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Shrinking population can have significant negative impacts on the social and economic fabric of a city. This paper aims to understand different urban transportation policies to respond to population decline in shrinking cities by examining two case studies of urban interventions in mid-size cities in Japan.

The paper analyzes the implementation of sustainable mobility strategies in the urban transport sector in the Japanese cities of Toyama and Kanazawa, which risk having their populations significantly reduced in the next decades. The analysis is based on case study research that uses the data and information collected through desk and field research. Interviews with local actors, as well as published policy and academic documents on the case studies provided critical data and information to analyze the case studies.

Both cities have tried to make urban mobility more sustainable via different strategies. Toyama used more structural changes, called the “sticks and dumplings” approach, having land use incentives and the Light Rail Transit reinforced by bus routes as the backbone of its strategy. Kanazawa relied on a city center revitalization plan to densify residential use in the city center.

More structural interventions are necessary to change the declining of shrinking cities, mitigating some of the negative effects. City administrations need to have clear policy priorities and should not allocate their limited resources to competing policy agendas.

The study is unique as it is one of the first efforts to analyze urban transportation interventions in shrinking cities in Japan.

Portuguese handicrafts are distinctive artisan products that have been shaped by cultural and historical conditions. The aim of this chapter is to focus on understanding the inherent innovativeness embedded within different handicraft that is made in Portugal. This involves taking a country perspective to handicraft production and the reason why it has continued or revived over time. This involves focusing on the role of entrepreneurs in the handicraft industry and how artisan entrepreneurship can be utilized. Specific examples of Portuguese handicrafts are stated in this chapter that showcase the cultural connections individuals feel. Theoretical and managerial implications are stated that highlight the importance of handicrafts to cultural preservation. Future research suggestions are also stated that stress the need to continue research into Portuguese handicrafts and artisan entrepreneurship.

We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in the construction of hegemonies in SEA research in Brazil. In particular, we examine the role of hegemony in relation to the co-option of SEA literature and sustainability in the Brazilian context by the logic of development for economic growth in emerging economies. The methodological approach adopts a post-structural perspective that reflects Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. The study employs a hermeneutical, rhetorical approach to understand and classify 352 Brazilian research articles on SEA. We employ Brown and Fraser’s (2006) categorizations of SEA literature to help in our analysis: the business case, the stakeholder–accountability approach, and the critical case. We argue that the business case is prominent in Brazilian studies. Second-stage analysis suggests that the major themes under discussion include measurement, consulting, and descriptive approach. We argue that these themes illustrate the degree of influence of the hegemonic politics relevant to emerging economics, as these themes predominantly concern economic growth and a capitalist context. This paper discusses trends and practices in the Brazilian literature on SEA and argues that the focus means that SEA avoids critical debates of the role of capitalist logics in an emerging economy concerning sustainability. We urge the Brazilian academy to understand the implications of its reifying agenda and engage, counter-hegemonically, in a social and political agenda beyond the hegemonic support of a particular set of capitalist interests.

This study aims to design and empirically test a model where autonomy affects partnership (PT) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO), which in turn improves competitive aggressiveness (CA), market orientation (MO) and PT; to verify the impact of CA on MO and PT; and to determine to what extent MO mediates the EO–PT relationship.

The authors used a quantitative approach to test 101 Brazilian firms from different sectors, analyzed by structural equation modeling using the partial least squares–structural equation modeling.

Results show that autonomy improves EO and PT. EO positively affects CA, MO and PT. CA impacts MO positively, and MO mediates the EO–PT relationship, although it reduces the possibility of PT.

Although 101 firms could be a “small sample,” the authors validated it according to Hair et al. (2009) and Chin et al. (2003). Their first contribution is to extend the works relating to EO and PT by showing the positive effects of autonomy on EO and PT. Second, to show the mediating effect of MO on the EO–PT relationship. Finally, they draw attention to how firms with EO improve CA, MO and PT; and CA boost MO. Thus, to generalize EO research internationally, like in the emergent markets.

Although EO has attracted significant attention to entrepreneurship research, it is not clear how autonomy impacts a firm's EO and PT, considering the mediating effect of MO on the EO–PT relationship; if EO influences CA and MO, and the impact of CA on MO and PT.

Journalists construct a public image through each of their produced texts. Regarding cinema journalism, the feature stories are the result of multiple semiotic relationships established between the cinematographic products, the artists involved with the cinema production, and the possible expectations of the readers related to the journalistic texts, as well as viewers of the films and the depicted artistic contexts. A semiotic analysis of a feature story on the documentary Todos os Paulos do Mundo, written by the journalist Luiz Carlos Merten, reveals the construction of what semiotics calls signic actions. Such actions recover the film creation process and its produced meaning related to contemporary Brazilian production of cinematography.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the aerodynamic behavior of a supersonic combustion test bench (SCTB) components, as the transition piece and the combustor of a scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet), manufactured by 3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM).

For the dimensional and structural analysis of the manufactured models, a portable 3D scanner was used to generate the mesh of its dimensions, and to compare them before and after the experiments, a roughness measuring system was also used to verify the roughness inside the models before and after the tests, as roughness is an important parameter because it directly affects the boundary layer. For the visualization of the flow, the non-intrusive schlieren optical technique was used.

The experiments were carried out on the SCBT for Mach 2 flows, using the manufactured prototypes and showed that there was no structural and dimensional change of the model after the test batteries. It was found that the roughness presented by the material did not affect the quality of the flow generated. This shows that the investigated material can also be applied in experiments with supersonic flow.

This paper presents that it is possible to use in ground test facilities, for the studies of supersonic flow (in cold condition), pieces and models manufactured by 3D printing without affecting the quality of the flow generated during the experiments. This study presents a new perspective to approach AM applied in the studies of supersonic flows.

This study aims to investigate the internal elements that help in the introduction of a service logic into a goods-oriented organization by focusing on corporate culture and human resource management (HRM) practices.

The study uses a qualitative single case study research design. Data have been collected through archival data and 14 semi-structured interviews to managers, employees and retailers of a bike manufacturer.

The research identifies the following three new internal elements affecting the service orientation of corporate culture of a company with a customization strategy: shared vision built up with the participation of the whole organization; rooting the service orientation into the past history; passion and collaborative study deployed through digital tools. Additionally, related to HRM, the research finds another two elements: emotional salary and that a collective way of understanding and sharing the service infusion is needed.

Given that this is a qualitative research based on a single case study the identified key elements of corporate culture and HRM practices cannot be used as a predictive tool. However, the depth of evidence is significant and allows analytical generalizations, which enable us to put forward tentative propositions for future research.

For managers of industrial firms, the identified elements provide an insight on how to smooth the transition from goods-to service-oriented organization. The shift demands the development of an adequate corporate culture and distinctive management of human resources.

Building on previous literature, the research offers the academic community five new soft elements to be studied in the service infusion process and can guide top managers on how to engage the entire organisation in a service-oriented manner.

This article aims to evaluate the integration level of a quality management system (QMS) and an environmental management system (EMS) in a tire manufacturer and propose a guide to evaluate the integration of these systems in companies.

The methodological strategies used in this research were literature review; and case study, with interviews to verify professionals' perception about benefits from integration. Data from interviews were analyzed through Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS).

The results showed that the studied company has a simple level of integration, observing only some low intensity benefits. Thus, it was recommended that the company partially integrate its management systems (MSs) before evolving into something more complex. The literature and the findings of case study were used as basis for proposing a guide to evaluate MS integration.

Lessons learned throughout the study and the suggested guide can support other companies to assess the integration level of their QMS and EMS. Thus, the findings presented here can be useful for researchers and managers.