T-elements analysis of plated on unilateral elastic Winkler-type foundation
This paper presents a hybrid–Trefftz finite element algorithm designated as fictitious load approach. Its originality resides in the formulation and practical application of concepts which make it possible to account for the unilateral contact conditions of a plate without modification of the finite element mesh. To reach this aim, the approach allows the movable interface between the contact and non–contact parts of the plate to travers any finite element subdomain. The adjustments are confined to fictitious load dependent terms, while the element stiffness matrices remain unchanged during the whole iterative process. Several numerical examples are analysed to assess the effectivity of the T–element algorithm and to compare it with some of the existing solutions of the same problem.
The boundary element method applied to plates on elastic foundations
Abstract In this paper the boundary element method is applied to analyse plates resting on Winkler-type elastic foundations. The formulation presented involves two coupled integral equations and can be applied to plates of arbitrary shape and boundary conditions. The results of the numerical method are presented and compared with the respective analytical solutions, to illustrate the accuracy and applicability of the boundary element method.
Socially responsible enterprise in Cuba: a positive role model for Corporate Social Responsibility?’
This article examines the unique institutional environment of socialist Cuba, where currently a process of controlled marketization and expansion of private enterprise is taking place. The article investigates business behaviour in Cuba with particular reference to implicit assumptions relating to socially responsible enterprise, or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as the term is understood in Western Liberal Democracies. It draws upon a series of interviews with business practitioners and business commentators (both Cuban and non-Cuban residents on the island). The interviews focused on the participants’ awareness of business ethics and socially responsible enterprise, and the cultural differences in assumptions and expectations relating to the concept of CSR between the Cuban and non-Cuban interviewees. We find that Cuba at this early stage of tentative marketization presents a positive role model of socially responsible enterprise. Both the highly regulated State economy and the embedded norms and values of social equity that have emerged as a consequence of Cuba’s socialist revolution facilitate business social responsibility. The relevance of this research to current debates in relation to CSR is discussed and it is argued that capitalist economies may similarly benefit from tighter regulatory control and by cultivating more pro-social business norms that prioritise ethical over economic concerns.