period, the most important challenge in India has been to produce enough food for the growing population. Hence, high-yielding varieties are being used with infusion of irrigation water, fertilizers, or pesticides. This combination of high-yielding production technology has helped the country develop a food surplus as well as contributing to concerns of soil health, environmental pollution, pesticide toxicity, and sustainability of agricultural production. Scientists and policy planners are, therefore, reassessing agricultural practices which relied more on biological inputs rather than heavy usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Organic farming can provide quality food without adversely affecting the soil’s health and the environment; however, a concern is whether large-scale organic farming will produce enough food for India’s large population. Certified organic products including all varieties of food products including basmati rice, pulses, honey, tea, spices, coffee, oilseeds, fruits, cereals, herbal medicines, and their value-added products are produced in India. Non edible organic products include cotton, garments, cosmetics, functional food products, body care products, and similar products. The production of these organic crops and products is reviewed with regard to sustainable agriculture in northern India.

Greener and Sustainable Trends in Synthesis of Organics and Nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Trends in greener and sustainable process development during the past 25 years are abridged involving the use of alternate energy inputs (mechanochemistry, ultrasound- or microwave irradiation), photochemistry, and greener reaction media as applied to synthesis of organics and na...

Vijana Vijiweni II: a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of a microfinance and peer health leadership intervention for HIV and intimate partner violence prevention among social networks of young men in Dar es Salaam.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajula, Lusajo; Balvanz, Peter; Kilonzo, Mrema Noel; Mwikoko, Gema; Yamanis, Thespina; Mulawa, Marta; Kajuna, Deus; Hill, Lauren; Conserve, Donaldson; Reyes, Heathe Luz McNaughton; Leatherman, Sheila; Singh, Basant; Maman, Suzanne

2016-02-03

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, remain important public health problems with devastating health effects for men and women in sub-Saharan Africa. There have been calls to engage men in prevention efforts, however, we lack effective approaches to reach and engage them. Social network approaches have demonstrated effective and sustained outcomes on changing risk behaviors in the U.S. Our team has identified and engaged naturally occurring social networks comprised mostly of young men in Dar es Salaam in an intervention designed to jointly reduce STI incidence and the perpetration of IPV. These stable networks are locally referred to as "camps." In a pilot study we demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of a combined microfinance and peer health leadership intervention within these camp-based peer networks. We are implementing a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention combining microfinance with health leadership training in 60 camps in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Half of the camps have been randomized to the intervention arm, and half to a control arm. The camps in the intervention arm will receive a combined microfinance and health leadership intervention for a period of two years. The camps in the control arm will receive a delayed intervention. We have enrolled 1,258 men across the 60 study camps. Behavioral surveys will be conducted at baseline, 12-months post intervention launch and 30-month post intervention launch and biological samples will be drawn to test for Neisseria gonorrhea (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) at baseline and 30-months. The primary endpoints for assessing intervention impact are IPV perpetration and STI incidence. This is the first cluster-randomized trial targeting social networks of men in sub-Saharan Africa that jointly addresses HIV and IPV perpetration and has both biological and behavioral endpoints. Effective

Fundamentals for Organization of Sustainable Forest Use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. A. Sokolov

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In order to organize sustainable forest use in Russia, suggestions and recommendations have been developed on the basis of the up-to-day paradigm of nature management and stability of progress. It is proposed to revise the method of calculating annual allowable cuts by introduction of «economical allowable cut» concept. The methods of ecological and economical accessibility of forest resources have been devised. The certain paths of reconstructing and developing forest inventory as well as direction for future research have been proposed.

R1234yf vs. R134a Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Inside a 3.4 mm ID Microfin Tube

Science.gov (United States)

Diani, A.; Mancin, S.; Rossetto, L.

2014-11-01

The refrigerant charge minimization as well as the use of eco-friendly fluids can be considered two of the most important targets for these applications to cope with the new environmental challenges. This paper compares the R1234yf and R134a flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop measurements inside a small microfin tube with internal diameter at the fin tip of 3.4 mm. This study is carried out in an experimental facility built at the Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale of the University of Padova especially designed to study both single and two phase heat transfer processes. The microfin tube is brazed inside a copper plate and electrically heated from the bottom. Several T -type thermocouples are inserted in the wall to measure the temperature distribution during the phase change process. In particular, the experimental measurements were carried out at constant saturation temperature of 30 °C, by varying the refrigerant mass velocity between 190 kg m-2 s-1 and 940 kg m-2 s-1, the vapour quality from 0.2 to 0.99, at different imposed heat fluxes. The two refrigerants are compared considering the values of the two-phase heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop.

R1234yf vs. R134a Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Inside a 3.4 mm ID Microfin Tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diani, A; Mancin, S; Rossetto, L

2014-01-01

The refrigerant charge minimization as well as the use of eco-friendly fluids can be considered two of the most important targets for these applications to cope with the new environmental challenges. This paper compares the R1234yf and R134a flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop measurements inside a small microfin tube with internal diameter at the fin tip of 3.4 mm. This study is carried out in an experimental facility built at the Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale of the University of Padova especially designed to study both single and two phase heat transfer processes. The microfin tube is brazed inside a copper plate and electrically heated from the bottom. Several T -type thermocouples are inserted in the wall to measure the temperature distribution during the phase change process. In particular, the experimental measurements were carried out at constant saturation temperature of 30 °C, by varying the refrigerant mass velocity between 190 kg m −2 s −1 and 940 kg m −2 s −1 , the vapour quality from 0.2 to 0.99, at different imposed heat fluxes. The two refrigerants are compared considering the values of the two-phase heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop

R1234yf vs. R134a Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Inside a 3.4 mm ID Microfin Tube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diani, A; Mancin, S; Rossetto, L [Università di Padova, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Via Venezia 1, 35131 – Padova (Italy)

2014-11-19

The refrigerant charge minimization as well as the use of eco-friendly fluids can be considered two of the most important targets for these applications to cope with the new environmental challenges. This paper compares the R1234yf and R134a flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop measurements inside a small microfin tube with internal diameter at the fin tip of 3.4 mm. This study is carried out in an experimental facility built at the Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale of the University of Padova especially designed to study both single and two phase heat transfer processes. The microfin tube is brazed inside a copper plate and electrically heated from the bottom. Several T -type thermocouples are inserted in the wall to measure the temperature distribution during the phase change process. In particular, the experimental measurements were carried out at constant saturation temperature of 30 °C, by varying the refrigerant mass velocity between 190 kg m{sup −2} s{sup −1} and 940 kg m{sup −2} s{sup −1}, the vapour quality from 0.2 to 0.99, at different imposed heat fluxes. The two refrigerants are compared considering the values of the two-phase heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop.

Greener and Sustainable Trends in Synthesis of Organics and ...

Science.gov (United States)

Trends in greener and sustainable process development during the past 25 years are abridged involving the use of alternate energy inputs (mechanochemistry, ultrasound- or microwave irradiation), photochemistry, and greener reaction media as applied to synthesis of organics and nanomaterials. In the organic synthesis arena, examples comprise assembly of heterocyclic compounds, coupling and a variety of other name reactions catalyzed by basic water or recyclable magnetic nanocatalysts. Generation of nanoparticles benefits from the biomimetic approaches where vitamins, sugars, and plant polyphenols, including agricultural waste residues, can serve as reducing and capping agents. Metal nanocatalysts (Pd, Au, Ag, Ni, Ru, Ce, Cu, etc.) immobilized on biodegradable supports such as cellulose and chitosan, or on recyclable magnetic ferrites via ligands, namely dopamine or glutathione, are receiving special attention. These strategic approaches attempt to address most of the Green Chemistry Principles while producing functional chemicals with utmost level of waste minimization. Feature article for celebration of 25 years of Green Chemistry on invitation from American Chemical Society (ACS) journal, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

Flow boiling heat transfer of R134a and R404A in a microfin tube at low mass fluxes and low heat fluxes

Science.gov (United States)

Spindler, Klaus; Müller-Steinhagen, Hans

2009-05-01

An experimental investigation of flow boiling heat transfer in a commercially available microfin tube with 9.52 mm outer diameter has been carried out. The microfin tube is made of copper with a total fin number of 55 and a helix angle of 15°. The fin height is 0.24 mm and the inner tube diameter at fin root is 8.95 mm. The test tube is 1 m long and is electrically heated. The experiments have been performed at saturation temperatures between 0 and -20°C. The mass flux was varied between 25 and 150 kg/m2s, the heat flux from 15,000 W/m2 down to 1,000 W/m2. All measurements have been performed at constant inlet vapour quality ranging from 0.1 to 0.7. The measured heat transfer coefficients range from 1,300 to 15,700 W/m2K for R134a and from 912 to 11,451 W/m2K for R404A. The mean heat transfer coefficient of R134a is in average 1.5 times higher than for R404A. The mean heat transfer coefficient has been compared with the correlations by Koyama et al. and by Kandlikar. The deviations are within ±30% and ±15%, respectively. The influence of the mass flux on the heat transfer is most significant between 25 and 62.5 kg/m2s, where the flow pattern changes from stratified wavy flow to almost annular flow. This flow pattern transition is shifted to lower mass fluxes for the microfin tube compared to the smooth tube.

Evaporating heat transfer characteristics of R22 and R410A in 9.52 mm O.D. smooth and microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, M H; Shin, J S; Lim, B H [Sam Sung Electronics Corporation Limited (Korea, Republic of)

1998-10-01

An experimental investigation of evaporating heat transfer in 9.52 mm horizontal copper tubes was conducted. The refrigerant tested were R22 and near-azeotropic mixture, R410A. The test rig had a straight, horizontal test section with an active length of 0.92 m and was heated by the heat transfer fluid(hot water) circulated in a surrounding annulus. Constant heat flux of 11.0 kW/m{sup 2} was maintained and refrigerant quality varied from 0.2 to 0.8. The results were reported for evaporation at 15 deg. C in a 0.92 m long test section for 30{approx}60 kg/h mass flow rate. The local and average heat transfer coefficients for seven microfin tubes were presented compared to those for a smooth tube. The average evaporation heat transfer coefficients of R22 and R410A for the microfin tubes were 86{approx}227% and 64{approx}199%, respectively, higher than those for the smooth tube. When compared to R22 at the same test conditions, the evaporating heat transfer coefficients for R410A were 97{approx}129% of R22. (author). 23 refs., 9 figs., 4 tabs.

A combined microfinance and training intervention can reduce HIV risk behaviour in young female participants.

Science.gov (United States)

Pronyk, Paul M; Kim, Julia C; Abramsky, Tanya; Phetla, Godfrey; Hargreaves, James R; Morison, Linda A; Watts, Charlotte; Busza, Joanna; Porter, John Dh

2008-08-20

To assess effects of a combined microfinance and training intervention on HIV risk behavior among young female participants in rural South Africa. : Secondary analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from a cluster randomized trial, the Intervention with Microfinance for AIDS and Gender Equity study. Eight villages were pair-matched and randomly allocated to receive the intervention. At baseline and after 2 years, HIV risk behavior was assessed among female participants aged 14-35 years. Their responses were compared with women of the same age and poverty group from control villages. Intervention effects were calculated using adjusted risk ratios employing village level summaries. Qualitative data collected during the study explored participants' responses to the intervention including HIV risk behavior. After 2 years of follow-up, when compared with controls, young participants had higher levels of HIV-related communication (adjusted risk ratio 1.46, 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.12), were more likely to have accessed voluntary counseling and testing (adjusted risk ratio 1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.06-2.56), and less likely to have had unprotected sex at last intercourse with a nonspousal partner (adjusted risk ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.60-0.96). Qualitative data suggest a greater acceptance of intrahousehold communication about HIV and sexuality. Although women noted challenges associated with acceptance of condoms by men, increased confidence and skills associated with participation in the intervention supported their introduction in sexual relationships. In addition to impacts on economic well being, women's empowerment and intimate partner violence, interventions addressing the economic and social vulnerability of women may contribute to reductions in HIV risk behavior.

Adopting Sustainability in the Organization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frandsen, Sanne; Morsing, Mette; Vallentin, Steen

2013-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between sustainability adoption and internal legitimacy construction. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is designed as a critical inquiry into existing research and practice on sustainability adoption, illustrated by two...... corporate vignettes. Findings – Prior studies tend to assume that awareness raising is a sufficient means to create employee commitment and support for corporate sustainability programs, while empirical observations indicate that managerial disregard of conflicting interpretations of sustainability may...... result in the illegitimacy of such programs. Originality/value – The authors suggest that a loosely coupled approach to sustainability adoption is a productive way to understand internal legitimacy construction, as it appreciates complexity and polyphony....

Transportation of Organs by Air: Safety, Quality, and Sustainability Criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Mantecchini, L; Paganelli, F; Morabito, V; Ricci, A; Peritore, D; Trapani, S; Montemurro, A; Rizzo, A; Del Sordo, E; Gaeta, A; Rizzato, L; Nanni Costa, A

2016-03-01

The outcomes of organ transplantation activities are greatly affected by the ability to haul organs and medical teams quickly and safely. Organ allocation and usage criteria have greatly improved over time, whereas the same result has not been achieved so far from the transport point of view. Safety and the highest level of service and efficiency must be reached to grant transplant recipients the healthiest outcome. The Italian National Transplant Centre (CNT), in partnership with the regions and the University of Bologna, has promoted a thorough analysis of all stages of organ transportation logistics chains to produce homogeneous and shared guidelines throughout the national territory, capable of ensuring safety, reliability, and sustainability at the highest levels. The mapping of all 44 transplant centers and the pertaining airport network has been implemented. An analysis of technical requirements among organ shipping agents at both national and international level has been promoted. A national campaign of real-time monitoring of organ transport activities at all stages of the supply chain has been implemented. Parameters investigated have been hospital and region of both origin and destination, number and type of organs involved, transport type (with or without medical team), stations of arrival and departure, and shipping agents, as well as actual times of activities involved. National guidelines have been issued to select organ storage units and shipping agents on the basis of evaluation of efficiency, reliability, and equipment with reference to organ type and ischemia time. Guidelines provide EU-level standards on technical equipment of aircrafts, professional requirements of shipping agencies and cabin crew, and requirements on service provision, including pricing criteria. The introduction in the Italian legislation of guidelines issuing minimum requirements on topics such as the medical team, packaging, labeling, safety and integrity, identification

The Bi-Modal Organization: Balancing Autopoiesis and Fluid Social Networks for Sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Peter A. C.; Sharicz, Carol Ann

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assist an organization to restructure as a bi-modal organization in order to achieve sustainability in today's highly complex business world. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is conceptual and is based on relevant literature and the authors' research and practice. Findings: Although fluid…

Evaluation of sustainability of organic, integrated and conventional farming systems: a farm and field-scale analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pacini, G.C.; Wossink, G.A.A.; Vazzana, C.; Huirne, R.B.M.

2003-01-01

Agricultural researchers widely recognise the importance of sustainable agricultural production systems and the need to develop appropriate methods to measure sustainability. The principal purpose of this paper is to evaluate the financial and environmental aspects of sustainability of organic,

Commercial plant-probiotic microorganisms for sustainable organic tomato production systems

OpenAIRE

Bosco, Marco; Giovannetti, Giusto; Picard, Christine; Baruffa, Elisa; Brondolo, Anna; Sabbioni, Fabio

2007-01-01

Selected plant-probiotic microorganisms, produced by the company CCS Aosta at a commercial scale, are being tested in the Italian Padana plain in open field conditions for their ability to provide adequate crop nutrition and to ensure durable soil fertility for organic tomato production. In this three-years-long project the QLIF-WP333 research team will investigate the potential of soil probiotics management as a tool to improve the quality of tomato fruits and the sustainability of organic t...

Trends in Organic Farming Development in Bulgaria: Applying Circular Economy Principles to Sustainable Rural Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dimitrov Dimitar K.

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The paper examines the development of organic farming in Bulgaria through the viewpoint of its links to circular economy concept and its potential to contribute to sustainable rural development. The significant increase in the number of organic operators and areas is analyzed in the context of stable growth in the European sector and worldwide and the increase in consumer demand. Main indicators reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Bulgaria and the support provided by the National Rural Development Program are used to present the characteristics of organic production and agricultural holdings. The advantages of Bulgaria are underlined as a country offering the necessary conditions, along with the main problems in production and marketing. Recommendations are provided for organic sector encouragement as a sustainable business model and an entrepreneurial initiative for sustainable rural development putting a special accent on networking and capacity building activities in connection to potential solutions and policy development.

New Correlation Methods of Evaporation Heat Transfer in Horizontal Microfine Tubes

Science.gov (United States)

Makishi, Osamu; Honda, Hiroshi

A stratified flow model and an annular flow model of evaporation heat transfer in horizontal microfin tubes have been proposed. In the stratified flow model, the contributions of thin film evaporation and nucleate boiling in the groove above a stratified liquid were predicted by a previously reported numerical analysis and a newly developed correlation, respectively. The contributions of nucleate boiling and forced convection in the stratified liquid region were predicted by the new correlation and the Carnavos equation, respectively. In the annular flow model, the contributions of nucleate boiling and forced convection were predicted by the new correlation and the Carnavos equation in which the equivalent Reynolds number was introduced, respectively. A flow pattern transition criterion proposed by Kattan et al. was incorporated to predict the circumferential average heat transfer coefficient in the intermediate region by use of the two models. The predictions of the heat transfer coefficient compared well with available experimental data for ten tubes and four refrigerants.

Sustainability of Open-Source Software Organizations as Underpinning for Sustainable Interoperability on Large Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Fulker, D. W.; Gallagher, J. H. R.

2015-12-01

OPeNDAP's Hyrax data server is an open-source framework fostering interoperability via easily-deployed Web services. Compatible with solutions listed in the (PA001) session description—federation, rigid standards and brokering/mediation—the framework can support tight or loose coupling, even with dependence on community-contributed software. Hyrax is a Web-services framework with a middleware-like design and a handler-style architecture that together reduce the interoperability challenge (for N datatypes and M user contexts) to an O(N+M) problem, similar to brokering. Combined with an open-source ethos, this reduction makes Hyrax a community tool for gaining interoperability. E.g., in its response to the Big Earth Data Initiative (BEDI), NASA references OPeNDAP-based interoperability. Assuming its suitability, the question becomes: how sustainable is OPeNDAP, a small not-for-profit that produces open-source software, i.e., has no software-sales? In other words, if geoscience interoperability depends on OPeNDAP and similar organizations, are those entities in turn sustainable? Jim Collins (in Good to Great) highlights three questions that successful companies can answer (paraphrased here): What is your passion? Where is your world-class excellence? What drives your economic engine? We attempt to shed light on OPeNDAP sustainability by examining these. Passion: OPeNDAP has a focused passion for improving the effectiveness of scientific data sharing and use, as deeply-cooperative community endeavors. Excellence: OPeNDAP has few peers in remote, scientific data access. Skills include computer science with experience in data science, (operational, secure) Web services, and software design (for servers and clients, where the latter vary from Web pages to standalone apps and end-user programs). Economic Engine: OPeNDAP is an engineering services organization more than a product company, despite software being key to OPeNDAP's reputation. In essence, provision of

Creating sustainability : the social construction of the market for organic products

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Miele, M.

2001-01-01

Creating Sustainability: The Social Construction of the Market for Organic Products

Chapter N. 1: Reflections on globalisation

This chapter starts with some reflection on the concept of globalisation and reviews the literature

CSR and Sustainability Report for Nonprofit Organizations. An Italian Best Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrizia GAZZOLA

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyze the sustainability report for the communication of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR in a nonprofit organization. To this aim, an Italian case study is analyzed: the Fondazione Renato Piatti Onlus, a nonprofit organization of Social Utility. In the first part, we analyze the CSR for nonprofit organizations and the sustainability report (also called ‘social balance’. In the second part, we present evidence from the case study. The research is exploratory in nature when considering the connection of corporate social responsibility efforts to the nonprofit sector, a qualitative methodology was chosen over quantitative methods. Specifically, the case study was used to show what strategy a nonprofit organization can develop. Nowadays CSR strategies received a growing attention from both businesses and nonprofit organizations but also from the EU which forced large public-interest entities to present a social balance. For nonprofit organizations, applying social responsibility is not a voluntary issue. Nonprofit organizations have an ethical obligation to their stakeholder and to the public to conduct their activities with accountability and transparency. Scholars have increasingly been studying the impact of corporate social responsibility as a business strategy in for-profit companies. However, there is still lack of researches on how nonprofit organizations implement CSR into the strategy. As a consequence of the above remarks, a large part of nonprofit organizations fails to correctly implement a successful long term CSR strategy. The Fondazione Renato Piatti Onlus belongs to that group that has been able to incorporate social responsibility within the organization, then expanding its content into a social report drawn up in accordance with the guidelines of the Italian Agency for the Third Sector.

Organic and Low-Input Dairy Farming: Avenues to Enhance Sustainability and Competitiveness in the EU

OpenAIRE

Scollan, Nigel; Padel, Susanne; Halberg, Niels; Hermansen, J.E.; Nicholas, Pip; Rinne, Marketta; Zanoli, Raffaele; Zollitsch, Werner; Lauwers, Ludwig

2017-01-01

Whether farming strategies built on continuing input intensification or relying on integrated natural resource management are more sustainable and competitive is at the core of the agricultural development debate. The five-year (2011–16) Sustainable Organic and Low Input Dairying (SOLID) project, funded by the European Commission, involved 25 partners across 10 European countries and was designed to support innovation in European organic and low-input dairy farming. Results show that such sys...

Investigation on the heat transfer characteristics during flow boiling of liquefied natural gas in a vertical micro-fin tube

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Bin; Shi, Yumei; Chen, Dongsheng

2014-03-01

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the heat transfer characteristics of liquefied natural gas flow boiling in a vertical micro-fin tube. The effect of heat flux, mass flux and inlet pressure on the flow boiling heat transfer coefficients was analyzed. The Kim, Koyama, and two kinds of Wellsandt correlations with different Ftp coefficients were used to predict the flow boiling heat transfer coefficients. The predicted results showed that the Koyama correlation was the most accurate over the range of experimental conditions.

Sustainable valorisation of organic urban wastes : insights from African case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scheinberg, A.; Agathos, N.; Gachugi, J.W.; Kirai, P.; Alumasa, V.; Shah, B.; Woods, M.; Waarts, Y.R.

2011-01-01

Understanding the problems and potentials of the organic waste stream is perhaps the single most important step that city authorities in Africa could take in moving towards sustainable, affordable, effective and efficient waste management. This publication presents four examples of recent attempts

STRATEGIES FOR ORGANIZING JOBS IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIZATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

OPREA MIHAELA CIOPI

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In the production process, the objectives of sustainable development are: the protecting human health and the environment, the technological restructuring and maintaining the risks under control, waste management, reducing losses. On this line, an important role have the strategies of management that aimed at better organizing of jobs, for assuring labor safety and ergonomics conditions, indicating priorities, understanding the performance indicators, better visibility of workflow and support, using the standards and increasing the visual control, providing feedback. To achieve these objectives can be successfully implemented a number of strategies such as: Kaizen, 5S and Maintenance autonomous, which will be developed in this paper

Trichloroethylene (TCE) adsorption using sustainable organic mulch

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei Zongsu [Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toledo, Mail Stop 307, 3031 Nitschke Hall, 2801 W. Bancroft St., Toledo, OH, 43606-3390 (United States); Seo, Youngwoo, E-mail: youngwoo.seo@utoledo.edu [Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toledo, Mail Stop 307, 3031 Nitschke Hall, 2801 W. Bancroft St., Toledo, OH, 43606-3390 (United States)

2010-09-15

Soluble substrates (electron donors) have been commonly injected into chlorinated solvent contaminated plume to stimulate reductive dechlorination. Recently, different types of organic mulches with economic advantages and sustainable benefits have received much attention as new supporting materials that can provide long term sources of electron donors for chlorinated solvent bioremediation in engineered biowall systems. However, sorption capacities of organic mulches for chlorinated solvents have not been studied yet. In this study, the physiochemical properties of organic mulches (pine, hardwood and cypress mulches) were measured and their adsorption capacity as a potential media was elucidated. Single, binary and quaternary isotherm tests were conducted with trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trans-dichloroethylene (trans-DCE) and cis-dichloroethylene (cis-DCE). Among the three tested mulches, pine mulch showed the highest sorption capacity for the majority of the tested chemicals in single isotherm test. In binary or quaternary isotherm tests, competition among chemicals appears to diminish the differences in Q{sub e} for tested mulches. However, pine mulch also showed higher adsorption capacity for most chemicals when compared to hardwood and cypress mulches in the two isotherm tests. Based upon physicochemical properties of the three mulches, higher sorption capacity of pine mulch over hardwood and cypress mulches appears to be attributed to a higher organic carbon content and the lower polarity.

Eco-organic tourism as an element of the sustainable development of territories

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanov, D. V.; Ziganshin, I. I.

2018-01-01

Organic agricultural production is an ecologically oriented alternative to traditional agriculture and is aimed at ensuring food and environmental safety of the population and territories. The development of ecological tourism on the basis of organic production farms is considered as a promising direction in the development of regional programs for the sustainable development of territories. Studies have shown that, farms engaged in the production of organic products in the Republic of Tatarstan have a significant potential for the development of eco-organic tourism using elements of the nature protection structure.

Sustaining Participatory Design in the organization - Infrastructuring with Participatory Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bolmsten, Johan

Modern organizations need to be able to change to seize opportunities and meet challenges, which are ever more rapidly presenting themselves. In doing so, they need to make use of the creativity and innovations of their employees. At the same time Information Technology applications today...... are likely to take the form of complex, integrated infrastructures, supporting collaboration within and across organizations. This places requirements on the development of IT infrastructures. As the work practices within an organization change, the supporting infrastructure also needs to evolve. This Ph......D thesis is about sustaining Participatory Design in the organization to enable users to influence the development of the IT infrastructure that supports their work practices. The empirical research is based on a long-term action research study, where this researcher works as an embedded researcher...

A Case Study in Organizing for Livable and Sustainable Communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerry Marx

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Citizens in the U.S. are making organized efforts to demand a new approach to planning urban communities, one that results in more sustainable and livable communities. The profession of social work in the U.S. once had a primary role in organizing urban residents to advocate for healthier environments in their neighborhoods. Yet, recent research documents the diminishing emphasis on community organization as an intervention method in social work. This paper offers a descriptive case study of a successful community organizing effort to promote a more livable city in Portland, Maine (USA. Data was collected by the authors using in-depth personal interviews; archival records (census data, architect models; documents (e-mails, newspaper clippings as well as direct observation of the impacted community and development site. Implications for social work practitioners and educators involved in community organization promoting healthy communities are presented.

Relationship Between Employee Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention in Microfinance Banks in Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saghir Ahmed

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This study is conducted to analyse the factors, which significantly affect employee job satisfaction in Microfinance Banks of Pakistan. Furthermore, the impact of employee job satisfaction is evaluated on employee turnover intentions. Reward system and training opportunities are taken as independent variables. Primary data is used for this research, which was collected through questionnaire and the reliability of instrument is checked using Cronbach’s alpha. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS is used to process the collected data. Descriptive statistics are determined and correlation among variables is also calculated. OLS method is applied to find out the impact of independent variables and the results show that there is a significant positive correlation among training, reward system and employee job satisfaction, while a negative relationship is found between employee job satisfaction and employee turnover intention.

Shaded Coffee: A way to Increase Sustainability in Brazilian Organic Coffee plantations

OpenAIRE

Moreira, Cassio Franco; De Nadai Fernandes, Elisabete A.; Tagliaferro, Fábio Sileno

2008-01-01

Consumption of specialty coffee, mainly organic coffee, increases worldwide following the tendency of consuming social and ecological sustainable products. Brazil is the world largest coffee producer, with an average of 2,300,000 tons of green coffee in the last 5 years. Cultivation of organic coffee and shaded coffee are common in Central America, while in Brazil both conventional and organic coffee are cultivated in the full sun system. The full sun system is criticized due to the lack of b...

Through Islamic Banks’ Zakat House (IBZH: Investment of Zakah Funds in Microfinance to Remove Poverty in Bangladesh: A New Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahm Ershad UDDIN

2016-04-01

Full Text Available AbstractOne of Zakat’s main objectives is to help eliminate poverty and famine. And in Shari’ah, the obligation of zakat payment is elaborated which if not maintained holds severe consequences. Zakat has its unique features of supporting the poor in providing a collateral free financial stability. The main socioeconomic factors in all the developing Muslim countries are poverty, unemployment and economic inequality which results in not meeting the basic needs of the poor. In a country like Bangladesh consisting of Muslim Majority, although governmental and non-governmental institutions collect and distribute zakat yet the ultimate goal of zakat is not attained completely. At present, modern Islamic jurists reinforce the notion of microfinance investment through the collection and usage of zakat money. This paper consists of a static ground for the poverty removal creating a financial institution which is equally responsible as those present in Bangladesh but with a different route in eliminating poverty where schemes can be initiated along with opening opportunities of employment. Finally, it also surfaces the model in investment of zakat fund through IBZH with opinions of Islamic jurists. This Islamic Banks Zakah House (IBZH is an amalgamated forum of the present eight established private Islamic banks of Bangladesh  Keywords: Islamic Banks’ Zakat House (IBZH, Microfinance, Bangladesh.

Reinventing Strategic Philanthropy: the sustainable organization of voluntary action for impact

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L.C.P.M. Meijs (Lucas)

2010-01-01

textabstractPhilanthropic organizations have recently started to focus on how to invest their resources in a way that will really make a difference to society. Strategic philanthropy is the new concept for voluntary action for the public good to create a valuable sustainable impact! This inaugural

Sustaining without Changing: The Metabolic Rift of Certified Organic Farming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julius Alexander McGee

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Many proponents of organic farming claim that it is a sustainable alternative to conventional agriculture due to its reliance on natural agro-inputs, such as manure based fertilizers and organic pesticides. However, in this analysis we argue that although particular organic farming practices clearly benefit ecosystems and human consumers, the social context in which some organic farms develop, limit the potential environmental benefits of organic agriculture. Specifically, we argue that certified organic farming’s increased reliance on agro-inputs, such as organic fertilizers and pesticides, reduces its ability to decrease global water pollution. We review recent research that demonstrates the environmental consequences of specific organic practices, as well as literature showing that global organic farming is increasing its reliance on agro-inputs, and contend that organic farming has its own metabolic rift with natural water systems similar to conventional agriculture. We use a fixed-effects panel regression model to explore how recent rises in certified organic farmland correlate to water pollution (measured as biochemical oxygen demand. Our findings indicate that increases in the proportion of organic farmland over time increases water pollution. We conclude that this may be a result of organic farms increasing their reliance on non-farm agro-inputs, such as fertilizers.

Condensation of refrigerants in horizontal microfin tubes. Numerical analysis of heat transfer for annular flow regime; Reibai no microfin tsuki suihei kannai gyoshuku. Kanjoryu ryoiki ni okeru netsudentatsu no suchi kaiseki

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nozu, S [Okayama Prefectural University, Okayama (Japan); Honda, H [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Institute of Advanced Material Study

1998-07-25

A method for predicting the local heat transfer coefficient is presented for film condensation of vapor in a spirally grooved horizontal microfin-tube. Based on the flow observation study performed by the present authors, film flow model between fins in the annular flow regime is proposed. For the fin surface, laminar condensate film controlled by the combined effects of vapor shear and surface tension forces is analyzed. While, in the groove, thick condensate film driven by the vapor shear force is taken into consideration. A parameter which accounts for the transition from annular- to stratified flow regimes is also derived. The present and previous local heat transfer data for fluorocarbon refrigerants in the annular flow regime are found by the present numerical analysis to have a mean absolute deviation of 15.1 percent. 12 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs.

Sustainability evaluation of automatic and conventional milking systems on organic dairy farms in Denmark

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oudshoorn, F.W.; Kristensen, T.; Zijpp, van der A.J.; Boer, de I.J.M.

2012-01-01

Organic dairy farmers in Denmark currently are implementing automatic milking systems (AMS) to save labour costs. As organic agriculture aims at sustainable production, the introduction of a new technology such as AMS should be evaluated regarding its economic viability, environmental impact, and

The Revitalization of Women’s Entrepreneurship Spirit In Micro Enterprises With Islamic Microfinance Institution (IMI (Study on The Contribution of BMTs Agam Madani in Agam sub-province, West Sumatra

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Hesi Eka Puteri

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Objective - The objective of this paper is to give an overview of the contribution of Islamic Microfinance Institutions (IMI in the process of empowerment of women microenterprises, and recommended a related policy.Method – This study is a field research in 2012, which focused in BMTs Agam Madani at Agam district. The data is sourced from the observation, documentation and questionnaires from 60 women micro-entrepreneurs samples who receive working capital financing. This paper uses simple regression model in order to observe relationship between working capital and the increasing of revenue. This model is to measure the amount of the multiplier effect in working capital-to increasing of revenue.Result – This paper found that IMI is a good model to develop society more prosperous by developing BMTs in each district. These BMT has thousands of micro enterprises member and could revitalized the spirit of entrepreneurship of minangkabau’s women. A research to 60 women’s micro entrepreneur samples showed the positive significant influence between lending to revenue. A multiplier effect equal to 0.068.The small number of multiplier effect implied that many factors determining their revenue, not lending only.Conclusion – This finding could explain that IMI could empower micro entrepreneur woman. This finding also recommend few strategies: 1 Revitalization of BMTs as micro catalyst by revitalization of structure of organization, products variation, human resource compentence, sharia monitoring, public cooperation and implementating local cultural value 2 Revitalization of government role as fasilitator, coordinator, initiator and mediator in developing micro sector. Keywords : Women’s Entrepreneurship, Micro Enterprises, Islamic Microfinance Institution, BMTs Agam Madani 

Sustainable Logistics: A Literature Review and Exploratory Study of Irish Based Manufacturing Organizations

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P.J. Byrne

2013-07-01

Full Text Available There is growing evidence that the influence of environmental performance as a decision criteria in the consumption of products/ services for consumers is growing. It’s in the logistic operations where most organizations can implement green supply chain strategies. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review charting the evolution of logistics operations as it increasingly includes modern environmental concerns. Building on this the paper also presents the results of an exploratory face to face survey that was conducted to analyse attitudes to, knowledge of and preparedness among sellers but more extensively buyers of logistics services to implement sustainable logistics in Ireland. The paper shows that there is a varying degree of willingness among logistic buying organizations to implement practices to address the environmental impact of their activities. The results show that although the majority of these organizations are willing to some extent, this is not universal, with a significant proportion of organizations believing that there are hidden costs and risks associated with the implementation of sustainable logistics.

Mikrofinancování v Peru

OpenAIRE

Nedorostová, Petra

2016-01-01

The main task of this bachelor's thesis is to approach and describe the draft of microfinance and microfinancial institutions including its composition. The first part introduce microfinance theory, general principles and history. The next part is focused on specific application microfinance in Peru and description of concrete organizations that work here. Conclusion will be valorization efficiency existence of microfinancial institutions and they have influence to improvement life situation ...

Green microfinance: the case of the Cresol System in Southern Brazil

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Lauro Gonzalez

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Climate change which until recently seemed a luxury for the microfinance sector, now appears to be crucial for the future of the sector. Due to their low adaptive capacity, the millions of MF clients worldwide happen to be the most vulnerable to a changing climate. Adapting previous analysis conducted in Nepal and Bangladesh by Agrawala and Maëlis (2010 to the Brazilian context, in this inductive qualitative study we aim to assess potential synergies between MF and CC actions and what strategies can be harnessed to better respond to CC vulnerabilities at client/MF level. To do so, we investigated the case of the second largest rural microcredit programme in Brazil, Sistema Cresol de Cooperativas de Crédito Rural com Interação Solidária. Albeit important overlaps between Cresol's product envelope and CC strategies exist, there is still room to realise synergies to both mitigate a new potential source of risk to Cresol's portfolio and to increase clients' adaptive capacity.

Transition towards sustainable consumption and production? The case of organic food in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard

2010-01-01

The chapter discusses the mechanisms in the shaping of organic food as strategy in the Danish food sector since the 1980’ies as a contribution to the discussion of strategies for the development of a more sustainable production and consumption of food. The background of the chapter is the major...... achievements in Denmark within organic food since the 1980’ies, but also the recent years’ reduction in organic agricultural area....

Local heat transfer coefficients during boiling of R22 and R407C in horizontal smooth and microfin tubes; Coefficients d'echange locaux au cours de l'ebullition du R22 et du R407C dans des tubes horizontaux, lisse ou micro-ailete

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lallemand, M; Branescu, C; Haberschill, P [Centre de Thermique, INSA-CNRS, UMR 5008, Villeurbanne (France)

2001-07-01

The purpose of this study is to experimentally investigate forced convective boiling. The heat transfer coefficients of pure refrigerant R22 and non azeotropic refrigerant mixture R407C were measured in both a smooth tube and a microfin tube. The tests have been carried out with a uniform heat flux all along the tube length. The refrigerant mass flux was varied from 100 to 300 kg m{sup -2} s{sup -1} and heat fluxes from 10 to 30 kW m{sup -2}. Local heat transfer coefficient depend strongly on heat flux at a low quality and on mass fluxes at a high quality. When compared to smooth tube, the microfin tubes exhibit a significant heat transfer enhancement, up to 180%. In comparison to R22, the R407C heat transfer coefficients of smooth and microfin tubes are 15 to 35% lower, respectively. The best heat transfer enhancement is obtained at low heat flux and mass flow rate. (Author)

TAX FRAMEWORK AND SUSTAINABILITY OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

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Heloisa Candia Hollnagel

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The Third Sector entities are relevant to attend to social issues, but the advance on the application of information technology in the public sector and the convergence of databases have brought new requirements for accounting professionals. Particularly, the fiscal framework of the National Classification of Economic Activities (NACE or CNAE in Portuguese is a matter with insufficient academic approach or professional regulation. This article analyzes the impact of incorrect framework for the sustainability of social assistance entities, due to changes introduced by Law No. 12.101/2009. This exploratory study is based on literature, field research (questionnaires with 102 entities in São Paulo, analysis of the codes of NCEA National Register of Legal Entities (CNPJ and their registration in the municipal councils. Initial results indicate that most organizations have not yet found the need to registering themselves, which can make it difficult for obtaining resources and enrollment in public agencies, including negative financial impact. The theme is noteworthy to avoid risk penalty for incorrect tax reporting, therefore it is relevant for accountancy professionals of that type of organization.

The Role of Marketing Audit in Evaluation Sustainable Marketing Performance in Romanian Organizations

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Daniel Serbănică

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In today`s society, marked by profound changes in consumer attitudes towards the environment and social issues, organizations are forced to behave responsibly, to be oriented towards a sustainable marketing. However the efforts of the organization should be evaluated periodically to see the extent to which objectives are achieved and the extent to which resource consumption leads to results. From the marketing perspective, this can be achieved through marketing audit, which is a tool for evaluating and controlling a marketing organization’s performance. This paper aims, through a documentary study in the first part and an exploratory quantitative research, in the second, to highlight the role and place of the audit of marketing in companies in Romania, to assess the effectiveness of marketing activity undertaken the principles of sustainability. The last part of the paper includes research findings and a series of theoretical and managerial recommendations on the use of marketing audit as a tool for assessing the sustainability of marketing companies in the target group, with the possibility of generalizing to all companies operating on the market in Romania.

Gamification - Environmental and Sustainable Development Organizations Could Do More

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegler, C. R.; Miller, C. A.; Kilaru, V.; French, R. A.; Costanza, R.; Brookes, A.

2013-12-01

The use of digital games to foster sustainable development and environmental goals has grown over the last 10 years. Innovative thinking and the origins of 'serious games,' 'games for change' and 'gamification' are partly rooted in movies and science fiction. Existing games illustrate a spectrum of approaches: for example, World Food Programme's FoodForce and University of Washington's Foldit. Environmental organizations globally (e.g. US EPA) have dabbled with game development and gamification, but have only touched the tip of the iceberg, particularly when compared to the success of the commercial gaming industry. We explore: 1) the intersection of environmental organization mission statements in the context of gamification efforts , 2) some examples of existing games, from simple to complex, 3) business model approaches (e.g. game development partnerships with academia, private industry, NGOs, etc.), 4) barriers, and 5) benefits of a more concerted and technologically-advanced approach to gamification for environmental organizations.

Unravelling the Fuzzy Effect of Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability on the Corporate Reputation of Public-Sector Organizations: A Case Study of Pakistan

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Muhammad Irfan

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to present and to validate a research model that includes economic sustainability, social sustainability, environmental sustainability and corporate reputation in the context of public-sector organizations in Pakistan. The methodological approach is survey-based, using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM to assess the research model. The proposed hypotheses were tested based on a sample of 425 respondents from public-sector organizations in Pakistan. The findings of the study indicate that there is a positive relationship between economic sustainability, social sustainability, environmental sustainability and corporate reputation. Therefore, it is inferred from the results that different aspects of sustainability can create and enhance the reputation of public-sector organizations.

Measuring business performance using indicators of ecologically sustainable organizations

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, Charles G., Jr.; Snow, Charles C.

2001-02-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of ecology-based performance measures as a way of augmenting the Balanced Scorecard approach to organizational performance measurement. The Balanced Scorecard, as proposed by Kaplan and Norton, focuses on four primary dimensions; financial, internal-business-process, customer, and learning and growth perspectives. Recently, many 'green' organizational theorists have developed the concept of "Ecologically Sustainable Organizations" or ESOs, a concept rooted in open systems theory. The ESO is called upon to consider resource use and conservation as a strategy for long-term viability. This paper asserts that in order to achieve ESO status, an organization must not only measure but also reward resource conservation measures. Only by adding a fifth perspective for ecological dimensions will the entity be truly motivated toward ESO status.

Portrayal of sustainability principles in the mission statements and on home pages of the world's largest organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Garnett, Stephen T; Lawes, Michael J; James, Robyn; Bigland, Kristen; Zander, Kerstin K

2016-04-01

Conservation can be achieved only if sustainability is embraced as core to organizational cultures. To test the extent to which the related concepts of sustainability, conservation, response to climate change, poverty alleviation, and gender equity have been incorporated into organizational culture, we compared mission statements published from 1990 to 2000 with those published in 2014 for 150 organizations, including conservation nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), aid NGOs, government development agencies, resource extraction companies, and retailers (30 in each category). We also analyzed the 2014 home web pages of each organization. Relative to the earlier period, the frequency with which mission statements mentioned poverty alleviation, biodiversity conservation, and a range of sustainable practices increased only slightly by 2014, particularly among resource extractors and retail companies. Few organizations in any sector had embedded either climate change or gender equity into their mission statements. In addition, the proportional intensity with which any of the aspirations were expressed did not change between periods. For current home pages, conservation NGOs, resource extractors, and government agencies were significantly more likely to acknowledge the importance of matters that were not part of their core business, but few aid agencies or retail companies promoted goals beyond alleviation of crises and profit maximization, respectively. Overall, there has been some progress in recognizing poverty alleviation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable practices, but gender equity and a determination to reduce impacts on climate change are still rarely promoted as central institutional concerns. Sustainability in general, and biodiversity conservation in particular, will not be achieved unless their importance is more widely apparent in core communication products of organizations. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

An Integrated Diagnostic Framework to Manage Organization Sustainable Growth: An Empirical Case

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Jingxiao Zhang

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This research aims to develop a quantitative diagnostic framework by combining the Weisbord six-box model with the growth management model to focus on an organization’s internally driven sustainable management system. The research adopted an instrument developed by Preziosi and an extended Weisbord six-box model. The research employed a survey to collect 180 samples in a Chinese petrol company and applied the comparative method: (a the average score method; and (b the entropy method to confirm the growth level of the company. The survey also attempted to identify corresponding top growth influence factors using the obstacle degree formula. The results showed that the integrated diagnostic framework worked well to diagnose a regional but large Chinese petroleum company. In other words, the research successfully quantified the growth position and top influence factors and helped put forward specific suggestions to drive the organization of sustainable development. The method confirmed this organization during the fourth phase of five phases. In addition, top influence factors hindering the internal growth were (a the lack of task engagement with energy and time; (b the lack of personal work units; and (c a poor division of labor for reaching sustainable growth rates. The research provides a generic theoretical framework support to incorporate growth management models into an organizational diagnosis to obtain sustainable growth. It further highlights and practices guidelines in examining actual growth management levels in companies and discusses top influence factors to design efficient management systems to pursue organizational growth in a multitude of industrial contexts.

Heat transfer, pressure drop and flow patterns during flow boiling of R407C in a horizontal microfin tube

Science.gov (United States)

Rollmann, P.; Spindler, K.; Müller-Steinhagen, H.

2011-08-01

The heat transfer, pressure drop and flow patterns during flow boiling of R407C in a horizontal microfin tube have been investigated. The microfin tube is made of copper with a total fin number of 55 and a helix angle of 15°. The fin height is 0.24 mm and the inner tube diameter at fin root is 8.95 mm. The test tube is 1 m long. It is heated electrically. The experiments have been performed at saturation temperatures between -30°C and +10°C. The mass flux was varied between 25 and 300 kg/m2/s, the heat flux from 20,000 W/m2 down to 1,000 W/m2. The vapour quality was kept constant at 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 at the inlet and 0.8, 1.0 at the outlet, respectively. The measured heat transfer coefficient is compared with the correlations of Cavallini et al., Shah as well as Zhang et al. Cavallini's correlation contains seven experimental constants. After fitting these constants to our measured values, the correlation achieves good agreement. The measured pressure drop is compared to the correlations of Pierre, Kuo and Wang as well as Müller-Steinhagen and Heck. The best agreement is achieved with the correlation of Kuo and Wang. Almost all values are calculated within an accuracy of ±30%. The flow regimes were observed. It is shown, that changes in the flow regime affect the heat transfer coefficient significantly.

Human resource management for sustainable microfinance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Global Journal of Social Sciences. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 8, No 1 (2009) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

human resource management for sustainable microfinance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ada

KEY WORDS: stakeholders, skills development, business entrepreneurship ability, employee development, employee welfare, and commitment. ..... developing the skills and abilities of the personnel, motivating them to high levels of ..... coordination in the fight against poverty and improvement of the productive capacity of ...

Prediction of effective friction factors for single-phase flow in horizontal microfin tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, H S; Rose, J W [University of London (United Kingdom). Queen Mary, Department of Engineering

2004-12-01

An experimental database, covering a wide range of tube and fin geometric dimensions, Reynolds number and including data for water, R11, and ethylene glycol has been compiled for friction factor for single-phase flow in spirally grooved, horizontal microfin tubes. The tubes (21 in all) had inside diameter at the fin root between 6.46 and 24.13 mm, fin height between 0.13 and 0.47 mm, fin pitch between 0.32 and 1.15 mm, and helix angle between 17 and 45 degrees. The Reynolds number ranged from 2.0x10{sup 3} to 1.63x10{sup 5}. Six earlier friction factor correlations, each based on restricted data sets, have been compared with the database as a whole. None was found to be in good agreement with all of the data. The Jensen and Vlakancic correlation was found to be the best and represents the database within {+-}21%. (author)

Productivity, quality and sustainability of winter wheat underlong-term conventional and organic management in Switzerland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mayer, Jochen; Gunst, Lucie; Mäder, Paul

2015-01-01

Long-term sustainability and high resource use efficiency are major goals for high quality baking wheatproduction throughout the world. Present strategies are low input systems such as organic agriculture orimproved conventional systems (integrated). The fertilisation level and strategy, crop...... was fertilised exclusively minerally at level 2 (CONMIN)and a control remained unfertilised (NOFERT). We compared crop yields, baking quality parameters, thenitrogen use efficiency and the effect of maize and potatoes as preceding crops obtained between 2003and 2010 along with long-term soil sustainability......-bers of ears per m2and the thousand kernel weight. The apparent nitrogen use efficiency decreased withincreasing N fertilisation. Doubling the organic fertilisation in the organic systems only slightly improvedwheat grain yields but was not able to improve grain baking quality, due to low mineral N additions...

Implementation of Financial Sustainability in Organizations through Valuation of Financial Leverage Effect in Russian Practice of Financial Management

Science.gov (United States)

Ashmarina, Svetlana I.; Zotova, Anna S.; Smolina, Ekaterina S.

2016-01-01

The article considers the need of ensuring the sustainable development of organizations in the unstable external environment; financial sustainability which is understood as the optimal structure of funding sources of a business entity is proved to be the most significant factor of sustainable development. The article proves that the index of…

Perception, understanding and initiatives with regard to sustainable development: A profile of Québec tourism organizations

OpenAIRE

Auger, Denis; Bélanger, Vincent

2011-01-01

The concept of sustainable development is not new. However, its application in the field of tourism in Québec needs to be clarified. This way, this study is aimed at drawing the profile of Québec tourist organizations, at comparing the initiatives developed according to various perspectives (environmental, social and economic) and finally, to verify the coherence between the level of importance these organizations give to the concepts of sustainable development and the application of these wi...

ﺔﻴﻣﻼﺳﻹﺍ ﺮﻐﺻﻷﺍ ﻞﻳﻮﻤﺘﻟﺍ ﺕﺎﺴﺳﺆﻣ ﰲ ﺔﻴﻨﻬﳌﺍ ﺕﺎﻴﻗﻼﺧﻷﺍ

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Dato Muhammad Muda

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The role of professional ethics is indeed significant in the local and global market realities, in which most of organizations and financial institution try to survive right in the middle of  the current tight competition in the business, particularly in gaining trust and financial sources from societies as well as customers and employees. This brief  study focused on the scope of professional ethics that govern the activities of general Islamic institutions which are working in the field of microfinance. Those institutions are really in desperate need of these ethics that maintain the growth and sustainability, and then could protect the rights of the poor who are dealing with it. In the other hand this research also reviewed the ten of the most important ethical principles that should be a general framework for any proposed model of the code of Islamic microfinance ethics, to match transactions with these institutions with the principles of Islamic morality as well as the technical rules governing the work of  these institutions.  This research found and came out with a batch of  results and recommendations which will hopefully contribute to the consolidation of the theoretical framework for study as well as enhancing the practical side of ethics. market realities, in which most of organizations and financial institution try to survive right in the middle of the current tight competition in the business, particularly in gaining trust and financial sources from societies as well as customers and employees. This brief study focused on the scope of professional ethics that govern the activities of general Islamic institutions which are working in the field of microfinance. Those institutions are really in desperate need of these ethics that maintain the growth and sustainability, and then could protect the rights of the poor who are dealing with it. In the other hand this research also reviewed the ten of the most important ethical

Animal Board Invited Review: Comparing conventional and organic livestock production systems on different aspects of sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

van Wagenberg, C P A; de Haas, Y; Hogeveen, H; van Krimpen, M M; Meuwissen, M P M; van Middelaar, C E; Rodenburg, T B

2017-10-01

To sustainably contribute to food security of a growing and richer world population, livestock production systems are challenged to increase production levels while reducing environmental impact, being economically viable, and socially responsible. Knowledge about the sustainability performance of current livestock production systems may help to formulate strategies for future systems. Our study provides a systematic overview of differences between conventional and organic livestock production systems on a broad range of sustainability aspects and animal species available in peer-reviewed literature. Systems were compared on economy, productivity, environmental impact, animal welfare and public health. The review was limited to dairy cattle, beef cattle, pigs, broilers and laying hens, and to Europe, North America and New Zealand. Results per indicators are presented as in the articles without performing additional calculations. Out of 4171 initial search hits, 179 articles were analysed. Studies varied widely in indicators, research design, sample size and location and context. Quite some studies used small samples. No study analysed all aspects of sustainability simultaneously. Conventional systems had lower labour requirements per unit product, lower income risk per animal, higher production per animal per time unit, higher reproduction numbers, lower feed conversion ratio, lower land use, generally lower acidification and eutrophication potential per unit product, equal or better udder health for cows and equal or lower microbiological contamination. Organic systems had higher income per animal or full time employee, lower impact on biodiversity, lower eutrophication and acidification potential per unit land, equal or lower likelihood of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and higher beneficial fatty acid levels in cow milk. For most sustainability aspects, sometimes conventional and sometimes organic systems performed better, except for productivity, which was

CONTRIBUTIONS OF MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS TO ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF CASSAVA FARMERS IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

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Kingsley Chukwuemeka OBIKE

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The study examined contributions of microfinance institutions to economic efficiency of cassava farmers in Abia state, Nigeria. A multistage random sampling technique was adopted in collecting cross sectional data on a sample size of 240 respondents (120 MFI beneficiaries and 120 non beneficiaries. Primary Data was collected by administering questionnaire on cassava farmers. The result showed that economic efficiency of MFI beneficiaries was influenced by wage rate, price of fertilizer and adjusted Y (output, while wage rate, price of fertilizer and price of cassava cutting s are variables that influenced economic efficiency of non beneficiaries. The t – test analysis confirmed that MFI beneficiaries had higher economic efficiency advantage compared with non beneficiaries. It is recommended that government agricultural policy should take positive steps to reduce interest rate to encourage MFI efforts in providing the necessary platform to encourage higher efficiency in cassava production in Abia state, Nigeria.

Tra locale e globale. Sostenibilità ed empowerment nelle retoriche delle esperienze di microcredito

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Giovanna Guerzoni

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Muhammad Yunus (Nobel Peace Prize 2006 success in Bangladesh, has made microcredit a globally widespread practice. Since the early nineties, microcredit has been adopted by international development organizations as the privileged strategy not only in the struggle against poverty, but also in the promotion of women’s empowerment. The paper critically explores the rhetoric  underpinning the discourse on microcredit, sustainability and the impact on local communities of microfinance programs. Special attention is devoted to the case studies concerning the relationship between access to credit by women and empowerment processes.

The Measurement and Determinants of Economic Efficiency of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Measurement and Determinants of Economic Efficiency of Microfinance Institutions ... players in socio-economic development especially in developing countries. ... savings products to improve on portfolio quality and ensure sustainability; ...

Organic fields sustain weed metacommunity dynamics in farmland landscapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Henckel, Laura; Börger, Luca; Meiss, Helmut; Gaba, Sabrina; Bretagnolle, Vincent

2015-06-07

Agro-ecosystems constitute essential habitat for many organisms. Agricultural intensification, however, has caused a strong decline of farmland biodiversity. Organic farming (OF) is often presented as a more biodiversity-friendly practice, but the generality of the beneficial effects of OF is debated as the effects appear often species- and context-dependent, and current research has highlighted the need to quantify the relative effects of local- and landscape-scale management on farmland biodiversity. Yet very few studies have investigated the landscape-level effects of OF; that is to say, how the biodiversity of a field is affected by the presence or density of organically farmed fields in the surrounding landscape. We addressed this issue using the metacommunity framework, with weed species richness in winter wheat within an intensively farmed landscape in France as model system. Controlling for the effects of local and landscape structure, we showed that OF leads to higher local weed diversity and that the presence of OF in the landscape is associated with higher local weed biodiversity also for conventionally farmed fields, and may reach a similar biodiversity level to organic fields in field margins. Based on these results, we derive indications for improving the sustainable management of farming systems. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

A systematic review of income generation interventions, including microfinance and vocational skills training, for HIV prevention

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Caitlin E.; Fonner, Virginia A.; O'Reilly, Kevin R.; Sweat, Michael D.

2013-01-01

Income generation interventions, such as microfinance or vocational skills training, address structural factors associated with HIV risk. However, the effectiveness of these interventions on HIV-related outcomes in low- and middle-income countries has not been synthesized. We conducted a systematic review by searching electronic databases from 1990-2012, examining secondary references, and hand searching key journals. Peer-reviewed studies were included in the analysis if they evaluated income generation interventions in low- or middle-income countries and provided pre-post or multi-arm measures on behavioral, psychological, social, care or biological outcomes related to HIV prevention. Standardized forms were used to abstract study data in duplicate and study rigor was assessed. Of 5,218 unique citations identified, 12 studies met criteria for inclusion. Studies were geographically diverse, with 6 conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, 3 in South or Southeast Asia, and 3 in Latin America and the Caribbean. Target populations included adult women (N=6), female sex workers/bar workers (N=3), and youth/orphans (N=3). All studies targeted females except 2 among youth/orphans. Study rigor was moderate, with 2 group-randomized trials and 2 individual-randomized trials. All interventions except 3 included some form of microfinance. Only a minority of studies found significant intervention effects on condom use, number of sexual partners or other HIV-related behavioral outcomes; most studies showed no significant change, although some may have had inadequate statistical power. One trial showed a 55% reduction in intimate partner violence (adjusted risk ratio 0.45, 95% confidence interval 0.23-0.91). No studies measured incidence/prevalence of HIV or sexually transmitted infections among intervention recipients. The evidence that income generation interventions influence HIV-related behaviors and outcomes is inconclusive. However, these interventions may have important effects

A systematic review of income generation interventions, including microfinance and vocational skills training, for HIV prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Caitlin E; Fonner, Virginia A; O'Reilly, Kevin R; Sweat, Michael D

2014-01-01

Income generation interventions, such as microfinance or vocational skills training, address structural factors associated with HIV risk. However, the effectiveness of these interventions on HIV-related outcomes in low- and middle-income countries has not been synthesized. The authors conducted a systematic review by searching electronic databases from 1990 to 2012, examining secondary references, and hand-searching key journals. Peer-reviewed studies were included in the analysis if they evaluated income generation interventions in low- or middle-income countries and provided pre-post or multi-arm measures on behavioral, psychological, social, care, or biological outcomes related to HIV prevention. Standardized forms were used to abstract study data in duplicate and study rigor was assessed. Of the 5218 unique citations identified, 12 studies met criteria for inclusion. Studies were geographically diverse, with six conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, three in South or Southeast Asia, and three in Latin America and the Caribbean. Target populations included adult women (N = 6), female sex workers/bar workers (N = 3), and youth/orphans (N = 3). All studies targeted females except two among youth/orphans. Study rigor was moderate, with two group-randomized trials and two individual-randomized trials. All interventions except three included some form of microfinance. Only a minority of studies found significant intervention effects on condom use, number of sexual partners, or other HIV-related behavioral outcomes; most studies showed no significant change, although some may have had inadequate statistical power. One trial showed a 55% reduction in intimate partner violence (adjusted risk ratio 0.45, 95% confidence interval 0.23-0.91). No studies measured incidence/prevalence of HIV or sexually transmitted infections among intervention recipients. The evidence that income generation interventions influence HIV-related behaviors and outcomes is inconclusive. However, these

GM Crops, Organic Agriculture and Breeding for Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvatore Ceccarelli

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The ongoing debate about the use of genetically-modified (GM crops in agriculture has largely focused on food safety and genetic contamination issues. Given that the majority of GM crops have been produced to respond to the problem of crop yield reductions caused by diseases, insects and weeds, the paper argues that in those cases, the currently used GM crops are an unstable solution to the problem, because they represent such a strong selection pressure, that pests rapidly evolve resistance. Organic agriculture practices provide a more sustainable way of producing healthy food; however, the lower yields often associated with those practices, making the resultant healthy food more expensive, open the criticism that such practices will not be able to feed human populations. Evolutionary plant breeding offers the possibility of using the evolutionary potential of crops to our advantage by producing a continuous flow of varieties better adapted to organic systems, to climate change and to the ever changing spectrum of pests, without depending on chemical control.

THE ROLE OF CHAMBER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT – FUNDAMENTAL CONDITION OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

OpenAIRE

Natalia GALANTON

2012-01-01

The concept of “sustainable development” is still a matter of discussion and is read in different ways by the specialists in the field, but all of them agree on the determinant role of the human, personal factor in sustainable development. In this work a special emphasis is made on the role of chamber organizations at different stages and in different forms of the formation and development of the human capital. Organization of the process of its formation concerns all the participants of econ...

Experimental studies on the evaporative heat transfer and pressure drop of CO{sub 2} and CO{sub 2}/propane mixtures flowing upward in smooth and micro-fin tubes with outer diameter of 5 mm for an inclination angle of 45

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Jin Min; Kim, Min Soo [School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744 (Korea); Kim, Yong Jin [School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 (United States)

2010-08-15

Heat transfer characteristics show different tendency according to the tube orientations such as horizontal, vertical, and inclined positions. In this study, evaporative heat transfer characteristics and pressure drop of CO{sub 2} and CO{sub 2}/propane mixtures flowing upward are investigated in inclined smooth and micro-fin tubes. Smooth and micro-fin tubes with outer diameter of 5 mm and length of 1.44 m with inclination angle of 45 were chosen as test tubes. Average inner diameters of test tubes are 4.0 mm (smooth tube) and 4.13 mm (micro-fin tube). The tests were conducted at mass fluxes from 212 to 656 kg/m{sup 2} s, saturation temperatures from -10 to 30 C and heat fluxes from 15 to 60 kW/m{sup 2} for CO{sub 2}. In addition, for CO{sub 2}/propane mixtures, the test was carried out at inlet temperatures from -10 to 30 C for several compositions (75/25, 50/50, 25/75 wt%) with the same mass fluxes, heat fluxes applied for CO{sub 2}. Heat transfer coefficients in inclined tube are approximately 1.8-3 times higher than those in horizontal tube and the average pressure drop of inclined tube exists between that of horizontal and vertical tubes. (author)

Sustainable Table | Welcome to Sustainable Table

Science.gov (United States)

Sustainable Seafood Industrial Agriculture Industrial Livestock Production Antibiotics Hormones rBGH Animal , safeguarding animal welfare and supporting local communities. Questions to Ask Asking questions is the best way Livestock Husbandry Sustainable Crop Production Innovative Agriculture New Farmers Organic Agriculture Local

Towards a Sustainable Spatial Organization of the Energy System: Backcasting Experiences from Austria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Knoflacher

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The transition to a sustainable energy system faces more challenges than a simple replacement of fossil energy sources by renewable ones. Since current structures do not favor sustainable energy generation and use, it is indispensable to change the existing infrastructure. A fundamental change of the energy system also requires re-organizing spatial structures and their respective institutions and governance structures. Especially in Austria, urban sprawl and unsustainable settlement structures are regarded as one of the main developments leading to increased energy demand. One of the aims within the project E-Trans 2050 was to identify socio-economic constellations that are central to the further transformation of the energy system and to focus on actors and their socio-technical framework conditions. Based on a sustainable future vision for the year 2050 a backcasting workshop was conducted to identify necessary steps for the envisaged transition to a more sustainable energy system. The results shed light on the necessary changes for a transformation towards sustainability in the specific Austrian situation. Critical issues are region-specific production of energy and its use, settlement and regional structures and values and role models, which all have a determining influence on energy demand. Combining the knowledge of extensive energy use with available energy resources in spatial planning decisions is a main challenge towards a long term sustainable energy system.

Examining Structural Relationships between Work Engagement, Organizational Procedural Justice, Knowledge Sharing, and Innovative Work Behavior for Sustainable Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Woocheol Kim

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Despite the importance of the human/social dimension of organizational sustainability, this area of scholastic endeavor has received relatively little attention when compared to the economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. On the basis of social exchange theory, this study posited the important role that employee work engagement is a key component for improving human performance for organizational sustainability. In order to do so, it suggests the important role that employee work engagement has on the relationships among various factors in the organization, including organizational procedural justice, knowledge sharing, and innovative work behaviors. A total of 400 complete responses from full-time employees in Korean organizations were used for the purpose of data analysis with structural equation modeling (SEM. The results demonstrated that organizational procedural justice is positively related with employee work engagement, knowledge sharing, and innovative work behavior. In addition, work engagement enhances employee knowledge sharing and innovative work behavior, and knowledge sharing enhances innovative work behavior. With regard to the mechanisms of these relationships, work engagement and knowledge sharing acted as significant mediators. Based on the findings, we suggested relevant research implications and recommendations for future research on sustainable organizations.

Structurally Efficient Anisotropic Organized Reticulated structures for Cooling of Electronics and Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

2006-08-31

from a cylindrical copper stud attached to a heat source. The stud was covered with either microfins or multi-layered porous structures. The highest...performance was achieved from a stud having microfins on the side surfaces and porous plates on the tip. Critical heat flux in that case was 33 W/cm 2...sight tube on the side of the reservoir allows the fluid level to be visually ’r monitored. A magnetically- coupled March® 6 Series pump V 6 ’ 5a (PC

Do African microfinance institutions need efficiency for financial stability and social outreach?

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Md A.K. Azad

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Microfinance institutions (MFIs have the dual objective of providing social welfare and financial stability. We evaluated the financial efficiency of MFIs in sub-Saharan African countries by comparing their regional performances during the period 2004-2013. We addressed prevailing MFI heterogeneity by using the concept of "metafrontier". The results showed that on an average, more than half the MFIs showed a drop in productivity. The measure of how much one country gets closer to or further away from world frontier technology is commonly known as the TGC score. In world frontier technology, East and South Asian countries have taken the lead (TGC score 1.0048 while sub-Saharan African countries lag behind (TGC score 1.0020. Most East and South Asian countries have a TGC score of 1, and most sub-Saharan African countries have a TGC score less than 1. This signifies that Asian countries lead world frontier technology and most African countries do not. The decomposition of efficiency scores showed that with regard to technical changes, African nations had progressed on average only 0.01%, and efficiency change scores had regressed by 0.59% annually.

Swedish Consumers’ Perception of Food Quality and Sustainability in Relation to Organic Food Production

OpenAIRE

Techane Bosona; Girma Gebresenbet

2018-01-01

Consumers’ demand for locally produced and organic foods has increased in Sweden. This paper presents the results obtained from the analysis of data acquired from 100 consumers in Sweden who participated in an online survey during March to June 2016. The objective was to identify consumers’ demand in relation to organic food and sustainable food production, and to understand how the consumers evaluate food quality and make buying decisions. Qualitative descriptions, descriptive statistics and...

Sustainability of Our Planet and All Species as the Organizing Principle for SLCE

Science.gov (United States)

Kecskes, Kevin; Joyalle, Jennifer; Elliott, Erin; Sherman, Jacob D. B.

2017-01-01

We may define and prioritize them differently, but few would deny that our human community is facing intractable problems at local, national, and global scales. The authors call on higher education institutions (HEIs) around the world to work collectively and with strategic intent and action to use sustainability as an organizing principle to…

Sustainability evaluation of automatic and conventional milking systems on organic dairy farms in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oudshoorn, Frank W; Kristensen, Troels; van der Zijpp, A J

2012-01-01

Organic dairy farmers in Denmark currently are implementing automatic milking systems (AMS) to save labour costs. As organic agriculture aims at sustainable production, the introduction of a new technology such as AMS should be evaluated regarding its economic viability, environmental impact...... conventional milking systems (CMS). Sustainability indicators were quantified for economic performance of the farm, on-farm eutrophication, on-farm biodiversity, animal welfare (including health), grazing time, milk composition and labour time. Milk yield per cow per year was higher for AMS farms (9021 kg...... was not due to the use of AMS but was caused by a higher export of manure by the CMS farms. The number of veterinary treatments per cow per year was unaffected by AMS use, but culling rate was higher for the AMS farms (38%) than for the CMS farms (32%). There was no difference between the AMS and CMS farms...

Learning from the organic food system as a model for sustainable food systems - the Organic Food System Program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kahl, Johannes; Strassner, Carola; Hertwig, Jostein

2016-01-01

habits, cultural, social, ethical, economic and political criteria play an increasingly important role as values. An organic values-based supply chain links food production to values such as partnership, cooperation and trust. Within a values-based supply chain, all actors should be connected through......Today’s understanding of food systems includes product-specific values (e.g. palatability, taste, nutritional and safety values, health promotion) and process-oriented values (e.g. environmental impact, animal welfare and social fairness). These values are currently challenged and changing. Food...... a shared vision. Visions, indicators and parameters have been developed for the organic food system (OFS). In order to identify and leverage values within the OFS, it has to be critically analysed and documented. This makes the OFS a “living laboratory” for sustainable food systems, linking organic...

Self-Organization and the Bypass: Re-Imagining Institutions for More Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Food

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Sherwood

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In exploring the social dynamics of agrofood movements in Ecuador as examples of self-organization (i.e., locally distributed and resolved development, this article departs from a preoccupation with innovation by means of design and the use of scaling as a metaphor for describing research contributions in agriculture and food. The case material highlights that much development is contingent, unpredictable, and unmanageable as well as unbound to fixed spaces or places. In their study of people’s daily practice, the authors do not find clear boundaries between dichotomies of internal–external, lay–expert, traditional–modern, or local–global organization, but heterogeneous blends of each. For the purposes of sustainable development, this highlights the need for attention to be paid to relationships (social, material, and biological, adaptation (the capacity to innovate, and responsibility (adherence to norms of sustainability. Far from romanticizing self-organization, the authors acknowledge that people and their institutions share varying degrees of complicity for the goods as well as the bads of their economic activity, such as mass soil degradation, agrobiodiversity loss, and poisoning by pesticides. Nevertheless, even under highly difficult conditions, certain actors effectively bypass the limitations of formal institutions in forging a socio-technical course of action (i.e., policy for relatively healthy living and being. As such, the authors have come to appreciate self-organization as a neglected, if paradoxical, resource for policy transition towards more sustainable agriculture and food.

Are Physicians Obliged to Lead Environmental Sustainability Efforts in Health Care Organizations?

Science.gov (United States)

Macpherson, Cheryl C; Hill, Jonathan

2017-12-01

Climate change threatens health, health care, and the industries and resources upon which these depend. The growing prevalence and severity of its health consequences and economic costs are alarming health professionals and organizations as their professional obligations, grounded in the core value of health, include protecting against these harms. One means of fulfilling these obligations is to lead or support sustainability initiatives that are built upon current, reliable, accurate, and unbiased evidence and collaboratively tailored to meet specific needs and respond to specific contexts. We consider why and how health professionals and organizations should lead or support such initiatives. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

Sustainable Transformation & Effective Competency Management Practices in Nuclear Organizations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gardelliano, S.

2016-01-01

Full text: Managing essential knowledge as a strategic organizational asset is a factor of upmost relevance in today’s nuclear organizations. The author considers evident that competencies are critical carriers of knowledge. As such the use of an appropriate competency model could be the most effective way to capture the present reservoir of explicit and tacit Knowledge of specific functions or organizational areas. Besides, we could use them for new or other redesigned functions or determine the needs of specific competencies for future positions. Therefore, appropriate competency models or systems have to be developed or updated in each nuclear organization since these are fundamental for managing more effectively and efficiently the present nuclear human capital and to forecast the evolving competence required in management, technical, scientific and safety areas to continuously ensure a highly competent nuclear workforce. On the other hand, competency based management models or systems would not achieve the expected results if they are not fully designed and integrated within the strategic organizational infrastructure of the related nuclear organization. This paper is expected to provide a wider view and practical reflections on organizational transformation issues and the benefits of using an integrative competency model in the nuclear industry. Particularly, the paper give an insight of an empiric model for strategic organizational transformation processes and integrative management practices, and on how to realign strategic issues with top management processes and build organizational capacity through effective competency based management for the sustainable transformation of nuclear organizations. (author

Sustainability, natural and organic cosmetics: consumer, products, efficacy, toxicological and regulatory considerations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Fonseca-Santos

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The interest in sustainable products has increased along the years, since the choice of products, packaging and production processes have a great impact on the environment. These products are classified by regulatory agencies in different categories, aggregating advantages to the product and increasing the demand by consumers. However, there is no harmonization in guidelines of these certifying agencies and each cosmetic industry formulates their product and packaging in a more rational way, which causes less damage to the environment. Many cosmetic products have in their formulation natural products that perform a specific biological function, but these products should be evaluated on efficacy and toxicological aspects. The aim of this article is to approach sustainability, natural and organic cosmetics, considering the consumer and the efficacy, toxicological and regulatory aspects.

Facility Management's Role in Organizational Sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Gregory K.

2013-01-01

Facility managers have questions about sustainability. How do an organization's physical facilities--its built environment--and the management of them, influence the sustainability of the organization or institution as a whole? How important is Facility Management (FM) to the overall sustainability profile of an organization? Facility managers…

ORGANIZAÇÕES DE MICROFINANÇAS: INOVAÇÕES E DESAFIOS PARA A INCLUSÃO FINANCEIRA

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Alair Ferreira de Freitas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to review the literature on microfinance organizations and discuss theoretical and methodological shortcomings, highlighting the innovations and challenges for financial inclusion of low-income populations. It is noticed that despite the microfinance organizations present significant advances in operational terms, mainly in lending methodologies through mechanisms of selection and monitoring consistent with their socio-political aims, they collide in the dilemma between financial viability and expand its social base toward the poorest.

Community Strategic Relationship and Marketing to Foster the Development of communities and the sustainability of organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Juárez

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to define community strategic relationship and marketing (CSRM as a relevant tool to foster the development of communities and the sustainability of organizations. The method was rationalist, theoretical, and conceptual; it comprised the analysis of a propositional structure. Articulated propositions provided a framework for analysis, discussion, and conclusions. After giving a definition of CSRM, several analyses were conducted that determined the uniqueness and usefulness of this approach. These analyses were: 1 the usefulness of the community concepts and strategies in CSRM, 2 the existence of a community approach to different strategic areas or marketing, and 3 the relevance of the use of community concepts and strategies to foster the development of communities and the sustainability of organizations. The conclusion was that CSRM and the use of these concepts and strategies have the potential to be a fruitful research and strategic approach in marketing and in all of organization activities

The Effect of Social Capital on Customer’s Repayment Rate at Islamic Microfinance Institution

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Jaenal Effendi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The potency of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs in Indonesia which is great, is not directly proportional to the ease of getting capital from formal financial institutions such as banks because it is not bankable. Meanwhile, microfinance institutions (MFIs that provide financing to the MSEs are currently thriving. This condition exposes the existence of factors that cause the MFIs continuesly providing financing to MSEs which are not bankable. This research aims to analyze the effect of social capital toward the repayment rate of Islamic MFIs’ customers. The methods used in this research was the logistic regression. The results showed variable relationship with BMT employees, relations with other customers, and Islamic recitation had positive and significant effect toward the repayment rate of the customer. While recommendations, membership status, and travel time from home to the BMT had negative and significant effect.  Variable outside the social capital indicator which is income rate had no significant effect.DOI: 10.15408/aiq.v8i2.2631

I Have a Dream: Organic Movements Include Gene Manipulation to Improve Sustainable Farming

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Gerhart U. Ryffel

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Several papers in a Special Issue of Sustainability have recently discussed various aspects to evaluate whether organic farming and gene manipulation are compatible. A special emphasis was given to new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs. These new approaches allow the most predictable genetic alterations of crop plants in ways that the genetically modified plant is identical to a plant generated by conventional breeding. The articles of the Special Issue present the arguments pro and contra the inclusion of the plants generated by NPBTs in organic farming. Organic movements have not yet made a final decision whether some of these techniques should be accepted or banned. In my view these novel genetically manipulated (GM crops could be used in such a way as to respect the requirements for genetically manipulated organisms (GMOs formulated by the International Federation of Organic Movements (IFOAM. Reviewing the potential benefits of disease-resistant potatoes and bananas, it seems possible that these crops support organic farming. To this end, I propose specific requirements that the organic movements should proactively formulate as their standards to accept specific GM crops.

Sustainable Rural Development in Nigeria through Microfinance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

FIRST LADY

Nigeria like many nations in the developing world, extreme poverty remains widespread. ..... change to many of the current relationships of gender and class. ... operations and safety of deposits. Thirdly, funding of real sector activities, especially agricultural and manufacturing production, need to be promoted by MFIs as ...

Model of sustainable utilization of organic solids waste in Cundinamarca, Colombia

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Solanyi Castañeda Torres

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: This article considers a proposal of a model of use of organic solids waste for the department of Cundinamarca, which responds to the need for a tool to support decision-making for the planning and management of organic solids waste. Objective: To perform an approximation of a conceptual technical and mathematician optimization model to support decision-making in order to minimize environmental impacts. Materials and methods: A descriptive study was applied due to the fact that some fundamental characteristics of the studied homogeneous phenomenon are presented and it is also considered to be quasi experimental. The calculation of the model for plants of the department is based on three axes (environmental, economic and social, that are present in the general equation of optimization. Results: A model of harnessing organic solids waste in the techniques of biological treatment of composting aerobic and worm cultivation is obtained, optimizing the system with the emissions savings of greenhouse gases spread into the atmosphere, and in the reduction of the overall cost of final disposal of organic solids waste in sanitary landfill. Based on the economic principle of utility that determines the environmental feasibility and sustainability in the plants of harnessing organic solids waste to the department, organic fertilizers such as compost and humus capture carbon and nitrogen that reduce the tons of CO2.

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE BRAZILIAN CONTEXT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RODRIGO GOYANNES GUSMÃO CAIADO

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Over the past few years, issues of sustainability are gaining greater prominence among organizations and their stakeholders around the world and with it the effective measurement of environmental performance has been a challenge for sustainable transition. The purpose of the article is to analyse, through the the perception of market experts and researchers, what sustainable performance measures have stronger positive correlation to achieve organizational sustainability in order to help employees in making decisions that reduce the consumption of resources and that create value throughout its chain. The research is of an exploratory and descriptive nature, with qualitative and quantitative method and has a deductive logic. It aims to help professionals and academics who want to start the measurement and continuous improvement of economic, environmental, social, governance and technical performance of their organizations. Finally, the analyzes allow direct efforts to sustainable measures considered most important, allowing the transition of the organization for sustainability.

Developing Sustainable Organizations for New Nuclear Power Countries through Knowledge Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cain, R.; Kovacic, D.; Einwechter, M.; Reed, J.; Therios, I.

2016-01-01

Full text: Countries with emerging nuclear power programmes face unique challenges with respect to building competent and sustainable organizations. By nature, such organizations are dynamic and evolving, energetic, and feel a sense of mission. They are also typically preoccupied with near and mid-term objectives, may be resource–constrained, can incur high staff turnover rate, and encounter difficulties in obtaining experienced, qualified personnel. Such conditions can make it difficult to think about, much less implement, a knowledge management (KM)-based culture. The result can be missed opportunities if a KM system is not in place to collect institutional knowledge leveraged to advance the organization’s mission. Nevertheless, knowledge is perishable, and the best time to capture it is as it is being created, not at the end of a career. This paper explores some of the resource–efficient methods for knowledge capture applicable to programs/organizations early in their formation and which might be constrained in some way from instituting larger KM initiatives. The emphasis is on tools, techniques, and methods that integrate well with the day-to-day processes of the organization, reduce single points of failure, and transfer/preserve knowledge early in the lifecycle. (author

Assessment of the Sustainability of the Mediterranean Diet Combined with Organic Food Consumption: An Individual Behaviour Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Seconda, Louise; Baudry, Julia; Allès, Benjamin; Hamza, Oualid; Boizot-Szantai, Christine; Soler, Louis-Georges; Galan, Pilar; Hercberg, Serge; Lairon, Denis; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle

2017-01-12

Mediterranean diets are promising sustainable food models and the organic food system may provide health and environmental benefits. Combining the two models could therefore be a favourable approach for food sustainability. The aim of this study was to draw up a comparative description of four diets differing in the level of organic foods consumption and the adherence to the Mediterranean diet, using multidisciplinary indicators to assess the sustainability of these diets. Four groups of participants were defined and compared, combining the proportion of organic food in their diet (Org versus Conv) and the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (Med versus NoMed). Conv-NoMed: Conventional consumers and non-Mediterranean diet followers; Conv-Med: Conventional consumers and Mediterranean diet followers; Org-NoMed: Organic consumers and non-Mediterranean diet followers; Org-Med: Organic consumers and Mediterranean diet followers. The adherence to nutritional recommendations was higher among the Org-Med and Conv-Med groups compared to the Conv-NoMed group (using the mPNNS-GS (modified-Programme National nutrition santé guidelines score/13.5 points): 9.29 (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 9.23-9.36) and 9.30 (95% CI = 9.24-9.35) versus 8.19 (95% CI = 8.17-8.22)) respectively. The mean plant/animal protein intake ratio was 1.38 (95% CI = 1.01-1.74) for the Org-Med group versus 0.44 (95% CI = 0.28-0.60) for the Conv-NoMed group. The average cost of the diet of Org-Med participants was the highest: 11.43 €/day (95% CI = 11.34-11.52). This study highlighted the importance of promoting the Mediterranean diet combined with organic food consumption for individual health and environmental aspects but challenges with regard to the cost remain.

Survey on Impact of Public push on Sustainability marketing mix and Sustainability marketing mix on Sustainability marketing success

OpenAIRE

iman mousavian; bahram kheiry; vahidreza mirabi

2014-01-01

Partaking the movement in reaching a more sustainable planet, organizations should reconsider their marketing strategies according to the social and environmental impacts. Even though, attaining sustainability would become a serious challenge for them, but there exist no other options for the third millennium. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the Impact of public push on the sustainability marketing mix, as well as the effect of sustainability marketing mix on sustainability m...

On the Applicability of the Green Chemistry Principles to Sustainability of Organic Matter on Asteroids

OpenAIRE

Vera M. Kolb

2010-01-01

The connection between astrobiology and green chemistry represents a new approach to sustainability of organic matter on asteroids or similar bodies. Green chemistry is chemistry which is environmentally friendly. One obvious way for chemistry to be green is to use water as a solvent, instead of more toxic organic solvents. Many astrobiological reactions occur in the aqueous medium, for example in the prebiotic soup or during the aqueous alteration period on asteroids. Thus any advances in th...

Artificial intelligence model for sustain ability measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navickiene, R.; Navickas, K.

2012-01-01

The article analyses the main dimensions of organizational sustain ability, their possible integrations into artificial neural network. In this article authors performing analyses of organizational internal and external environments, their possible correlations with 4 components of sustain ability, and the principal determination models for sustain ability of organizations. Based on the general principles of sustainable development organizations, a artificial intelligence model for the determination of organizational sustain ability has been developed. The use of self-organizing neural networks allows the identification of the organizational sustain ability and the endeavour to explore vital, social, antropogenical and economical efficiency. The determination of the forest enterprise sustain ability is expected to help better manage the sustain ability. (Authors)

A three-dimensional model of women's empowerment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huis, Marloes A.; Hansen, Nina; Otten, Sabine; Lensink, Robert

2017-01-01

Women's empowerment is an important goal in achieving sustainable development worldwide. Offering access to microfinance services to women is one way to increase women's empowerment. However, empirical evidence provides mixed results with respect to its effectiveness. We reviewed previous

Microcrédits et performances financière et sociale des institutions de microfinance au Cameroun

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serge Messomo Ellé

2017-09-01

Full Text Available L’objectif de ce travail a été de déterminer les types de microcrédits qui expliquent les performances financière et sociale des institutions de microfinance au Cameroun (IMFs. Parmi les IMFs, 159 ont été analysées par le biais des statistiques descriptives et des équations de régression linéaire multiple. Les résultats obtenus montrent que les types d’activités financées expliquent faiblement les performances financière et sociale des IMFs au Cameroun. Par contre, les types de microcrédits accordés ont une forte emprise sur la viabilité financière et sociale de ces IMFs. Les implications managériales de ces résultats suggèrent aux IMFs d’accroître leurs performances financière et sociale au plan des types d’activités financées.

Assessing sustainable remediation frameworks using sustainability principles.

Science.gov (United States)

Ridsdale, D Reanne; Noble, Bram F

2016-12-15

The remediation industry has grown exponentially in recent decades. International organizations of practitioners and remediation experts have developed several frameworks for integrating sustainability into remediation projects; however, there has been limited attention to how sustainability is approached and operationalized in sustainable remediation frameworks and practices - or whether sustainability plays any meaningful role at all in sustainable remediation. This paper examines how sustainability is represented in remediation frameworks and the guidance provided for practical application. Seven broad sustainability principles and review criteria are proposed and applied to a sample of six international remediation frameworks. Not all review criteria were equally satisfied and none of the frameworks fully met all criteria; however, the best performing frameworks were those identified as sustainability remediation frameworks. Intra-generational equity was addressed by all frameworks. Integrating social, economic and biophysical components beyond triple-bottom-line indicators was explicitly addressed only by the sustainable remediation frameworks. No frameworks provided principle- or rule-based guidance for dealing with trade-offs in sustainability decisions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organizing Open Innovation for Sustainability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ingenbleek, P.T.M.; Backus, G.B.C.

2015-01-01

Literature on open innovation has thus far predominantly focused on high technology contexts. Once an industry reaches the limits of a closed innovation model, open innovation may, however, also promise opportunities for sustainable development in a low-tech environment. Because in low-tech

THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ON THE CORPORATE WEBSITE OF THE CERTIFIED PORTUGUESE ORGANIZATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filipe Carvalho

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The Internet is a privileged means of communication towards Sustainable Development (SD, where information disclosed knows no borders. The aim of the study is to determine the nature of the content that is disclosed on the corporate website and the profile of the certified Portuguese organizations which disclose information on SD, that is, about Integrated Management Systems (IMS, Corporate Sustainability (CS and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR. This research consists of an exploratory analysis of the institutional website of 422 organizations with certified management systems in quality (ISO 9001, environment (ISO 14001 and occupational health and safety (BS OHSAS 18001. The research was based on the content analysis method, which allowed quantifying the contents of the information disclosed on the website by category and subcategories of analysis. The content available on the website was quantified using the Information Disclosure Index (IDI. The certified Portuguese organizations with greater business volume (turnover and the public limited companies (PLC disclose more information on SD on their website than the others.

Improving the Sustainability of Office Partition Manufacturing: Balancing Options for Reducing Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds

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Marc A. Rosen

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Options are examined to improve the sustainability of office partition manufacturing by reducing volatile organic compounds (VOC emissions. Base VOC emissions for a typical plant are estimated using a mass balance approach. Pollution prevention and sustainability measures are assessed using realistic criteria and weightings. Sustainability has been considered from an industry perspective, considering factors like economics, environmental impact, quality, health and safety. Through a case study, it is demonstrated that several advantageous options are available for reducing VOC emissions in manufacturing office furniture partitions, and thereby enhancing the sustainability of that industrial operation. The measures deemed most viable include implementing several best management practices, not painting of non-visible parts, switching gluing processes, recycling solvent and modifying attachments. The results are intended to be balanced so as to improve their acceptability and adoptability by industry. It appears that it would be advantageous for manufacturers of office panels to evaluate the feasibility of these measures and to implement the most appropriate. The results are likely extendable to other operations in the wood furniture industry, and would improve their sustainability.

The role of sustainable HORECA for sustainable lifestyles - identification of challenges and future work

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strassner, Carola; Bügel, Susanne Gjedsted; Hertwig, Jostein

2016-01-01

Internationally there is increasing interest in short food supply chains and local and organic food as part of a wider concern with sustainability. This is strongly evident in both commercially oriented food service, where it is often associated with sustainable tourism endeavours, and in institu......Internationally there is increasing interest in short food supply chains and local and organic food as part of a wider concern with sustainability. This is strongly evident in both commercially oriented food service, where it is often associated with sustainable tourism endeavours...

PRODUCTION AND MARKETABILITY OF CONVENTIONAL, SUSTAINABLE AND ORGANIC PRODUCED TOMATOES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dean BAN

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Conventional agricultural production is denoted by high levels of chemisation, strait specialised production, high yields and low costs per production unit, however this production causes risky interventions, which could affect negatively on environment and human health Research results indicate possibilities for growing vegetables in alternative systems, less risky for environment with satisfying economic success. The aim of this research was to determine economic success of organic, sustainable and conventional production of tomato in the Mediterranean area of Republic Croatia. Bianual research was conducted during 2002/2003. During vegetation we examined parameters of growth, marketable yields and costs for materials, work and machinery which are used in economic analysis. Economical analysis of tomatoes production indicate worst results in organic production system. Loses in tomatoes organic production were consequences of two main factors: lower marketed yield and equal product price for all three production types. Lower yields in organic production were expected, therefore bad financial results were caused by mainly low market prices, which do not validate quality and food safety. Therefore financial success is preconditioned by higher market validation, which can be obtained through market analysis and product development. Consumer awareness about organic agriculture is still very weak and this point requires further attention. The link between organic agriculture and the environment/nature protection is missing too. The purchase of organic food is influenced by the level of information and knowledge of consumers with reference to these products. Doubts about the truthfulness and significance of some data were raised by main places where organic food is purchased, since an excessive greatest limitations are high prices and a low level of information to consumers. Current standard of life of most Croatian consumers does not permit them to

Experimental investigation and correlation of two-phase frictional pressure drop of R410A-oil mixture flow boiling in a 5 mm microfin tube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Guoliang; Hu, Haitao; Huang, Xiangchao [Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Deng, Bin [Institute of Heat Transfer Technology, Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group Inc., Shanghai 200135 (China); Gao, Yifeng [International Copper Association, Shanghai Office, Shanghai 200020 (China)

2009-01-15

This study presents experimental two-phase frictional data for R410A-oil mixture flow boiling in an internal spiral grooved microfin tube with outside diameter of 5 mm. Experimental parameters include the evaporation temperature of 5 C, the mass flux from 200 to 400 kg m{sup -2} s{sup -1}, the heat flux from 7.46 to 14.92 kW m{sup -2}, the inlet vapor quality from 0.1 to 0.8, and nominal oil concentration from 0 to 5%. The test results show that the frictional pressure drop of R410A initially increases with vapor quality and then decreases, presenting a local maximum in the vapor quality range between 0.7 and 0.8; the frictional pressure drop of R410A-oil mixture increases with the mass flux, the presence of oil enhances two-phase frictional pressure drop, and the effect of oil on frictional pressure drop is more evident at higher vapor qualities where the local oil concentrations are higher. The enhanced factor is always larger than unity and increases with nominal oil concentration at a given vapor quality. The range of the enhanced factor is about 1.0-2.2 at present test conditions. A new correlation to predict the local frictional pressure drop of R410A-oil mixture flow boiling inside the internal spiral grooved microfin tube is developed based on local properties of refrigerant-oil mixture, and the measured local frictional pressure drop is well correlated with the empirical equation proposed by the authors. (author)

Sustainability labelling as a challenge to legitimacy: spillover effects of organic Fairtrade coffee on consumer perceptions of mainstream products and retailers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Anagnostou, A.; Ingenbleek, P.T.M.; Trijp, van J.C.M.

2015-01-01

Purpose – This study aims to better understand the impact of norm-challenging products on consumers’ perceptions of mainstream products and retailers. By showing that sustainable market offerings are feasible, products with sustainability labels, such as Fairtrade and organic products, implicitly

Compact Process for the Preparation of Microfine Spherical High-Niobium-Containing TiAl Alloy Powders

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, J. B.; Lu, X.; Liu, C. C.; Wang, L. N.; Qu, X. H.

2015-03-01

High-Nb-containing TiAl alloys are a new generation of materials for high-temperature structural applications because of their superior high-temperature mechanical properties. The alloy powders can be widely used for additive manufacturing, thermal spraying, and powder metallurgy. Because of the difficulty of making microfine spherical alloy powders in quantity by conventional techniques, a compact method was proposed, which consisted of two-step ball milling of elemental powders and subsequent radio frequency (RF) argon plasma spheroidization. In comparison with conventional mechanical alloying techniques, the two-step milling process can be used to prepare alloy powders with uniform scale in a short milling time with no addition of process control agent. This makes the process effective and less contaminating. After RF argon plasma spheroidization, the powders produced exhibit good sphericity, and the number-average diameter is about 8.2 μm with a symmetric unimodal particle size distribution. The powders perform high composition homogeneity and contain predominately supersaturated α 2-Ti3Al phase. The oxygen and carbon contents of the spheroidized powder are 0.47% and 0.050%, respectively.

National and International Standardization (International Organization for Standardization and European Committee for Standardization Relevant for Sustainability in Construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Morbiducci

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Sustainability in construction has a short history in terms of principles, standardizations and applications. From the Brundtland Report “Our Common Future”, a new vision of the resource deficits, climate impacts and the social responsibility gave growth to the idea of sustainability also in design and construction. Consequently, in around 2000, the international and national organizations for standardization started to develop standards for the application of sustainable principles. This paper gives an overview of existing and planned standards, and examples on how to use them as a framework for the development of methods and tools for assessment.

Volunteer Tourism as a Sustainable Form of Tourism—The Case of Organized Events

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristína Pompurová

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on volunteer tourism as a sustainable form of tourism relating to the volunteer service at a tourism destination and specific tourism activities. The aim of the paper is to explore volunteer tourism in Slovakia with examples of organized events, especially to search exactly how event’s organizers support the development of domestic and inbound volunteer tourism in Slovakia. This paper is based on a sociological survey. We addressed 653 heterogeneous event’s organizers in Slovakia. 18% of them participated in the questionnaire survey. The collected data were processed by selected mathematical and statistical methods in SPSS statistics program. As such, we found most events organizers team up with volunteers. Only half of the organizers cooperate with local volunteers, while the second half also support the development of volunteer tourism engaging in voluntourism. In the case of attractive events, the engagement of voluntourists could be more effective. The current situation has resulted from missing information about the management of volunteers but it could be improved through an e-manual for event organizers providing an outline guide for volunteer management.

Exergy sustainability.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinett, Rush D. III (.; ); Wilson, David Gerald; Reed, Alfred W.

2006-05-01

Exergy is the elixir of life. Exergy is that portion of energy available to do work. Elixir is defined as a substance held capable of prolonging life indefinitely, which implies sustainability of life. In terms of mathematics and engineering, exergy sustainability is defined as the continuous compensation of irreversible entropy production in an open system with an impedance and capacity-matched persistent exergy source. Irreversible and nonequilibrium thermodynamic concepts are combined with self-organizing systems theories as well as nonlinear control and stability analyses to explain this definition. In particular, this paper provides a missing link in the analysis of self-organizing systems: a tie between irreversible thermodynamics and Hamiltonian systems. As a result of this work, the concept of ''on the edge of chaos'' is formulated as a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for stability and performance of sustainable systems. This interplay between exergy rate and irreversible entropy production rate can be described as Yin and Yang control: the dialectic synthesis of opposing power flows. In addition, exergy is shown to be a fundamental driver and necessary input for sustainable systems, since exergy input in the form of power is a single point of failure for self-organizing, adaptable systems.

The sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

In the framework of the sustainable development week (june 2003), Actu Environnement published a complete document on the sustainable development to inform the public, recall the main steps of this notion (Rio conference and the following conferences) and the possible employments. It presents also the main organizations acting in the sustainable development domain. (A.L.B.)

Sustainable Agricultural Marketing Initiatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hakan Adanacıoğlu

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Sustainable marketing is a holistic approach that puts equal emphasis on environmental, social equity, and economic concerns in the development of marketing strategies. The purpose of the study is to examine and discuss the sustainable agricultural marketing initiatives practiced throughout the World and Turkey, and to put forth suggestions to further improve the performance of agricultural marketing initiatives in Turkey. Some of the sustainable agricultural marketing initiatives practiced around the world are carried out through civil organizations. Furthermore; some of these initiatives have also launched by farmers, consumers, food processors and retailers. The long-term strategies to increase these initiatives should be determined due to the fact that examples of successful sustainable agricultural marketing initiatives are inadequate and cannot be spread in Turkey. In this context, first of all, the supports provided by the government to improve agricultural marketing systems, such as EU funds for rural development should be compatible with the goals of sustainable marketing. For this purpose, it should be examined whether all proposed projects related to agricultural marketing meet the social, economic, and environmental principles of sustainable marketing. It is important that supporting organizations, especially civil society organisations, should take an active role for faster dissemination and adoption of sustainable agricultural marketing practices in Turkey. These organizations may provide technical assistance in preparing successful project proposals and training to farm groups. In addition, the other organizations, such as local administrations, producers' associations, cooperatives, can contribute to the success of sustainable agricultural marketing initiatives. The use of direct marketing strategies and vertical integration attempts in sustainable agricultural marketing initiatives that will likely be implemented in Turkey is

Organic vs. organic - soil arthropods as bioindicators of ecological sustainability in greenhouse system experiment under Mediterranean conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Madzaric, Suzana; Ceglie, F G; Depalo, L; Al Bitar, L; Mimiola, G; Tittarelli, F; Burgio, G

2017-11-23

Organic greenhouse (OGH) production is characterized by different systems and agricultural practices with diverse environmental impact. Soil arthropods are widely used as bioindicators of ecological sustainability in open field studies, while there is a lack of research on organic production for protected systems. This study assessed the soil arthropod abundance and diversity over a 2-year crop rotation in three systems of OGH production in the Mediterranean. The systems under assessment differed in soil fertility management: SUBST - a simplified system of organic production, based on an input substitution approach (use of guano and organic liquid fertilizers), AGROCOM - soil fertility mainly based on compost application and agroecological services crops (ASC) cultivation (tailored use of cover crops) as part of crop rotation, and AGROMAN - animal manure and ASC cultivation as part of crop rotation. Monitoring of soil fauna was performed by using pitfall traps and seven taxa were considered: Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Araneae, Opiliones, Isopoda, Myriapoda, and Collembola. Results demonstrated high potential of ASC cultivation as a technique for beneficial soil arthropod conservation in OGH conditions. SUBST system was dominated by Collembola in all crops, while AGROMAN and AGROCOM had more balanced relative abundance of Isopoda, Staphylinidae, and Aranea. Opiliones and Myriapoda were more affected by season, while Carabidae were poorly represented in the whole monitoring period. Despite the fact that all three production systems are in accordance with the European Union regulation on organic farming, findings of this study displayed significant differences among them and confirmed the suitability of soil arthropods as bioindicators in protected systems of organic farming.

Transitions towards sustainable agriculture: the organic apiculture niche in an Argentinean cooperative

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maximiliano Vila Seoane

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This article argues that it is possible to transform innovation pathways in natural-resource-based industries towards more sustainable ones. In particular, it employs the socio-technical transitions framework to understand the structural barriers that the industrial agricultural system puts to COOPSOL, an Argentinean cooperative project of organic apiculture. The article is based on qualitative data that systematize, on the one hand, the pressures for continuity and change in the agricultural system. On the other hand, the data reveal the main perceptions of COOPSOL´s actors about the existing structural limits.

Environmental Orientation of Small Enterprises: Can Microcredit-Assisted Microenterprises be “Green”?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. K. M. Shahidullah

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to explore, both theoretically and empirically, the ecological impacts of small-scale entrepreneurial ventures in developing countries. To this end, six microenterprises in rural southwestern Bangladesh established using green-microcredit strategies were evaluated in terms of goals, operational procedures, economic viability, social contributions, and impact on local ecological sustainability. This research revealed that the majority of such enterprises are not only sustainable and comply with current ecological standards, but also contribute a considerable number of vital ecosystem services while simultaneously maintaining suitably high profit margins to promise long-term economic viability. These findings indicate that microenterprises given environmental guidance by developmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs—especially NGOs microfinance institutions, NGO-MFIs—have the potential to make significant ecological contributions and address the issue of climate change from the bottom of the social ladder upwards.

Sustainable Utility of Magnetically Recyclable Nano-Catalysts in Water: Applications in Organic Synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manoj B. Gawande

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Magnetically recyclable nano-catalysts and their use in aqueous media is a perfect combination for the development of greener sustainable methodologies in organic synthesis. It is well established that magnetically separable nano-catalysts avoid waste of catalysts or reagents and it is possible to recover >95% of catalysts, which is again recyclable for subsequent use. Water is the ideal medium to perform the chemical reactions with magnetically recyclable nano-catalysts, as this combination adds tremendous value to the overall benign reaction process development. In this review, we highlight recent developments inthe use of water and magnetically recyclable nano-catalysts (W-MRNs for a variety of organic reactions namely hydrogenation, condensation, oxidation, and Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions, among others.

Innovating for sustainability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The theme of the articles is innovating for sustainability. Empirically the articles shows how enterprises makes environmental innovations related to their processes and products within the organic dairy industry, the fish processing industry and the car industry.......The theme of the articles is innovating for sustainability. Empirically the articles shows how enterprises makes environmental innovations related to their processes and products within the organic dairy industry, the fish processing industry and the car industry....

Sustainable Disruptions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friis, Silje Alberthe Kamille; Kjær, Lykke Bloch

2016-01-01

Since 2012 the Sustainable Disruptions (SD) project at the Laboratory for Sustainability at Design School Kolding (DK) has developed and tested a set of design thinking tools, specifically targeting the barriers to economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable business development....... The tools have been applied in practice in collaboration with 11 small and medium sized companies (SMEs). The study investigates these approaches to further understand how design thinking can contribute to sustainable transition in a business context. The study and the findings are relevant to organizations...... invested in the issue of sustainable business development, in particular the leaders and employees of SMEs, but also to design education seeking new ways to consciously handle and teach the complexity inherent in sustainable transformation. Findings indicate that the SD design thinking approach contributes...

Strategic Decision Making for Organizational Sustainability: The Implications of Servant Leadership and Sustainable Leadership Approaches

OpenAIRE

Judita Peterlin; Noel J. Pearse; Vlado Dimovski

2015-01-01

This conceptual paper explores the implications of servant leadership and sustainable leadership for strategic decision making by the top management of an organization. It is argued that a different type of leadership is required if effective strategic decisions are to be made in organizations striving to become more sustainable and that servant leadership and sustainable leadership approaches provide a sound basis to inform these decisions. The contributions of these two leadership approache...

Sustainability in Organizations: The Application of the Gaia Method for Managing Environmental Impact on a Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Celso Giancarlo Duarte de Mazo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article demonstrates a method of managing environmental impacts, thus assessing the degree of sustainability of an organization.As an object of study, the GAIA (Gerenciamento de Aspectos e Impactos Ambientais = Management of Environmental Aspects and Impacts method for management of environmental aspects and impacts was used, based on the development of three fundamental stages: awareness, knowledge and training, having been applied to a small company in the baking business. A bibliographical research on business sustainability was carried out so theoretical basis could support field research. By way of a questionnaire and interviews, it was identified that the company has sustainability indicators at a good level, as the GAIA method states. The research presented data that confirm the efficiency of the GAIA method, with the identification of data that make it possible to determine strategies to develop actions that improve the company’s social and environmental sustainability. For future studies, we suggest that the focus of this method be expanded, thus deepening the issue of socioeconomic indicators.

Sustainability and Risk Disclosure: An Exploratory Study on Sustainability Reports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisa Truant

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Recent policy changes in sustainability reporting, such as the ones related to the new European Directive on non-financial disclosure (2014/95/EU, the standards issued by the American Sustainability Accounting Standard Board (SASB, the G4 guidelines issued by the Global Sustainability Standard Board (GSSB, and the framework of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC stress the importance of extending the disclosure of ethical, social, and environmental risks within financial and social-environmental reporting. Institutional pressure has notably increased among organizations, in setting up risk management tools to understand sustainability risks within managerial and reporting practices. Given such institutional pressure, the corporate reaction in providing additional sustainability risk disclosure calls for attention and scrutiny. Therefore, this study aims at addressing such issues from an exploratory perspective. We based our analysis on a sample of large Italian organizations that issued sustainability disclosure in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI, G4 guidelines, and we tested the relationship between their level of risk disclosure and other relevant variables. Consistently with the literature, we found that “experienced” sustainable reporters provide a significant volume of disclosure, and that disclosure quality on risk is positively influenced by their international presence and reporting experience. However, when accounting for specific risk-related areas of disclosure, only a few of them seem to adopt a managerial perspective linking strategy, risk metrics, and disclosure.

Sustainability Infused Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Ibarra, D. L.

2015-12-01

The Independent Schools Foundation Academy (ISF) in Hong Kong established a sustainability policy in 2015, which explicitly states, "an experimentally integrated, environmentally and ethically sustainable system of science education and conservation practices based on the 2012 Jeju Declaration of the World Conservation Congress will be implemented through the school". ISF Academy is a private Chinese bilingual school in Hong Kong serving over 1500 students K-12, following the framework and curriculum of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). The strategy behind the implementation of this policy includes: development of a scientific sustainable curriculum that is age appropriate; establish a culture of sustainability within the ISF community and beyond to the wider HK community; install sustainable infrastructure that allows students to learn; and learn first hand sustainable living practices. It is well understood that solutions to the environmental challenges facing Hong Kong and our planet will require multiple disciplines. The current sustainability programs at ISF include: a) a whole school aerobic food waste composting system and organic farming, b) energy consumption monitoring of existing buildings, c) upcoming installation of an air pollution monitoring equipment that will correlate with the AQHI data collected by the Hong Kong government, d) a Renewable Energy Education Center (REEC) that will teach students about RE and also produce solar energy for classroom consumption, and e) student lead environmental group that manages the paper and used cooking oil recycling on campus. The Shuyuan Science and Sustainability faculty work closely with classroom teachers to ensure that the above mentioned projects are incorporated into the curriculum throughout the school. Interdisciplinary units (IDU) of study are being developed that encourage faculty and students to work across subject areas. Projects include Personal Projects, Extended Essays

Standards of socially responsible management – Impact on sustainable development of the organization, the social and natural environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Peršič

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to outline the results of a study on the importance of the introduction/implementation of standards of socially responsible management and their impact on the business performance of organizations as well as to confirm the correlations with the sustainable development of the broader social and natural environment. The research included a population of medium-sized and large organizations (over 50 employees in the fields of marketing services in the Republic of Slovenia. Research results confirmed a direct link of understanding the management standards in organizations with a larger number of employees and the achieved higher income from operations. Research participants are familiar with the requirements of the Quality Management System Standard ISO 9001 and the Environmental Management System Standard ISO 14001, which is particularly significant for older business executives with many years of work experience in the company they run. The hypothesis that the implementation of the principles of social responsibility has a positive impact on sustainable development and the financial indicators of the organization – higher profits, business growth, productivity and cost-effectiveness in operations – has been confirmed.

Sustainable processing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Niels Heine

2004-01-01

Kristensen_NH and_Beck A: Sustainable processing. In Otto Schmid, Alexander Beck and Ursula Kretzschmar (Editors) (2004): Underlying Principles in Organic and "Low-Input Food" Processing - Literature Survey. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland. ISBN 3-906081-58-3...

Swedish Consumers' Perception of Food Quality and Sustainability in Relation to Organic Food Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosona, Techane; Gebresenbet, Girma

2018-04-01

Consumers' demand for locally produced and organic foods has increased in Sweden. This paper presents the results obtained from the analysis of data acquired from 100 consumers in Sweden who participated in an online survey during March to June 2016. The objective was to identify consumers' demand in relation to organic food and sustainable food production, and to understand how the consumers evaluate food quality and make buying decisions. Qualitative descriptions, descriptive statistics and Pearson's Chi-square test (with alpha value of p price were found to be relatively less important parameters. Food buying decisions and food quality were found to be highly related with Pearson's correlation coefficient of r = 0.99.

Assessment of Sustainability of Sports Events (Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra Golob

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Events industry plays an important role in nowadays economy and can have a substantial impact for a successful business; in addition, sustainability-oriented tourism is becoming an important component of development and planning of a tourist destination. Thus, organizing sustainability-oriented events is crucial and should focus on the zero waste event management and consider as many elements of sustainable development as possible. The same stands for organizing sports events. The aim of this paper was to find out to which level the organizers of existing sports events in Slovenia are taking into account different domains of sustainable development. Answering to a common questionnaire the organizers gave us a feedback considering four main areas: environmental, social, cultural, and economic criteria. The plan was to determine the level of sustainability of three sports events and compare them to each other according to the outstanding areas as well as to draw the attention to the importance of organizing sustainability-oriented sports events and minimizing negative effects of those. Since the field of research is complex, dynamic, and has an interdisciplinary character the results were attained using the DEX software which supports a qualitative approach and allows the modelling of complex decision-making processes with a large number of parameters and alternatives. Such methodology enables the input of a preliminary set of sustainability criteria and can be used as a support when deciding on the evaluation of sustainability of events in general.

'Sustainability does not quite get the attention it deserves': synergies and tensions in the sustainability frames of Australian food policy actors.

Science.gov (United States)

Trevena, Helen; Kaldor, Jenny Claire; Downs, Shauna M

2015-09-01

The development of food policy is strongly influenced by the understanding and position actors adopt in their 'framing' of sustainability. The Australian Government developed a National Food Plan (2010-2013). In public consultations on the National Food Plan Green Paper, the government sought stakeholders' views on sustainability. The present study examined the way in which the food industry and civil society organizations framed sustainability in their submissions to the Green Paper. Submissions by food industry actors and civil society organizations were analysed using a framing matrix that examined positioning, drivers, underlying principles and policy solutions related to sustainability. Submissions were open coded and subsequently organized based on themes within the framing matrix. Australia. One hundred and twenty-four written submissions (1420 pages). While submissions from industry and civil society organizations often framed sustainability similarly, there were also major differences. Civil society organizations were more likely to make the link between the food supply and population health, while industry was more likely to focus on economic sustainability. Both viewed consumer demand as a driver of sustainability, welcomed the idea of a whole-of-government approach and stressed the need for investment in research and development to improve productivity and sustainable farming practices. The meaning of sustainability shifted throughout the policy process. There are opportunities for creating shared value in food policy, where the health, environment and economic dimensions of sustainability can be compatible. However, despite pockets of optimism there is a need for a shared vision of sustainability if Australia is to have a food policy integrating these dimensions.

Board structure and performance in Ethiopian microfinance institutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Letenah Ejigu Wale

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This research investigated the effect of one governance dimension, board structure on the sustainability and outreach performance of Ethiopian MFIs. A panel data of 13 MFIs for 6 years (2003-2008 is used for the study. No study of such type is conducted in the past for the Ethiopian environment. The results indicate an experienced manager, a larger board size and educated board members all help to increase sustainability with board education having the largest effect. Manager experience and board size also have a negative effect on depth of outreach (i.e. less lending to women. Board independence has no visible effect on either sustainability or outreach. Surprisingly, no governance variable explains breath of outreach

Specificities of sustainable tourism planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jegdić Vaso

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the past two decades, companies have been mentioning achievement of sustainability in their activities as a target of companies, governments and non-profit organizations, although measuring the degree to which an organization conducts its activities in a sustainable manner, can be very difficult. Sustainable tourism development requires a process of planning and management that will unite the interests of various stakeholders in a sustainable and strategic way. It requires an understanding of the meaning of sustainable development and guiding values for promoting sustainable tourism. The paper points to the importance of cross-sector partnerships and the roles of different stakeholders in the planning of sustainable tourism projects. Special importance is given to the community of which a willingness to understand the impacts of tourism industry is expected, as well as various procedures of engagement in participatory planning, consensus building and conflict resolution among all stakeholders. The aim of this research is to find an optimal model of planning of sustainable tourism projects that would take into consideration the interests of all stakeholders and reflect the specificities imposed by the acceptance of the concept of sustainable development by all participants in the project.

Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities: Assistance from Grantees

Science.gov (United States)

EPA awarded Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities grants to four nonprofit organizations with extensive expertise in community sustainability. These organizations deliver technical assistance to communities.

Reactive or proactive approach towards sustainability? A conceptual framework based on sustainable business models to increase stakeholders' sustainable value capture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosati, Francesco; Morioka, Sandra; Monteiro de Carvalho, Marly

2016-01-01

and challenging companies to seek for business opportunities with an entrepreneurial attitude to help solving sustainable development challenges. By combining both approaches, organizations have the opportunity to increase sustainable value capture by its stakeholders, acting on their institutional responsibility...... as instrument to help companies describe, analyze, manage and communicate their sustainable value proposition, creation, delivery and capture mechanism. In particular, this research focuses on value capture dynamics, aiming to explore how companies can increase their contribution to sustainable development...... sustainability. In this sense, a proactive approach to foster sustainable value capture can complement the reactive approach by delivering value beyond stakeholders' expectations. In this case, companies use their capabilities to identify opportunities to create and deliver sustainable value that stakeholders...

Sustainability Performance and CSR Disclosure: The Missing Link

OpenAIRE

Siyuan Seth Li; Marie-Claude Boudreau; Mark Huber; Richard T. Watson

2013-01-01

Sustainability disclosure is a topic of great interest among academics and practitioners. As a key means of disclosing an organization’s sustainability information, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) report is adopted by most organizations nowadays. It also becomes an important information source for stakeholders. However, there is a concern that many stakeholders perceive CSR reports are reflections of the sustainability performance of organizations. This misunderstanding could lead...

AESIS: a support tool for the evaluation of sustainability of agroecosystems. Example of applications to organic and integrated farming systems in Tuscany, Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaio Cesare Pacini

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Agricultural researchers widely recognise the importance of sustainable agricultural production systems and the need to develop appropriate methods to measure sustainability on the farm level. Policy makers need accounting and evaluation tools to be able to assess the potential of sustainable production practices and to provide appropriate agro-environmental policy measures. Farmers are in search of sustainable management tools to cope with regulations and enhance efficiency. This paper presents the outcomes of applications to organic and integrated farming of an indicator-based framework to evaluate sustainability of farming systems (Agro-Environmental Sustainability Information System, AESIS. The AESIS was described together with a review of applications dating from 1991 in a previous paper. The objective of the present paper is to present the AESIS application to organic and integrated farming systems in Val d’Elsa (Tuscany and discuss how it is adapted for application to ordinary farms. The AESIS is organised into a number of environmental and production systems. For each system, environmental critical points are identified with corresponding agro-environmental indicators and processing methods. Possible solutions to sustainability issues, and critical points of relevance to the agricultural sector of the local economic and agro-ecological zone, are formulated by including an experimental layout, identifying indicator thresholds and by defining management systems with corresponding policy measures. Alternative solutions are evaluated by calculating and measuring the relevant indicators. The outcomes of the AESIS applications are discussed with specific relevance to the operational adoptability of AESIS to ordinary, agri-touristic farms managed with the organic and the integrated production method, respectively. The AESIS framework proved to be sufficiently flexible to meet the requirements for ordinary farm applications while keeping a

Country differences in sustainable consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thøgersen, John

2010-01-01

In a sustainability perspective, consumption research has an unfortunate individualizing bias, which means that macro and structural causes of unsustainable consumption tend to be ignored. Hence, a comprehensive model of determinants of the sustainability of consumption is developed and applied...... on a specific case: organic food consumption. The analyzed data are published research on why consumer purchase of organic food products differs between countries. As expected, organic food's share of total food consumption depends heavily on political regulation, including legal definitions and standards...

Organic Coffee for a Sustainable Development in Peru : A qualitative study on how Peruvian coffee farmers’ development is affected by choosing organic cultivation and certification

OpenAIRE

Brink, Klas Marcus

2013-01-01

Abstract Title: Organic Coffee for a sustainable development in Peru -­‐ A qualitative study on how Peruvian coffee farmers’ development is affected by choosing organic cultivation and certification Seminar date: 2013-­‐05-­‐31 University: Mälardalen University Västerås Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering Level: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration Course name: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, FÖA 300, 15 ECTS Author: Marcus Brink 1987-­‐05-­‐10 Tutor...

Attitudes of green organizations' personnel toward genuine sustainable development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Allevato, Camillo

2017-01-01

Layman's summary: This thesis dissertation concerns the identification of the main factors that influence attitudes towards genuine sustainable development, in order to identify strategies that will be more effective in education for quality sustainable development. In the pursuit of genuine

Building a Sustainable Future: A Report on the Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Sustainability Pilots

Science.gov (United States)

This report describes each of the Brownfields Sustainability Pilots and provides findings and recommendations for future projects. It is intended for use by people, communities, organizations, and agencies helping make brownfields more sustainable.

Sustainability and Organizational Change by Sustainable Crediting Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragoş Ilie

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that one of the therapies to achieve sustainability and organizational change in the context of current challenges in the national economies is sustainable crediting. The research method is based on a survey of 30 commercial companies from various fields of activity that have or have not implemented, at the leadership level, the concept of sustainable crediting. The data collecting and processing approach has resulted in the determination of the main economic-financial indicators for a period of 5 years, indicators used by banks in relation with the credited organizations. The main results show that companies that have implemented the sustainable crediting concept are more able to achieve sustainability in their developed activity, as well as organizational change with positive effects on their business and on the company as a whole. The concept of sustainable crediting implies the capitalization of the commercial companies, the increase of the loan portfolio quality, the achievement of the financial balance and environmental protection

Prediction of friction factor of pure water flowing inside vertical smooth and microfin tubes by using artificial neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Çebi, A.; Akdoğan, E.; Celen, A.; Dalkilic, A. S.

2017-02-01

An artificial neural network (ANN) model of friction factor in smooth and microfin tubes under heating, cooling and isothermal conditions was developed in this study. Data used in ANN was taken from a vertically positioned heat exchanger experimental setup. Multi-layered feed-forward neural network with backpropagation algorithm, radial basis function networks and hybrid PSO-neural network algorithm were applied to the database. Inputs were the ratio of cross sectional flow area to hydraulic diameter, experimental condition number depending on isothermal, heating, or cooling conditions and mass flow rate while the friction factor was the output of the constructed system. It was observed that such neural network based system could effectively predict the friction factor values of the flows regardless of their tube types. A dependency analysis to determine the strongest parameter that affected the network and database was also performed and tube geometry was found to be the strongest parameter of all as a result of analysis.

Economic evaluation of a combined microfinance and gender training intervention for the prevention of intimate partner violence in rural South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Jan, Stephen; Ferrari, Giulia; Watts, Charlotte H; Hargreaves, James R; Kim, Julia C; Phetla, Godfrey; Morison, Linda A; Porter, John D; Barnett, Tony; Pronyk, Paul M

2011-09-01

Assess the cost-effectiveness of an intervention combining microfinance with gender and HIV training for the prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV) in South Africa. We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a cluster-randomized trial. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of the intervention in both the trial and initial scale-up phase. We estimated the cost per DALY gained as US$7688 for the trial phase and US$2307 for the initial scale-up. The findings were sensitive to the statistical uncertainty in effect estimates but otherwise robust to other key assumptions employed in the analysis. The findings suggest that this combined economic and health intervention was cost-effective in its trial phase and highly cost-effective in scale-up. These estimates are probably conservative, as they do not include the health and development benefits of the intervention beyond IPV reduction.

Strategic Decision Making for Organizational Sustainability: The Implications of Servant Leadership and Sustainable Leadership Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judita Peterlin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This conceptual paper explores the implications of servant leadership and sustainable leadership for strategic decision making by the top management of an organization. It is argued that a different type of leadership is required if effective strategic decisions are to be made in organizations striving to become more sustainable and that servant leadership and sustainable leadership approaches provide a sound basis to inform these decisions. The contributions of these two leadership approaches are explored, before considering the implications for leadership development. Particularly, the inclusion in leadership development programmes of values based leadership, and the development of integrative thinking, is discussed.

Eco-innovation, Responsible Leadership and Organizational Change for Corporate Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorel Mihai Paraschiv

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Creating a sustainable development strategy is essential for organizations that seek to reduce risks associated with tightening legislation, increased energy prices and natural resources and growing customer demands. Sustainability requires the full integration of social and environmental aspects into the vision, culture and operations of an organization, a profound process of organizational change being essential. The purpose of this paper is to present the main drivers of corporate sustainability, illustrating – after a thorough literature review – the link between the following elements: corporate sustainability – a necessity in the current global context; eco-innovation – as a way to implement sustainability in an organization; responsible leadership – as the art of building and maintaining strong and moral relationships with all stakeholders; organizational culture and organizational change – the basic elements through which organizations continuously renew their processes and products, adapting them to the new context. Furthermore, the paper provides an overview of organizations active in Romania in terms of sustainability practices, in general, and the ecological component of sustainable development, in particular, by presenting the results of an exploratory questionnaire-based research. The research reflects the importance of visionary management in adopting and implementing sustainability in the responding organizations.

Creating a Culture of Sustainability using Mission Statements of Cooperative Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nooraslinda Abdul Aris

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Mission statements are recognized as effective strategic management tools that influence firms’ performance. The evolution of a culture of sustainability begins with a mission statement that strikes a balance between financial performance and social commitments. The clear articulation of sustainability as part of the firm’s mission, values, goals, and strategy are key factors in fostering sustainability focused culture. This study illustrates the fundamental tenets of the culture of organizational sustainability model proposed by Galpin, Whitttington, and Bell (2015 using selected cooperatives in Malaysia. The contents of the mission statements were then analyze using the nine elements model by Pearce and David (1987 in findings its relations to and the existence of sustainability culture within the cooperatives. Findings from the study confirm building an organizational infrastructure that fosters a culture of sustainability results in positive employee and organizational-level sustainability performance. A reference was made to Bank Rakyat, one of the leading cooperative-based banking in the country for its outstanding performance.

Sustainable Agriculture: Cover Cropping

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Megan

2018-01-01

Sustainable agriculture practices are increasingly being used by farmers to maintain soil quality, increase biodiversity, and promote production of food that is environmentally safe. There are several types of sustainable agriculture practices such as organic farming, crop rotation, and aquaculture. This lesson plan focuses on the sustainable…

Sustainability of US Organic Beef and Dairy Production Systems: Soil, Plant and Cattle Interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathy J. Soder

2013-07-01

Full Text Available In 2010, the National Organic Program implemented a rule for the US stating that pasture must be a significant source of feed in organic ruminant systems. This article will focus on how the pasture rule has impacted the management, economics and nutritional value of products derived from organic ruminant systems and the interactions of grazing cattle with pasture forages and soils. The use of synthetic fertilizers is prohibited in organic systems; therefore, producers must rely on animal manures, compost and cover crops to increase and maintain soil nitrogen content. Rotational and strip grazing are two of the most common grazing management practices utilized in grazing ruminant production systems; however, these practices are not exclusive to organic livestock producers. For dairy cattle, grazing reduces foot and leg problems common in confinement systems, but lowers milk production and exposes cows to parasites that can be difficult to treat without pharmaceuticals. Organic beef cattle may still be finished in feedlots for no more than 120 days in the US, but without growth hormones and antibiotics, gains may be reduced and illnesses increased. Grazing reduces the use of environmentally and economically costly concentrate feeds and recycles nutrients back to the soil efficiently, but lowers the rate of beef liveweight gain. Increased use of pasture can be economically, environmentally and socially sustainable if forage use efficiency is high and US consumers continue to pay a premium for organic beef and dairy products.

Crowdsourced Microfinance for Energy Efficiency in Underserved Communities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baird, Donnel [BlocPower LLC, New York, NY (United States); Cox, Morris [BlocPower LLC, New York, NY (United States); Harmarneh, Sarey [BlocPower LLC, New York, NY (United States); Zheng, Chen [BlocPower LLC, New York, NY (United States)

2017-06-21

BlocPower’s mission is to provide access to energy efficiency financing for underserved communities across the United States. This project, “Crowdsourced Microfinance for Energy Efficiency in Underserved Communities,” is an extension of that goal and is grounded in the principles of providing engineering and financing services to those in need. The project is based on the creation of a BlocPower Marketplace as a central hub for connecting shovel-ready green buildings to institutional investors. This ‘connection’ entails using online crowdfunding to aggregate debt and equity capital from institutional investors to connect to customers (building owners) across various financial portfolios. BlocPower Marketplace is intended to bring social, environmental, and financial returns to investors while also decreasing investor risk by loaning out funds for energy installations in individual buildings. In detail, the intended benefits of crowdsourcing are two-sided. Firstly, for building owners, clean energy retrofit installations improve building operations, reduce utility costs, and reduce harmful impacts to their surrounding environment. Secondly, for institutional investors, they gain access to a new market of energy efficiency and are able to provide debt or equity capital with high financial returns. This gives investors the opportunity to create social and environmental impact in communities around the country as well. With this in mind, BlocPower designed the marketplace to specifically answer exploratory research questions with respect to the pricing of energy financing. Institutional investors typically charge high rates on project financing solutions in the energy space, particularly in low and middle-income communities, because of fears that required debt service will not be made. This makes access to energy capital exorbitantly difficult for those that need it the most. Through this project, BlocPower tested investor appetite to determine if

Strategic Leadership of Corporate Sustainability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strand, Robert

2014-01-01

Strategic leadership and corporate sustainability have recently come together in conspicuously explicit fashion through the emergence of top management team (TMT) positions with dedicated corporate sustainability responsibilities. These TMT positions, commonly referred to as 'Chief Sustainability......? What effects do corporate sustainability TMT positions have at their organizations? We consider these questions through strategic leadership and neoinstitutional theoretical frameworks. Through the latter, we also engage with Weberian considerations of bureaucracy. We find that the reasons why...

A Sustainable Evaluation Framework and Its Application

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Robert B.; Stern, Marc J.; Ardoin, Nicole

2006-01-01

This article presents a framework for developing internally sustainable evaluation systems for environmental education organizations, although the framework can be applied to other types of organizations. The authors developed a sustainable evaluation framework (SEF) with the intent of creating an evaluation system that could be self-administered…

Sustainable Academia : Translating the Vision of a Fully Sustainable University into a Measurable Reality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maragakis, A.

2017-01-01

There is a growing public expectation that universities should start focusing on delivering sustainability. The topic of sustainability in higher education has gathered a significant amount of interest from students, academics, governments and international organizations.

With a plethora of

Sustainable Lifestyle Marketing of Individuals: the Base of Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mira Rakic

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This paper highlights the sustainable lifestyle marketing of an individual (SLMOI. The SLMOI is the activity, a set of institutions and processes for creating, communicating and maintaining the sustainable lifestyle of an individual (SLOI. The SLOI is an individual’s sustainability-oriented pattern of living represented by his or her activities, interests and opinions. The SLOI refers to a sustainable pattern of life (daily activities within the family, a sustainable pattern of consumption, a sustainable pattern of work and production (as employees in organizations and a sustainable pattern of behavior in the society and the environment they live in. The SLOI reflects an individual’s choices with respect to spending time, money and energy in accordance with the sustainable pattern of life. The SLOI stands for sustainable behavioral patterns on the basis of attitudes and values. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the attitudes of the population towards sustainable lifestyles and the SLMOI (performed by different actors and behaviors on the basis of attitudes.Using a face-to-face questionnaire interview, the study was conducted on a sample of 400 citizens of Serbia. There are three key conclusions. First, the SLMOI leads to the SLOI, and the SLOI further leads to sustainability. Second, the creation and maintenance of the SLOI is a long-term process. Third, a holistic approach is needed as well as the engagement of numerous actors in that process of creating and maintaining the SLOI.

On the Applicability of the Green Chemistry Principles to Sustainability of Organic Matter on Asteroids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vera M. Kolb

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The connection between astrobiology and green chemistry represents a new approach to sustainability of organic matter on asteroids or similar bodies. Green chemistry is chemistry which is environmentally friendly. One obvious way for chemistry to be green is to use water as a solvent, instead of more toxic organic solvents. Many astrobiological reactions occur in the aqueous medium, for example in the prebiotic soup or during the aqueous alteration period on asteroids. Thus any advances in the green organic reactions in water are directly applicable to astrobiology. Another green chemistry approach is to abolish use of toxic solvents. This can be accomplished by carrying out the reactions without a solvent in the solventless or solid-state reactions. The advances in these green reactions are directly applicable to the chemistry on asteroids during the periods when water was not available. Many reactions on asteroids may have been done in the solid mixtures. These reactions may be responsible for a myriad of organic compounds that have been isolated from the meteorites.

Defining Sustainability in the Business Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Bateh, Justin; Heaton, Camille; Arbogast, Gordon W.; Broadbent, Ardell

2013-01-01

Sustainability has become a buzzword in organizational research and ecological science. Much has been said about the role of sustainability for organizational development and markets. Thousands of organizations worldwide have adopted sustainability strategies to boost their productivity and develop a competitive advantage. Yet the concept of…

Leveraging microfinance to impact HIV and financial behaviors among adolescents and their mothers in West Bengal: a cluster randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Spielberg, Freya; Crookston, Benjamin T; Chanani, Sheila; Kim, Jaewhan; Kline, Sean; Gray, Bobbi L

2013-01-01

Microfinance can be used to reach women and adolescent girls with HIV prevention education. We report findings from a cluster-randomized control trial among 55 villages in West Bengal to determine the impact of non-formal education on knowledge, attitudes and behaviors for HIV prevention and savings. Multilevel regression models were used to evaluate differences between groups for key outcomes while adjusting for cluster correlation and differences in baseline characteristics. Women and girls who received HIV education showed significant gains in HIV knowledge, awareness that condoms can prevent HIV, self-efficacy for HIV prevention, and confirmed use of clean needles, as compared to the control group. Condom use was rare and did not improve for women. While HIV testing was uncommon, knowledge of HIV-testing resources significantly increased among girls, and trended in the positive direction among women in intervention groups. Conversely, the savings education showed no impact on financial knowledge or behavior change.

All projects related to tanzania | Page 6 | IDRC - International ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Free and Open Source Management Information Systems and Microfinance - Phase II ... Dutch nongovernmental organization (NGO), has built up considerable experience ... Topic: CLIMATE CHANGE, ADAPTATION TO CHANGE, WEATHER ...

ANALISIS EFISIENSI LEMBAGA KEUANGAN MIKRO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ihwan Susila

2007-12-01

Full Text Available This article discuss about microfinance organizations. The research based on analysis of efficiency of Badan Kredit Desa (BKD in Sukoharjo district in Central of Java Province. In the earlier, paper discuss about microfinance and its role in the economics development. Analysis data use Data Envelopment Analysis with three inputs and two outputs to analysis of financial performance and eight inputs and four outputs to analysis of general efficiency. This research found that from 169 BKD used as setting in this research, only 21 BKD have efficiency in finance performance and 73 BKD in general performance. In the future, microfinance organizations (BKD need innovation especially in the system which originated in developing countries where it has successfully enabled extremely impoverished people to engage in self-employment projects that allow them to generate an income and, in many cases, begin to build wealth and exit poverty. Due to the success of microcredit, many in the traditional banking industry have begun to realize that these microcredit borrowers should more correctly be categorized as pre-bankable; thus, microcredit is increasingly gaining credibility in the mainstream finance industry and many traditional large finance organizations are contemplating microcredit projects as a source of future growth.

Organizational Sustainability Practices: A Study of the Firms Listed by the Corporate Sustainability Index

OpenAIRE

Alamo Alexandre da Silva Batista; Antonio Carlos de Francisco

2018-01-01

Organizational sustainability (OS) has been guiding the decision-making process of managers in order to generate competitive advantage. This paper aims to identify the sustainable practices performed by large corporations in the implementation of OS. Reports with actions performed by large organizations and their reach in the three pillars of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social dimensions—are disclosed to their main stakeholders, based on short, medium and long-term sustainable...

A Dutch public-private strategy for innovation in sustainable construction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bossink, B.A.G.

2002-01-01

Influenced by the sustainable construction policy of the authorities, organizations in The Netherlands are developing, designing and building sustainable areas and objects. The actions of the authorities, authority-related organizations and commercial organizations in the Dutch construction industry

Assessment of the Conditions for Linking Microfinance to Household Biodigester Construction in Cambodia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandararot, K.; Dannet, L.

2006-10-15

This report presents a comprehensive assessment of the conditions for helping households finance the construction of a biodigester. A micro-credit programme for biodigester users was jointly designed by the National Biodigester Programme (NBP), Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). By using in-depth interviews, a household survey and a desk study, it was determined that the demand for biodigester market was significant, with 96.5% of the studied households possessing the capacity to operate a biodigester. The research for demand for micro-credit showed that households were indeed in need of a financial aid (84%) but the majority was unwilling to borrow credit due to fear of inability to repay it. The ones willing to borrow demanded a credit size of 400,000-1,200,000 riels. The MFIs contacted (ACLEDA, Amret, CEB, Prasac, HURREDO) were interested in lending a micro-credit to biodigester users but were also concerned for the credit as it was for consumption and not production. It appeared that credit conditions desired by potential biodigester users were overall in line with MFIs offered conditions, but an interest rate gap was also in place. Some of the extensive suggestions on how to alleviate the problem offered in the report place FMO in the centre of operations as a possible guarantor of default loans, among other duties. The challenges likely to arise because of a roll-out strategy (linking potential biodigester users with micro-credit), as well plausible solutions are presented as well.

Porous Iron-Carboxylate Metal-Organic Framework: A Novel Bioplatform with Sustained Antibacterial Efficacy and Nontoxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Sha; Liu, Xiangmei; Tan, Lei; Cui, Zhenduo; Yang, Xianjin; Yeung, Kelvin W K; Pan, Haobo; Wu, Shuilin

2017-06-07

Sustained drug release plays a critical role in targeting the therapy of local diseases such as bacterial infections. In the present work, porous iron-carboxylate metal-organic framework [MOF-53(Fe)] nanoparticles (NPs) were designed to entrap the vancomycin (Van) drugs. This system exhibited excellent chemical stability under acidic conditions (pH 7.4, 6.5, and 5.5) and much higher drug-loading capability because of the high porosity and large surface area of MOF NPs. The results showed that the drug-loading ratio of Van could reach 20 wt % and that the antibacterial ratio of the MOF-53(Fe)/Van system against Staphylococcus aureus could reach up to 90%. In addition, this MOF-53(Fe)/Van system exhibited excellent biocompatibility because of its chemical stability and sustained release of iron ions. Hence, these porous MOF NPs are a promising bioplatform not only for local therapy of bacterial infections but also for other biomedical therapies for tissue regeneration.

Sustainable Energy Survey. Main report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-02-01

This report shows the results of a quick survey of current developments in the Dutch sustainable energy market. The companies and organizations, which are all members of the branch organizations under the umbrella of the Duurzame Energie Koepel, were interviewed about their situation in relation to the credit crisis and their vision on what is needed to put a halt to (further) slumping in the sustainable energy branch and in fact to promote the growth in turnover and employment. [nl

Economic Sustainability of Organic Aloe Vera Farming in Greece under Risk and Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelos Liontakis

2016-04-01

Full Text Available During the last decade, an encouraging environment for the restructuring and modernization of the agricultural sector has formed in Greece. The diversification into higher-value crops can be a promising option for small and average-sized farms, particularly during the current economic crisis. One of the most promising alternative crops that have been recently established in Greece is the organic Aloe vera crop. The main advantage of this crop is that it can utilize poor farmlands and, therefore, can facilitate rural development in marginal areas. This study explores the economic sustainability of the Aloe vera crop, considering the embedded risk and uncertainty. The results indicate that organic aloe farming is a promising alternative to “traditional” crops in Greece, particularly for family farms in rural areas. In contrast, this activity is not advisable to the most entrepreneurial type of farmers, unless their crop size allows economies of scales. Finally, the Stochastic Efficiency with Respect to a Function (SERF analysis associates farmers’ risk attitude with their willingness to be involved in organic Aloe vera farming. SERF analysis highlights the crucial role of farmers’ risk aversion and concludes that, above a certain level of risk aversion, farmers have no incentive to adopt this economic activity.

Sustainable energy for all? Linking poor communities to modern energy services

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, Emma; Godfrey Wood, Rachel; Garside, Ben

2012-12-15

This paper explores energy delivery models that provide sustainable and clean energy services to the poor. Four key building blocks are: the implementation process, including finance, resource sourcing, conversion and end use; support services (additional services such as training or micro-finance facilities); the enabling environment of policies, regulations and incentives; and the socio-cultural context including local norms and preferences, decision-making structures and levels of social cohesion. A range of products and services targeted at communities located in diverse socio-cultural and geographical contexts are covered. Useful experiences are shared that can help to replicate or scale up successful models that link the poor to modern energy markets. The case studies were selected to illustrate a range of energy products and services, diverse socio-cultural contexts, various business models and partnerships, and varying degrees of formality in the markets under consideration. All of the case studies reveal the challenges of reaching the very poorest even with pro-poor innovations put in place. The four case studies explored in the paper are: The Project for Renewable Energy in Rural Markets (PERMER), Argentina; Portable solar product companies (Tough Stuff and d.light) in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; The Anagi stove in Sri Lanka; and, Micro-hydro development in Nepal (the Rural Energy Development Programme). Lessons learned are highlighted.

Organizational Learning and Sustainable Competitive Advantages (SCA): The Nigerian Experience

OpenAIRE

Omotayo Oyeniyi

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to test for core competencies of organizations in achieving sustainable competitive advantage within the service organizations in a developing economy like Nigeria. The paper specifically deals with the importance of organizational learning on sustainable competitive advantage and how it can be used to achieve sustainable advantage. Despite the wide spread importance attached to building sustainable competitive advantage, the relationship between organizational le...

The sustainable development; Le developpement durable

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

In the framework of the sustainable development week (june 2003), Actu Environnement published a complete document on the sustainable development to inform the public, recall the main steps of this notion (Rio conference and the following conferences) and the possible employments. It presents also the main organizations acting in the sustainable development domain. (A.L.B.)

Towards Sustainable Marketing: Strategy in Slovak Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juraj Chebeň

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Despite the growing attention that is being paid to sustainability in the literature, little empirical research has been conducted on developing the link between sustainability and marketing strategy and moreover, only a few empirical studies have investigated this issue in Central and Eastern Europe. The conducted empirical survey examines the relationship between marketing strategy and sustainability from the perspective of enterprises in Slovakia. The authors have used binary logistic regression as an evaluation method. The empirical findings are based on 896 responses from different forms of companies in Slovak Republic. The results show that the legal form of a business organization is a relevant determinant of philosophy of sustainability when organization defines a marketing strategy and implements it into corporate strategy. Based on the results it can also be concluded that the environmental aspect of sustainability is determined by the size of organization and the sector of national economy where a company operates, while the social aspect is mainly determined by the share of foreign capital in the ownership structure of an organisation. This study contributes to the European research that studies the relation between sustainability and the marketing strategy by means of an empirical investigation in business organisations in a transition economy such as Slovakia.

New Research in Organic Agriculture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

1996-01-01

The book is the proceedings from the bi-annual international scientific conference on organic agriculture. The chapters are: - plant and soil interactions, - animal production systems, - traditional knowledge in sustainable agriculture, - research, education and extension in sustainable agricultu......, - environmental impact and nature, - potentials of organic farming, - community, consumer and market, and - policy and financial strategies.......The book is the proceedings from the bi-annual international scientific conference on organic agriculture. The chapters are: - plant and soil interactions, - animal production systems, - traditional knowledge in sustainable agriculture, - research, education and extension in sustainable agriculture...

FA1105 BioGreenhouse (2012-04-19 – 2016-04-18) Towards a sustainable and productive EU organic greenhouse horticulture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijer, R.J.M.

2015-01-01

Organic greenhouse horticulture (OGH)(i.e the production in greenhouses or polytunnels)in the EU should
improve its sustainability, production and productivity. Emissions of nutrients and its footprint should be
reduced. Production and productivity are too low to meet the demand of the

FA1105 BioGreenhouse (2012-04-19 – 2016-04-18) Towards a sustainable and productive EU organic greenhouse horticulture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijer, R.J.M.

2015-01-01

Organic greenhouse horticulture (OGH)(i.e the production in greenhouses or polytunnels)in the EU should improve its sustainability, production and productivity. Emissions of nutrients and its footprint should be reduced. Production and productivity are too low to meet the demand of the society. The

SECURITY IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: COMPARING UNITED NATIONS 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH MILLENNIUM DECLARATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet BARBAK

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to compare United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with Millennium Declaration in terms of their security conceptualizations to explore changes in security thinking and policy components (goals, targets, principles, priorities etc. over time. In doing so, it is envisaged that United Nations’ expectations from member states regarding their national security policies and organizations could be revealed. Security thinking has changed since late 1980’s with the introduction of sustainable development approach by the United Nations. This shift in security thinking encompasses human security and security-development nexus. Holding all member states responsible, Millennium Declaration and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development constitute the primary and the most recent outcome documents of United Nations’ sustainable development policy. Both documents have security components. This enables extracting security elements and comparing them with an analytical manner. Consequently, findings are compared and discussed in terms of public policy and organization at national level.

A Scoring Tool for Websites – A Case of Sustainable Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed GOMAA

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a scoring tool to analyse company sustainability marketing efforts. We identify the expected scores for the companies selected on Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens of the year. The scoring tool is based on the aspects of sustainability and website quality and is divided into three categories: a user friendly, b transparency, and c content. The automation of the scoring tool benefits from a sustainability taxonomy to extract and evaluate the sustainability concepts and efforts mentioned by the companies. The tool scores the selected companies websites to determine the extent and quality of a company’s marketing of sustainability efforts. The result of applying the scoring tool shows that all companies in the list scored 8 to 14 in the user friendly section. In the transparency section, they scored 5 to 7, and in the content section they scored 6 to 10.

Creating a Culture of Sustainability using Mission Statements of Cooperative Organizations

OpenAIRE

Nooraslinda Abdul Aris; Rohana Othman; Wan Mohd Yusof Wan Chik; Safawi Abdul Rahman

2016-01-01

Mission statements are recognized as effective strategic management tools that influence firms’ performance. The evolution of a culture of sustainability begins with a mission statement that strikes a balance between financial performance and social commitments. The clear articulation of sustainability as part of the firm’s mission, values, goals, and strategy are key factors in fostering sustainability focused culture. This study illustrates the fundamental tenets of the culture of organizat...

New Partnerships for Sustainability (NEPSUS)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ponte, Stefano; Noe, Christine; Kweka, Opportuna

New and more complex partnerships are emerging to address the sustainability of natural resource use in developing countries. These partnerships variously link donors, governments, community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), business, certification agencies and other...

The Integrated Scorecard in support of corporate sustainability strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Journeault, Marc

2016-11-01

Organizations have increasingly recognized the importance and benefits of developing a sustainability strategy that incorporates environmental and social responsibilities. However, the simultaneous integration of the economic, environmental and social aspects remains a major concern for organizations. The Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) represents one of the most promising strategic tools to help organizations face these challenges and support their sustainability strategy. However, past research has provided unclear, incomplete and even contradictory SBSC frameworks while offering little knowledge about how to integrate stakeholder management as well as environmental and social performance within the balanced scorecard to successfully support a corporate sustainability strategy. The aim of this study is to address these issues and limitations by proposing the Integrated Scorecard, a specific SBSC that integrates the three pillars of sustainability performance within four different perspectives, namely environmental, social and economic performance, stakeholder management, internal business processes, and skills and capabilities. This study provides a conceptual approach to the Integrated Scorecard and illustrates, through the use of two practical illustrations, the ability of this framework to support the corporate sustainability strategy by identifying the core sustainability objectives that organizations should achieve when creating value, facilitating the understanding of the contribution of environmental and social initiatives on economic performance, allowing the monitoring and measurement of the strategy's level of achievement, and creating synergy between sustainability performance management and reporting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engineering and Sustainability: Attitudes and Actions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc A. Rosen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The results of an extensive survey of engineers and engineering students suggest there is a strong focus on the implementation of sustainability concepts, actions and measures in engineering. The main sustainable technology priorities are using less energy and natural resources, reducing emissions and material wastes, and utilizing renewable, recyclable and recycled materials. Sustainable engineering within organizations is mainly driven by regulatory requirements, rising energy costs and client demand, but challenges to sustainable engineering like economics need to be addressed to increase the incorporation of sustainability in engineering. Nonetheless, about two-thirds of practicing engineers have worked on sustainable products and processes, and over half of engineering students are involved with sustainable design in their studies.

Environment, energy, economy. A sustainable future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luise, A.; Borrello, L.; Calef, D.; Cialani, C.; Di Majo, V.; Federio, A.; Lovisolo, G.; Musmeci, F.

1998-01-01

This paper is organized in five parts: 1. sustainable development from global point of view; 2. global problems and international instruments; 3. sustainable management of resources in economic systems; 4. forecasting and methods: models and index; 5. future urban areas [it

sustainable development and profitability in the Finnish restaurant industry

OpenAIRE

Mulenga, Mpafya

2015-01-01

Environmental sustainability in the food industry is often concerned with the provision of organic products and recycling. The emphasis on organically produced supplies though viewed as an environmentally sustainable means of food production to meet the ends of the green revolution should not obscure consideration of profitability in the business. Making profit is a business goal, while environmental sustainability is an ethical issue whose practice is subject to the balancing act of being pr...

GM organisms threaten organic systems: towards sustainability, coexistence and organic seed

OpenAIRE

Boelt, B.; Deleuran, L.C.; Phelps, B.

2005-01-01

Until now commercial genetically modified (GM) crops – soy, corn, canola and cotton - and their products have not been successfully segregated from organic or conventional non-GM production systems. Where GM crops are grown, GM contamination may be inevitable. However, physical and legal control measures imposed before the introduction of GM crops may help protect organic standards, supply chain integrity, certification and client confidence, but this is not yet fully tested. IFOAM’s approach...

Sustainable use of pig slurry, with and without treatment, as an amendment organic in almond crop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez Oliver, S. G.; Faz Cano, A.

2009-01-01

This study consists in the use of different forms of slurry, as an organic fertilizer, on almond trees located in La Aljorra (Cartegena, Murcia). The slurry used comes from a farm near the area of study, which has a treatment system composed by tree parts: a phase separator, a bioreactor and 5 constructed wetlands of vertical flow. Different phases of slurry are obtained from each part of the system. The results show the reduction of most of the parameters lime salinity, BOD 5 QOD, nitrate, etc. The use of these effluents as an organic amend in different doses, supposes a sustainable way of management of these residues; at the same time it improves the soil properties and the agronomic quality of the almond tree crop. (Author) 4 refs.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS FOR ORGANIC FRESH BERRIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabeta Elena TĂNASE

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Climate changes and particularly global warming are topics carefully treated by specialists already since decades. The most pregnant factor that influences climate change is pollution, namely the high level carbon dioxide emissions. Besides other substances used by the most of the industries (oil, charcoal, fertilizers, etc., plastics are not to be ignored when talking about pollution. Plastic waste affects animals and humans, as well as their habitat. In this respect, food industry engages in preserving the good functioning of the environment by developing and using biodegradable and bio-based resources for food packaging. The aim of this literature review was to identify the optimal sustainable packaging solution used for berries. The results of the study pointed out that the most used environmentally friendly packaging technique is the one that involves modified atmosphere. In terms of packaging materials, the literature is limited when it comes to biodegradable/bio-based solutions. However, active packaging gains popularity among researchers, considering the endless possibilities to include sustainable compounds in a biopolymer based matrix, in order to prolong the shelf-life of berries or fruits in general.

Sustaining alliances for integrity.

Science.gov (United States)

Werhane, P H

2000-01-01

Research in business ethics has shown that value-grounded organizations outperform their counterparts in business terms and that industries can successfully regulate themselves. The market in health care, systems theory, and stakeholder analysis are used to generate a set of five potential core values to sustain an Ethics Alliance of Oral Health Organizations.

Corporate Sustainability and Organizational Change. Case of OMV Petrom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catalina Soriana Sitnikov

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Many corporations have recognized the importance of being perceived as socially responsible to the environment, employees or local community. They have worked hard to be labeled as sustainable organizations. Corporate behavior, however, implies a gap between theory and practice. Therefore, we consider it necessary to study how to transform corporations into sustainable organizations based on organizational change models. The paper brings an original contribution to the study of organizational sustainability by introducing a framework for sustainable organizational change using organizational culture components and Deming's Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA cycle of continuous quality improvement.

Media and sustainable apparel buying intention

OpenAIRE

Lenne, de, Orpha; Vandenbosch, Laura

2017-01-01

Abstract: Purpose Using the theory of planned behavior, this paper examined the relationships between different types of media and the intention to buy sustainable apparel and tested whether attitudes, social norms, and self-efficacy beliefs may explain these relationships. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 681 young adults (18-26 years old). Findings Exposure to social media content of sustainable organizations, eco-activists and sustainable appar...

FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI SUSTAINABILITAS PERTUMBUHAN FINANSIAL LEMBAGA KEUANGAN MIKRO DI JAWA TIMUR

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Siti Sundari

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Since the monetary crisis in 1998, Indonesia's economy has not fully recovered as indicated by slow economic growth which has not reached yet 8% each year. These conditions load to growing number of unemployed and hence create many demand from the large number of micro enterprise for loan. There were about 50 million micro entrepreneurs which was served only by 56 thousand units of MFIs (Microfinance Institution. This fact intrigued a deep comprehensive analysis at supply side, i.e. the MFIs. The analysis was to study factors that inhibit the sustainability growth of MFIs in order to increase the number of micro business loans. The research was located in East Java province due to the fact that more than 70% MFIs located in Java island and the largest MFIs is in East Java. The samples were obtained by purposive sampling technique and then analysed using descriptive statistics, ordinal logistic regression and biplot. The result proved that the factors which significantly influence the growth of financial sustainability were Regulation, Institutions, Efficiency, CAR (Capital Adequacy Ratio, ROE (Return on Equity, ROA (Return on Asset, LDR (Loan to Deposit Ratio, loan, NPL (Non Performing Loan, HRD (Human Resources Development and Interest rates. While the factors that did not have significant effect were competition and income per capita.Keyword : Microfinance Institutions (MFIs, Performance Analyze, Financial Sustainability, Ordinal Logistic Regression

Sustainable development: four post-2015 priorities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demailly, Damien; Spinazze, Lena; Treyer, Sebastien

2016-06-01

This Policy Brief provides a political agenda for actors engaged in the transformation. It identifies four priority drivers of action to build on the successes of 2015 and to support the progress towards sustainable development: adapting and implementing international commitments in countries; organizing the monitoring of commitments at the international level; encouraging the convergence of signals to bring about a massive investment shift; anticipating social impacts and placing social justice at the center of the transition. This brief is based on analytical work carried out over several months by a committee of practitioners and sustainable development experts, and on discussions involving 150 participants at the international conference 'Sustainable Development: it's time' organized in Paris by IDDRI on May 10-11, 2016

Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) WasteWise Data

Science.gov (United States)

EPA??s WasteWise encourages organizations and businesses to achieve sustainability in their practices and reduce select industrial wastes. WasteWise is part of EPA??s sustainable materials management efforts, which promote the use and reuse of materials more productively over their entire lifecycles. All U.S. businesses, governments and nonprofit organizations can join WasteWise as a partner, endorser or both. Current participants range from small local governments and nonprofit organizations to large multinational corporations. Partners demonstrate how they reduce waste, practice environmental stewardship and incorporate sustainable materials management into their waste-handling processes. Endorsers promote enrollment in WasteWise as part of a comprehensive approach to help their stakeholders realize the economic benefits to reducing waste. WasteWise helps organizations reduce their impact on global climate change through waste reduction. Every stage of a product's life cycle??extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal??indirectly or directly contributes to the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere and affects the global climate. WasteWise is part of EPA's larger SMM program (https://www.epa.gov/smm). Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) is a systemic approach to using and reusing materials more productively over their entire lifecycles. It represents a change in how our society thinks about the use of natural resources

THE ROLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR IN CREATING AND SUSTAINING INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS

OpenAIRE

Irina-Elena Gentimir

2013-01-01

By analyzing the global economy, one can easily notice that states that record economic growth are competitive, and that the competitive ones collect revenues of billions of dollars from trade, outsourcing and meeting the needs of their citizens. The role of private sector in creating and sustaining competitiveness it is well known. But what actions are undertaken by the international organizations and the public sector in this direction? The scope of this article is to offer a brief descript...

How Myopia Archetypes Lead to Non-Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piero Mella

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Much of the literature on sustainability has tried to define the “virtuous behaviour” of “agents” (man and his social and economic organizations so that it respects the “sustainability constraint.” This paper provides a “mirror-image” approach, based on the idea that it is above all necessary to understand why men and organizations tend to develop, at times unconsciously and dishonestly, damaging behaviour that turns into non-sustainability. In other words, to orient man toward sustainable behaviour it is indispensable to understand the “reasons” for the behaviour that produces non-sustainable effects. Regarding sustainability problems, we shall introduce the hypothesis that non-sustainable behaviour is not irrational in an absolute sense but derives from the action of three connected “behavioural archetypes” that accurately describe the “natural” behaviour of individuals in pursuing their aims: behaving in a way that will provide evident short-term advantages, both individual and local, while ignoring the disadvantages and harm such behaviour produces in the long run, at the collective and global level. To solve the problem, we shall try to identify the “levers” that weaken the archetypes and reverse their effects, thereby requiring sacrifices which are unacceptable to some. The paper presents four emblematic cases of non-sustainable behaviour and demonstrates that sustainability must become a fundamental strategic driver.

Sustainable Management of Food

Science.gov (United States)

To provide information to organizations to help them implement sustainable food management, including joining the Food Recovery Challenge. To provide education and information to communities and concerned citizens.

Creating sustainable performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Spreitzer, Gretchen; Porath, Christine

2012-01-01

What makes for sustainable individual and organizational performance? Employees who are thriving-not just satisfied and productive but also engaged in creating the future. The authors found that people who fit this description demonstrated 16% better overall performance, 125% less burnout, 32% more commitment to the organization, and 46% more job satisfaction than their peers. Thriving has two components: vitality, or the sense of being alive and excited, and learning, or the growth that comes from gaining knowledge and skills. Some people naturally build vitality and learning into their jobs, but most employees are influenced by their environment. Four mechanisms, none of which requires heroic effort or major resources, create the conditions for thriving: providing decision-making discretion, sharing information about the organization and its strategy, minimizing incivility, and offering performance feedback. Organizations such as Alaska Airlines, Zingerman's, Quicken Loans, and Caiman Consulting have found that helping people grow and remain energized at work is valiant on its own merits-but it can also boost performance in a sustainable way.

What can we learn from corporate sustainability reporting? Deriving propositions for research and practice from over 9,500 corporate sustainability reports published between 1999 and 2015 using topic modelling technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Székely, Nadine; Vom Brocke, Jan

2017-01-01

Organizations are increasingly using sustainability reports to inform their stakeholders and the public about their sustainability practices. We apply topic modelling to 9,514 sustainability reports published between 1999 and 2015 in order to identify common topics and, thus, the most common practices described in these reports. In particular, we identify forty-two topics that reflect sustainability and focus on the coverage and trends of economic, environmental, and social sustainability topics. Among the first to analyse such a large amount of data on organizations' sustainability reporting, the paper serves as an example of how to apply natural language processing as a strategy of inquiry in sustainability research. The paper also derives from the data analysis ten propositions for future research and practice that are of immediate value for organizations and researchers.

Operationalizing Sustainable Development Suncor Energy Inc: A critical case

Science.gov (United States)

Fergus, Andrew

The concept of Sustainable Development is often understood as a framework within which organizations are able to move forward in a successful and beneficial manner. However, it is also seen as an ambiguous notion with little substance beyond a hopeful dialogue. If we are to base organizational action upon the concepts of Sustainable Development, it is vital that we comprehend the implications of how the concept is understood at a behavioral level. Industry leaders, competitors, shareholders, and stakeholders recognize Suncor Energy Inc as a leading organization within the Oil and Gas energy field. In particular it has a reputation for proactive thinking and action within the areas of environmental and social responsibility. Through attempting to integrate the ideas of Sustainable Development at a foundational level into the strategic plan, the management of Suncor Energy Inc has committed the organization to be a sustainable energy company. To achieve this vision the organization faces the challenge of converting strategic goals into operational behaviors, a process critical for a successful future. This research focuses on understanding the issues found with this conversion process. Through exploring a critical case, this research illuminates the reality of a best-case scenario. The findings thus have implications for both Suncor Energy Inc and more importantly all other organizations attempting to move in a Sustainable Development direction.

Towards Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marzia Traverso

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Sustainability is nowadays accepted by all stakeholders as a guiding principle for both public policy making and corporate strategies. However, the biggest challenge for most organizations remains in the real and substantial implementation of the sustainability concept. The core of the implementation challenge is the question, how sustainability performance can be measured, especially for products and processes. This paper explores the current status of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA for products and processes. For the environmental dimension well established tools like Life Cycle Assessment are available. For the economic and social dimension, there is still need for consistent and robust indicators and methods. In addition to measuring the individual sustainability dimensions, another challenge is a comprehensive, yet understandable presentation of the results. The “Life Cycle Sustainability Dashboard” and the “Life Cycle Sustainability Triangle” are presented as examples for communication tools for both experts and non expert stakeholders.

Sustainable NREL: From Integration to Innovation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2015-09-01

NREL's sustainability practices are integrated throughout the laboratory and are essential to our mission to develop clean energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advance related science and engineering, and provide knowledge and innovations to integrate energy systems at all scales. Sustainability initiatives are integrated through our campus, our staff, and our environment allowing NREL to provide leadership in modeling a sustainability energy future for companies, organizations, governments, and communities.

Positive Healthy Organizations: Promoting Well-Being, Meaningfulness, and Sustainability in Organizations

OpenAIRE

Annamaria Di Fabio

2017-01-01

This contribution deals with the concept of healthy organizations and starts with a definition of healthy organizations and healthy business. In healthy organizations, culture, climate, and practices create an environment conducive to employee health and safety as well as organizational effectiveness (Lowe, 2010). A healthy organization thus leads to a healthy and successful business (De Smet et al., 2007; Grawitch and Ballard, 2016), underlining the strong link between organizational profita...