Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences

Demagnetization is an essential step for the demounting and safe handling of end-of-life NdFeB. Thermal demagnetization in air is a straightforward option to demount adhesive-fixed or segmented magnets. However, this process is suspected to increase the uptake of contaminants like O, C and Zn from coatings and adhesives, potentially degrading the recyclate quality. This study tests the effects of thermal demagnetization in air at 400 • C for 15 to 240 min on variously coated samples with different initial oxidation levels. Furthermore, the possible reversal of the contaminant uptake is explored. Samples with low previous oxidation levels showed significant uptake in oxygen with a minimal diffusion depth, while the uptake depended on the used coating. The best protectiveness was achieved with NiCuNi with an increase in oxygen of only around 30%. Epoxy (up to~130% O uptake) and Zn coatings (up to~80% O uptake) disintegrated during the treatment and offered less protection but still made a difference compared to uncoated samples (up to~220% O uptake). Samples with high initial oxidation levels show no clear tendency towards further oxygen uptake and the carbon uptake is generally low, likely due to contemporary epoxy coatings featuring a passivation underneath as a barrier layer. Zn infiltration, which carried organic debris, was observed. Short demagnetization times proved to be favorable for limiting the depth of the diffusing contaminants. Mechanical coating removal after thermal demagnetization in air can mitigate the contaminant uptake, producing clean, recyclable end-of-life material.

Several psychological brand performance indicators that predict a brand’s intermediate market share have been identified. So far, rating studies have exclusively investigated brand effects in terms of linear relationships, and their specific and possibly nonlinear interactions have yet to be examined in comparison. Hence, we investigated the relative importance of three well-established psychological performance indicators, attitude toward the brand, perceived quality, and brand experience, in predicting brand loyalty. A sample of 1,077 participants completed an online survey and rated subsets of 105 international brands from various product and service industries. Relations between attitude, perceived quality, and experience in predicting loyalty toward a brand were analyzed using semi-parametric additive mixed regression models. We replicated that all three predictors significantly impacted brand loyalty and revealed a pronounced nonlinear relationship between attitude and loyalty. The inclusion of nonlinear interactions between predictors improved model fit. In particular, the nonlinear interaction between perceived quality and attitude substantially impacted brand loyalty. In addition, these effects differ by type of industry, specifically fast-moving consumer goods, automotive, fashion, electronics, and finance/insurance. These findings draw attention to nonlinear patterns between specific psychological features of brands. Future research should address nonlinear effects and the specific interactions of other essential predictors of brand equity.

In this article, we propose a phenomenon-based approach as a suitable way of handling multiple paradigms in practice. We implement the phenomenon-based approach by means of active categorization to be differentiated into three steps – differentiation, integration, and patterning – and apply this approach to international knowledge transfer (IKT) in multinational enterprises (MNE). Via differentiation, we classify the IKT literature into six theoretical perspectives. Via integration, we identify power as the common element underlying knowledge transfer in MNEs. This leads us to conceptualize power as an influence on IKT through the paradigms and power assumptions of the Burrell-Morgan matrix and the characteristics of power proposed by Clegg. Via patterning, we draw implications for phenomenon-based multi-paradigm research, such as the dominance of regulative and functionalist power-assumptions over interpretive and critical ones and structural power lenses over rules of practice. We deduce recommendations and propose research questions for multi-paradigm research. With our conceptual frame, we enable researchers and practitioners to conceptualize power in more sophisticated ways. We contribute to multi-paradigm studies in Cross Cultural Management by exemplifying the benefits and implications of a phenomenon-based approach as a way to handle multiple paradigms in practice and propose further fields of application.

Cross-cultural management (CCM) studies is a multi-paradigmatic discipline which is commonly differentiated into functionalist (positivist), interpretive and critical, and intercultural training is its applied version in practice. Paradigms are ‘lenses’ from which to view reality. If paradigms are juxtaposed – considered in light of each other – apparent contractions across paradigms might be resolved and metatheoretical insights across multiple paradigms may be achieved. This article exemplifies paradigm juxtaposition based on a clearly specified empirical problem, namely: ‘how to manage Muslim minorities at work’. Based on the Burrell and Morgan taxonomy, paradigms may be differentiated based on two dimensions, namely objective and subjective, and regulative and radical change approaches. This article firstly shows how juxtaposing these four paradigmatic lenses enables a more holistic and sophisticated approach to the ‘problem’ for which the intercultural training is ordered and thus results in a better-fitting and more nuanced intercultural training practice. Secondly, this article establishes why the present academic practice of subsuming multiple approaches under the umbrella term “critical CCM” is insufficient for solving contemporary cross-cultural management problems. Consequently, critical CCM studies need to be re-differentiated into objectivist and subjectivist worldviews.

Comprehensive solutions in areas such as climate, waste prevention, protection of biodiversity, or use of natural resources could, it might seem, be rapidly and decisively advanced if only the recommendations of the sciences were followed. For the climate problem, the following solution path seems to be offered: Natural scientists provide reliable information about the sources of greenhouse gases and their effects in the atmosphere, engineers design technologies for climate-friendly production processes. Economists, social scientists, and jurists develop proposals for incentives and prohibitions or market-conforming levies and certificates, politics implements what the experts from the sciences demand: Shouldn’t all this in sum lead to climate neutrality being achieved within a comparatively short time? This chapter deals with knowledge and the ability to translate knowledge into appropriate action. Scientific knowledge, even if it provides an accurate description and analysis of the facts, is not sufficient. Effective action requires practical knowledge, the know-how of actors in politics, economics, and society. The connection of scientific knowledge with practical knowledge requires a competence that is introduced in this chapter with the term power of judgement.

When dealing with environmental problems, it is important to consider that certain developments cannot be reversed or can only be undone with enormous effort. Just as it is intuitively clear to us that we cannot turn back time, we should be aware that this is also true for many processes in the environment. Our efforts to preserve our natural basis of life will have a greater chance to succeed if we take into account the irreversibility of environmental damage, such as species extinction. Awareness of irreversibility is often not sufficiently pronounced in politics and economics. In economics, whose representatives have a major influence on politics and society today, irreversibility has long played no or only a subordinate role. This continues to lead to significant weaknesses in dealing with environmental problems. We illustrate the significance of irreversibility at the current debate concerning the use of carbon capture technologies in hydrogen production.

Why do we require philosophy when humanity must fundamentally alter its relationship with its natural basis of life? “The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.” This urgent sentiment was expressed by the young Marx. In contrast to Marx's formulation, one could encapsulate this book with the motto: If the world is to be changed, it is crucial to interpret it appropriately. In view of a situation where action is urgently needed, practical philosophy aims on the one hand to gain an overview of the entire field to be worked on, and on the other hand to formulate all knowledge concerning this field in a language developed jointly by all participants beyond the scientific jargons. The four fundamental questions of philosophy should always be present in the background: What can I know, what should I do, what may I hope, what is man? In this context, the ignorance of all participants must always be addressed. Practical philosophy in this sense does not primarily belong to today's specialized discipline that bears the name philosophy, but expresses an attitude that all those interested in preserving the foundations of human life should adopt.

Scarcity expresses why the overuse of raw materials, the overexploitation of agricultural land, polluted waters, the creation of waste, or the deforestation of (rain)forest become a problem for humanity. The simple answer is: “There is no Planet B!”. So scarcity expresses that humanity, through its economic and lifestyle choices, is globally destroying its natural basis of life. We, humanity, do this, even though we do not have unlimited possibilities to resort to alternative areas and resources, that is, even though we are confronted with scarcity. This chapter discusses the different forms of scarcity, in particular relative & absolute scarcity, how they change in the course of ongoing environmental destruction, and how we can deal with scarcity.

Every production of a material good leads to a simultaneous production of so-called joint products, which are often harmful to the environment. With the rapid economic growth since the industrial revolution, the amount of harmful joint products has also increased, causing severe damages to humans and the environment to this day. This was possible because the creation of joint products was long considered incidental. Traditional economics considered joint production, but only after it had already occurred, for example, when a river was already polluted. The approach presented in this chapter takes a different path: We will systematically develop the concept of joint production. With this approach, we create a foundation, a so-called “Archimedean point”, from which we can start in the consideration of any environmental problem. We demonstrate that joint production a) is thermodynamically conditioned and b) therefore must necessarily be considered before any production takes place, so that environmental problems do not arise in the first place.

Despite numerous publications about time, which is so ubiquitous in people’s lives, it is not easy to say what time is. It is a constant companion, it is always there, even before and after our lives, even before and after the existence of humanity. Time is intuitive on one hand, we all have some sense of time, on the other hand, it is so complex that it is difficult to grasp time, to talk or write about it. Even the Roman bishop Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) expressed his difficulties in dealing with the concept of time: “What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is; but if I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know” (Augustine, 1980, p. 629). We will not be able to grasp time in its entirety in this chapter either. However, when dealing with environmental problems, it is necessary to think about time or develop a sense of time. Each of our climate goals refers to time, the drafting of (environmental) laws takes a certain amount of time, the often demanded industrial, societal and political change does not happen overnight, and the success or failure of movements like Fridays for Future is—at least in parts—dependent on the timing of the protest. We introduce three dimensions of time that are particularly important to consider when dealing with environmental problems. These are 1. the Chronos, 2. the inherent time and 3. the Kairos.

In order to systematically understand the necessary connection between human action and its effects on the environment, we want to consider whether it is possible to find an influence that is not only significant in all economic actions, but even in all natural processes. Could it perhaps be that such an influence exists and is also a major cause of environmental problems? Indeed, there is such an influence, namely energy. Every economic activity requires energy. The use of energy always means that energy is being converted. This conversion follows physical laws, which are formulated with the two main laws of thermodynamics. To understand why environmental problems necessarily arise from our industrial economic system, we must deal with thermodynamics, that is, with the area of physics that considers the laws of energy. This chapter will first introduce the basic concepts and laws of thermodynamics. We will then show how thermodynamics contributes to a better understanding of both the emergence and the elimination of environmental problems.

This chapter is about understanding the dynamics of nature, economy, and society. The concept of stocks presented here provides a productive perspective on these relationships. The stock perspective shows how things change over time and why some things react very slowly to change, thus are persistent. What initially sounds like just a simple description has a great practical significance: Only by understanding what changes how and especially how quickly, do we also understand what options for action arise. Furthermore, an analysis of stocks provides orientation with regard to the question of how much time we need to plan and implement changes. This also helps us understand where we should act as quickly as possible to initiate the necessary changes in time. We illustrate the concept at the example of the once dirtiest river in Germany, which for centuries served as the sewage channel of one of Germanys most densely populated and industrialized areas.

How will the economy develop in the future? Will it be possible to stop the ongoing environmental destruction, or do the existing structures leave too little room for change? Can we actively influence changes? If so, how? We try to answer these and similar questions with the concept of evolution. The concept of evolution was originally developed by the biologist and naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882), who used it to explain the development of species and differentiated between phenotype and genotype. The concept of evolution based on the interplay of genotype and phenotype can be generalized so that it can also be used outside of biology for developments in physics and economics. This chapter shows the potential of the evolution concept for dealing with environmental problems. Through considering predictable as well as unpredictable processes, inventions and innovations, novelty and ignorance, sustainable development can be driven, as we can influence and possibly control developments more specifically with the knowledge of evolutionary processes.

What it means to be human cannot be clearly defined. However, certain dimensions of being human can be determined in different concepts of man—such as the biological, economic, cultural, and political dimensions. Concepts of man are also used in the sciences. These are simplifications, as they are made in the respective disciplines for analytical purposes. This chapter is about two particular concepts of man and their significance for dealing with sustainability problems. The analytical core of conventional economics is the concept of the economic human (Homo Economicus), which conceives of humans as selfish rational utility maximizers. As a basis for economic and environmental policy instruments, this concept of man is indispensable for a practical sustainability policy. However, significant transformations require more than rational egoism from the actors. The fact that there are always people who are committed to their fellow human beings and the long-term preservation of the natural basis of life presupposes an intrinsic interest in justice—and the ability to communicate it in public dispute. This dimension of being human is described in the following in the concept of the political human (Homo Politicus).

This chapter deals with the intrinsic sustainability of non-human life and the particular role of humans for the development of life. Before the appearance of humans, life on Earth demonstrated its sustainability without the need for rational planning. Life in its persistence is conceived with three tendencies of organisms, which we will refer to as three Tele (from the Greek term telos, goal, end, order): 1. Self-preservation and self-development; 2. Self-repetition or self-renewal through reproduction; 3. Serving, taking and giving in relation to other organisms. It is useful to consider the services provided by living beings that support the life of other living beings. We refer to a source of services for one or more types of living beings as a fund. The picture of the sustainability of non-human life changes when we pay attention to the role of humans. Humans can modify and radically transform the three Tele. For this, they are guided by interest. Three classes of interests are analyzed in themselves and in their consequences for sustainability: 1. The first interest arises from the perspective of the individual person: self-interest. 2. The second interest corresponds to the perspective of the community: the community interest. 3. The third interest takes the perspective of sustainability. It is the interest in preserving the natural basis of life and in the good life of humans together with all creatures: the interest of humanity.

In this chapter, we present an overview over some guiding ideas of our book. We aim to integrate concepts from various disciplines into a unified picture. A problem like climate change is not solely physical, biological, economic, or social—it encompasses all these aspects and even more if one truly wants to understand it. Anyone who wishes to contribute to meaningful solutions must integrate all these aspects in some way. However, the overview in this book does not claim to offer the complete big picture. This would be impossible due to the inherent ignorance. Instead, we aim to highlight the complexity of the problems on the one hand and provide orientation on how to consider relevant aspects within this complexity, despite the inevitable ignorance that accompanies all acquisition of knowledge, and prepare for action on the other hand. The first attempt at such an overview has been available since 2019, not in the form of a book, but rather in the somewhat unusual form of a digital knowledge map. MINE stands for “Mapping the Interplay between Nature and Economy”. The MINE project, like this book, strives to provide an overview of many relevant aspects of environmental problems and to offer guidance. The perspective of this book understands the economy as a subsystem of nature. We assume that it is the economy that is fundamentally dependent on nature, being subject to its laws and embedded in it. In this book, we are primarily interested in nature in its dynamics, which is why we systematically consider nature in connection with time from the outset. This change of perspective compared to traditional economics locates the approach of our book within a scientific school of thought that has become known under the name Ecological Economics.

Without realizing and acknowledging our ignorance, we often find ourselves in situations where we systematically overestimate our knowledge. This chapter explores the concepts of knowledge and ignorance. It questions how we define the boundaries of our knowledge and to what extent ignorance can be reduced. It asks what humans can know and what systematically eludes their understanding. The text also examines the extent to which humanity overestimates its knowledge and underestimates its ignorance, for instance, in relation to technical solutions or spontaneous social developments. It considers the implications of this for the controllability of technology, nature, and society, and how people can productively deal with their ignorance in relation to environmental problems.

This chapter is about cake. More precisely, it is about baking and distributing cake, ensuring that there will be cake not only today but also tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, in ten and in a hundred years—for everyone. Therefore, we need to think about justice. However, there is a problem we need to take into account when baking. The supply is finite, the replenishment limited. Additionally, the remnants from baking and eating must be cleaned up, otherwise everyone will suffocate in the waste and baking will cease. This chapter explores how sustainable development shares many similarities with baking and eating cake. The question of the appropriate use of natural resources leads to the question of what is just, how justice is determined in each instance, the fulfilment of which needs is essential for a good life, and which needs are detrimental to it? We critically examine the notion that constant economic growth is sustainable. Is the idea that the cake must always grow a good one, or does it lead to the long-term result of having no cake at all?

In this chapter we mention some key points of our book in retrospect and offer an outlook on research to be done in the future. It is a particular concern to encourage readers to think independently and to encourage transfer based on our approach. This is especially true for topics such as thermodynamics, joint production, power of judgement and ignorance. With the choice of topics, we have provided impulses for a catalog of interdisciplinary questions with which environmental problems can be analyzed. All the concepts presented here are designed with possible action in mind. The recipients are therefore people who want to understand environmental problems comprehensively in order to contribute to necessary changes within their capabilities. None of the concepts can be directly translated into action. Intermediate steps must be taken to mediate between theory and practice, which cannot be foreseen in advance. Since the mediation depends on the circumstances and the opportunities that open up in them, it requires power of judgement. That readers may miss topics that seem important to them could not be avoided. But some aspects that are missing here, we would nevertheless like to address briefly. There are three problem areas which have not been adequately dealt with in this book. They require further research. These are. the importance of the distribution of income and wealth, the problem of the media, the complexity of power.