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Academy of Strategic Management Journal (Print ISSN: 1544-1458; Online ISSN: 1939-6104)
Corporate Diversification: A Fundamental Exploration of General Business Environments, Industry Environments and Firm Characteristics
Jolly Sahni, Prince Sultan University
Ariff Syah Juhari, Prince Sultan University
Diversification has been central in the area of strategic management. Businesses in many countries have used diversification as the means to advance its economic progress. For Saudi Arabia to reach their vision by 2030, corporate diversification will be central to achieve a 'short-cut', if you will, in fulfilling its ambition. Researches in various disciplines are growing to propose creative solutions and approaches to achieve specific areas of the vision. However, the challenge should begin at solidifying corporate relationships that will soon connect various industries towards the common goals that have been presented before all stakeholders. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for corporate diversification, based on general business, industry environments and the firm's characteristics, and its effects on performance, to prepare firms to better understand its environments and characteristics in the context of developing countries in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. Data was collected from 62 managers representing their respective firms in Saudi Arabia's petrochemical, construction, banking and financial sectors, retail sectors, telecommunications and ICT, and the transportation sector. A combination of parametric and non-parametric tests was carried out using SPSS 22.0. The findings of this study suggest that the most used expansion strategy by far is internal capacity expansion. Additionally, businesses in Saudi Arabia mostly diversify by adding new products to their product line. Based on ResourceBased View (RBV), Skilled and competent technical staff, highly trained operatives, ability to access and retain highly qualified subcontractors and specialist labor factors were managed in most of the surveyed corporations. Further, almost all the surveyed corporations identified their strengths to be the skill and competency of their technical staff. Interestingly, however, communications and information technology were identified as the main weaknesses of these corporations. In the current state of things, a positive note is the indication that there have been improvements in the utilization of resources by these corporations, amongst some other benefits. However, the main barriers revealed the biggest concern being that there have been too many activities unrelated to the main business. This framework has never been tested on businesses in Saudi Arabia.
Corporate Diversification, Strategic Management, Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030.
L10, M10.
The central issue addressed in the study of strategic management is how and why some firms outperform others in the market place. With an amplifying change in competition, globalization and economic-political environment, organizations are bound to think of strategies that can help them in achieving growth. In order to attain and sustain the competitive advantage, firms follow different strategic directions, for which one of the proven and highly praised methods is diversification. Diversification has long been a strategic decision that is often made to increase the corporation's presence on the market either through internal growth methods or external means like acquisition of other companies in order to diversify the type and quality of products to cover a maximum part of the market and increase their reach to a wide range of customers.
The literature suggests that there have been plenty of work done on corporate diversification in the context of developed economies (Chen & Ho, 2000; Selcuk, 2015). However, less number and variety of diversification studies have been conducted in emerging economies (Wright et al., 2005; Hann et al., 2013). Moreover, the effect of diversification on firm value has been extensively researched in the US (Chen & Ho, 2000). Lins & Servaes (2002) investigated the issue of corporate diversification in emerging markets with a sample of over 1000 firms from seven emerging markets, concluded that the cost of diversification is high in emerging markets and less profitable then single segment firms. On the contrary, Khanna & Palepu (1997:2000) argue that diversification can be valuable in emerging markets because diversified firms can learn or imitate the beneficial functions of other institutions from the developed markets. They discussed many factors associated with this in emerging markets related to imperfections in capital markets, product markets, labour markets and businessgovernment relations.
Therefore, to bridge the research gap, the present research analyses the effect of diversification in emerging countries like Saudi Arabia. In this study the focus is on Saudi corporations and their diversification strategies based on the perceptions of key observers and personnel of companies in question and their comments on the most recurrent choices, strategies and modes of diversification.
The significance of the study stems from the fact that it applies the scope of the study to Saudi Arabia in accordance with the provisions of Vision 2030 in an overall atmosphere of lack of studies in this particular area in Saudi Arabia and with specific focus on the ways corporate diversification principles are understood and enacted by major listed corporations in the country. This obviously puts forward the alignment of corporate diversification with the aims and goals of Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia that has set high targets and raised the bar for national and international companies alike.
The outcome of the present research is built on rational and empirical findings in a way that provides realistic and generalizable conclusions based on the statistical analysis of the data. This can be a great basis for managers and stakeholders in the companies in question as well as other companies offering them more insight into the core of the matter and offering them a better overview of all the possible strategies to undertake and the different diversification modes to maximize their competitive advantage in the market. The present research would also reflect upon the options and modes that should be avoided or disregarded in order to reach a much higher advantage level.
The use of the RBV principles (Resource Based Value) can also impact the decisionmaking tendencies in certain cases and offer a much more comprehensive understanding of the diversification mechanisms especially within an emerging economy. And this would serve as a logical and rational basis for decision makers in the Saudi government especially within the main market controlling ministries and agencies.
Businesses succeed when they possess some advantage relative to their competitors (Porter, 1996). Diversification is one of those strategic directions which companies takes, to expand via related or unrelated industries. Diversification is defined as the entry of the firm or business unit into new lines of activity, either by process of internal business development or acquisition. Diversified corporations have a significant role in economic development of the nation.
However, corporate diversification is a critical and challenging decision as it comes with both benefits and costs. Benefits from diversification can be through the creation of internal capital markets, and it can involve high cost in terms of value loss (Servaes, 1996) and agency cost (Goetz et al., 2013). According to the literature, the cost related to agency theory, states that managers undertake diversification for their own benefit, at the expense of shareholders. The challenging essence of diversification is even more visible through the study of the Indian market by Bathia & Thakur (2017), who have conducted a comparative study between the domestic companies and the multinationals operating in India from different angles including the nature, the extent and the patterns of diversification of each of the 536 sampled corporations using the Jacquemin-Berry entropy-index over three time points. Their results reflected that the domestic corporations have a much larger scope of diversification than the multinationals. And this shows the challenges that multinational corporations face in foreign markets. Yet when it comes to diversification itself, the researchers found that both domestic and multinational corporations prefer related diversification as for the pattern of diversification, it "follows both forward and backward movement while corporations with purely domestic operations have shown a greater trend towards forward pattern" (Bathia & Thakur, 2017).
Studies in the past have examined the effect of diversification on firm's performance (Purkayastha et al., 2012) and firm's value (Chen & Ho, 2000). Bullon & Bueno (2011) studied the joint effect of product and international diversification strategies on the performance of small and medium enterprises in Spain. They found that there is no association of product and international diversification with higher performance. The findings of their study suggest independent effects of profitability and interactive effects on risk-adjusted returns and growth. Another study investigates the effect of product and geographic diversification on performance with a moderating role of family involvement. Delbufalo et al. (2016) argued that the relationship between product diversification and performance is linear whereas relationship between geographic diversification and firm performance is inverted U shape. Similarly, Kim et al. (2017) studied how firms can find new business opportunities based on their technological capabilities. They found out that corporations can use different sourcing tools in order to understand the trend and direction in which their business sector is moving. According to them, information mining is a great and very helpful tool to decide on what kind of product or sector the corporation should bet. Aguiar & Reddy (2017) studied the motives that push the Fast Moving Consumer Goods corporations (FMCG's) to diversify and measured the effect of diversification strategies on the financial ability of such firms. Their results show that diversification allowed corporations to enjoy a much stronger financial performance. Smith & Coy (2018) have also found similar results in various areas of business. They concluded that diversification models may vary but overall, they help firms improve their financial performance and stance in the market.
However, there is a lack of consensus on the relationship between diversification and firm performance among researchers. Some studies advocate a positive relationship between both (Chatterjee, 1986; Chang & Hong, 2000) whereas the others found a negative relationship between diversification and firm performance (Selcuk, 2015).
Ye et al. (2017) affirm that various diversification patterns and concepts are recurrently used by contractors and business owners on the global market as a proven strategy for "either growth, or risk management, or both in this competitive environment". A great example of such diversification strategies comes from Pelaez & Mizukawa (2017), the focus of their study was on the diversification strategies used by the giant six pesticides corporations in the world (Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, Dow, DuPont, BASF). According to them, "the six largest agrochemical corporations went through a process of diversification through acquisitions and agreements starting in the mid-1990s, focused on R&D and production of Genetically Modified (GM) seeds by adding to their assets corporations with useful genetic engineering skills".
Past studies suggest that the driving forces for firm to diversify can be synergy, resource sharing, risk reduction and/or market power. It is clear that diversification offers a growth strategy, which can promote regional and global spread to the company's market share. In studying corporate diversification, researchers have focused on the direction of diversification; studied product and international diversification (Delios et al., 2008; Kumar, 2009). Sukumaran et al. (2015) examined international diversification and the benefits of diversifying into new markets for Australian investors in comparison to US investors. Diversification is a viable growth strategy (Andersen & Kheam, 1998; Lo & Hsu, 2016) as it bestows synergy to the corporations adopting diversification. A firm may undertake different type of diversification to achieve synergies, the degree to which the combined use of firm resources produces results greater than is possible by individual components. Another study by Rijamampianina et al. (2003) focused on examining how firms can attain sustainable competitive advantage through diversification and proposed conceptual model for improved business performance. It recommends that concentric diversification must leverage off the existing firms competitive advantage in expanding into adjacencies.
Garrido-Prada et al. (2018) have explored the impact of product and geographical diversification on the performance of Spanish non-financial listed corporations. Their results reflect that the corporations combined product and geographic diversification which improved their performance. Vogl (2018) explored in his study how corporations use the right and most accurate product diversification strategies to guarantee the sustainability of their products and operations. He actually identified four different themes that can help a corporation remain sustainable for more than five years. He relates the success of product diversification to the accurate analysis of the business environment, the overall assets and capabilities of the corporation and above all the target market or customer base before choosing their diversification strategies. Other studies have been undertaken for various sectors of business and yielded similar appreciations of diversification strategies. Redpath et al. (2017) investigated Lufthansa Group (German) and Emirates Group (UAE) in the global airline sector to assess and understand their diversification strategies. According to Fellows & Purkayastha (2012), diversification is popular growth options for firms in both, developed and emerging countries. In developing economies, large conglomerates often controlled by family groups, are seen as prominent (Montgomery, 1994). Selcuk (2015) found that diversified firms in emerging markets are valued more compared to focused or single-segment firms operating in similar industries. The diversified business groups are significant players in many emerging economies (Kim et al., 2004). Unlike developed economies, emerging economies have challenges due to weak institutional infrastructure and uncertainties arising from political and economies instabilities (Hoskisson et al., 2000). In addition, lack of market based management skills pose another challenge for strategy decision. According to Wright et al. (2005), firms might face resource scarcity; therefore, a central challenge is the need to understand the barriers to the acquisition of the resources and capabilities. Another barrier to mobilizing the financial and human resources for launching new ventures in emerging economies is the weak market institution. Captivating the economy on the growth path requires government support in the way of incentives. In his book North (1990), uses U.S. economic history as an example of institutional changes that have occurred over time and have, for the most part, persistently reinforced the incentives for organizations to engage in productive activity. Therefore, a change to occur in emerging economies through corporate diversification indeed, needs the government support and incentives.
To sum up, the past studies on diversification have focused on these concerns: i) motives and challenges for diversification, ii) the value addition through diversification to the firm's performance iii) the "extent" of diversification (less or more), iv) the "directions" of diversification (related or unrelated) and v) the "mode" of diversification (choice of acquisition, merger and internal expansion strategies). All the studies from extant literature are from developed economies. Therefore, looking at the studies from emerging economies in the GCC, we find there is a huge gap in the empirical or conceptual research in this area. A study by Epps & Demangeot (2012) on the challenges and opportunities of diversification in United Arab Emirates found that strategic thrust to diversify its economy is to insulate it from the dependence on oil price fluctuations which is the same contextual approach to our study on Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Theoretical Bases
The above Figure 1 is proposed to categorize fundamental aspects of strategic management that is deemed important. This was developed to be used as a provisional framework for achieving the research goals and in the development of the research instrument. The above figure is made up of 11 elements identified through a literature study that represent strategic management and corporate diversification theories to inform the research study. The top three "squares"-the general environment, industry environment, and firm characteristicsrepresent the most fundamental strategic management conceptual themes. For this reason, these will not be discussed in this section. Only the rest of the "squares" below those at the top are of the theories of diversification are discussed.
Figure 1.Theoretical Bases.
It has been suggested that a list of factors may influences a firm to diversify. As the decision to diversify is made, the following activity to inform the research is that of the direction for firms to diversify. A firm undergoing diversification is basically evaluating and finding ways to make proper changes to its business to improve the firm's abilities and achieve its objectives. Studies investigating the patterns of diversification find that firms tend to diversify into industries that are similar to their primary industry in terms of advertising intensity, R&D intensity, and/or buyer/seller relationships (Zahavi & Levie, 2013). Booz, Allen & Hamilton uses the following dimensions to describe the direction of diversification: technologies, product and services, geographic markets, customer segments, and distribution channels. Such diversification is commonly described in strategic management literature as related diversification. Sometimes, however, diversification is undertaken by way of vertical integration (i.e. integrating backward or forward) or by way of exploiting capital market imperfections. Such diversification usually represents entry into unrelated businesses.
The next theme to inform the research is the mode of diversification. What researchers meant refers to the degree to which the firm relies on internal business development rather than acquisitions as a means of entering new lines of activity. Here, the extremes are "internal growth" versus "acquisition-based growth"; however, a mixing of the modes is also possible (Chakrabarti & Mitchell, 2004). It is to note that the rising cost of internal development with the shortening of product life cycle has rendered acquisition-based diversification increasingly attractive to firms. A part of this section in informing the research, therefore, focuses on acquisitions and mergers as a strategy of growth.
Over a course of time, a firm has pursued various diversification initiatives and projects, by whichever approach it chooses for growth, it attains a certain status, if you will. Diversification status in the form of vertically integrated, related-diversified, or unrelateddiversified is identified.
As the firm's scope of diversification increases, the challenges of managing diversification strategies increase dramatically. The two sections shown in the figure represent the growing challenges on the implementation and management aspects of diversification. Finally, differences in the way diversified firms seek, obtain, and exploit synergies are often traced to their functional or departmental policies (R&D, Marketing, Finance, etc.); therefore, the foci to the sources and synergy are justified in this study.
The chosen methodology for this study was an exploratory and descriptive research approach since the area of study is relatively new in Saudi Arabia. The quantitative data collection technique was used since it allows for deductive inferences-which also reduce the expense of surveying an entire population. It also allows the researcher to establish measurements and identify relationships between variables. Therefore, objectives of the present study are; to assess the corporate diversification strategies of holding or diversified corporations in Saudi Arabia, and to ascertain the major challenges of corporate diversification experience (verified from the primary data).
As a result of distinct sample sizes from the target population (public listed corporations listed under Petrochemical, Construction, Banking/Finance, Telecommunication/ICT, and the Transportation sectors) extracted from the Saudi stock exchange (Tadawul), a selective sampling method is adopted. Resource Based View (RBV) of the firm defines Resources as stocks of available factors that are owned or controlled by the firm, as well as the Capabilities of the firm to use these resources to provide enhance productivity, this study will use this perspective to look at the different nature of resources and the varying levels of capabilities of the Saudi firms in their corporate diversification strategies. These capabilities and resources may serve as a source of competitive advantage.
The data collected was analyzed using software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0. Relationship between diversification strategies and financial performance and growth was explored. A combination of parametric and non-parametric tests was carried out, based on the nature of the data collected. Analysis of variables was presented through descriptive statistics which included: mean and standard deviation statistics; ranking statistics; frequency tables, histograms, bar charts, cross tabulations and significance tests.
In addition to minimizing errors, researchers tested the validity of the research according to validity. Validity measuring described by Messick (1987) is the following: content validity, predictive and concurrent criterion-related validity, and construct validity. For the purpose of this study we applied his descriptions of predictive and concurrent criterion under the category of criterion-related. Validity was tested through face validity in which the questionnaire was developed in relation to the study's objectives.
Research Instruments and Sample
The main research instrument was a questionnaire with four subsections; first section of solicits information on the background, experience and position of the personnel completing the questionnaire; the second section seeks information on the profile of the firm while third section solicits information on the firm's strengths and weaknesses. The fourth section collects information on the challenges and threats to the growth of the firm and last section solicits information on diversification in the firm. The population for this study consists of managementlevel stakeholders from the firms which are registered in the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), as at November 2017. As public listed corporations, they are considered to have the organizational structure, human capital, strategic assets and the financial resources to be able to initiate corporate diversification.
This section presents the results of data analysis. Table 1 shows that the most preferred mode of expansion by 77% of the participated corporations was "Internal capacity expansion", followed by "Acquisition" and "Joint Ventures" (37% and 34%, respectively), while only 11% of participated corporations stated "Mergers" as their strategy of expansion. In addition, data shows that 48% of the corporations that participated in the study were operating outside Saudi Arabia, and around a quarter of them were operating in 1-5 countries, another quarter were operating in 6-10 countries, while one fifth of the corporations were operating in 11-20 countries around the world, and another one fifth of the participated corporations were operating and working in more than 100 countries around the world.
Table 1: Companies Background Characteristics (Profile)
Banking/Financial institutions 11 17.70%
Retail 6 9.70%
Telecommunications and ICT 18 29.00%
Others 27 43.50%
Total 62 100.00%
Corporation's strategy of expansion
Internal expansion 48 77.42%
Mergers 7 11.29%
Acquisition 23 37.10%
Joint Ventures 21 33.87%
Operating outside KSA
Yes 30 48.40%
No 32 51.60%
Number of countries in which business is done
1-5 8 26.70%
6-10 8 26.70%
11-20 6 20.00%
21-50 1 3.30%
50-100 1 3.30%
100+ 6 20.00%
In order to determine the factors within and outside the corporation that influences their growth and successes, some information was collected about the corporation's current status about the factors shown in Table 2. It is clear that almost all respondents stated that all the 19 factors are present in the companies, where skilled and competent technical staff, highly trained operatives, ability to access and retain highly qualified subcontractors and specialist labor factors were strongly focused in 50% of the participated corporations. In addition, financial base and ability to support client financially, access to credit/finance, professionalism and reputation, creativity/innovation in delivery process, ability to build long term relationships with customers, goodwill and brand name of the enterprise, high quality of products and services factors which were very strongly present in more than 40% of the corporations. Which indicated that almost all factors that influences company's growth and successes were concentrated in their organization (statistically significant at p-value=0.05).
Table 2: Company's Current Status About The Following Factors
Current status (in percentage)
Weak1
Strong2
Skilled and competent management staff. 2 11 87
Highly trained operatives. 3 26 71
Adequate plane and equipment. 7 29 65
Financial base and ability to support client financially. 5 26 69
Flexibility in operation and organization structure. 8 42 50
High overhead costs. 8 45 47
Sound financial management practices. 3 23 74
Access to credit/finance. 3 21 76
Ability to access and retain highly qualified subcontractors and specialist labor. 5 19 76
High quality of products and services. 7 27 66
Age of corporation and experience. 3 21 76
Goodwill and brand name of the enterprise. 3 16 81
Ability to build long term relationships with customers. 3 16 81
Creativity/Innovation in delivery process. 7 26 68
Professionalism and reputation. 6 11 82
Use information and communication technologies (ICT). 3 50 47
1. It is a combination of very weak and weak.
2. It is a combination of very strong and strong.
The results indicate strong correlation between presence of the factors and the level of its influence on the organization's growth which implies increase in sales volume/turnover, fixed assets, employee size, profit and shareholders' funds. So it was clear for any factor, the higher the presence of factors in the corporation the greater its influence on the corporation growth and success (statistically significant at p-value=0.05). Figure 2 depicts diversification directions and strategies opted by corporations in Saudi Arabia, data shows that "Addition of new products" is the most preferred diversification strategy by around 58% of the corporations participated in the study, followed by "Movement to new markets/expansion of client's base" which was chosen by around 52% while "Retailing goods" is the least option for corporations as a diversification strategy.
Figure 2.Diversification Strategies Ranking.
On the other hand, data collected and analyzed showed insignificant relation between management structure of the company before and after diversification, where 33% of corporation's management structure was same "Functional" before and after diversification. While only 7% of the company's management structure was formerly "Functional" and after diversification became "Regional administration" (Statistically insignificant at p-value=0.05).
Table 3 shows the results of correlation matrix between main factors in the data. It is clear that there is a highly significant relationship between current status of some factors in the corporation and growth factors. In addition, to the presence of significant relationship between growth of a company with motivation factors and challenges facing them.
Table 3: Inter-Factors Correlation Matrix
Status of some factors
Challenges/ Threats
Growth of Corporation
Presence of some factors in the corporation Correlation Coefficient 0.911
Growth factors Correlation Coefficient .788* 0.936
Challenges/Threats Correlation Coefficient -0.15** -0.177* 0.843
Motivation Correlation Coefficient .668* 0.439* -.266** 0.754
Growth of Corporation Correlation Coefficient .455** 0.432* .403** .517** 0.838
Reliabilities are presented on the diagonal; *p<0.01; **p<0.05.
The first objective was to assess different corporate diversification strategies that businesses in Saudi Arabia undertake. The answers were not homogeneous but eventually revealed that the most popular strategy of expansion which was preferred by over majority of the sampled companies was "Internal capacity expansion", depicting that companies usually opt for the most secure and low-risk options that guarantee a smooth and practical diversification process. The internal capacity expansion which is generally a horizontal related diversification scheme seems to be popular since the company is not venturing into unknown areas of business where experience and tact are highly important. However, the fact that most of the surveyed companies had business operations in a number of countries indicates that these companies are not only into internal capacity expansion but they have successfully ventured into international markets where they can acquire cheaper resources.
According to the RBV, the acquisition of rare and valuable tangible and intangible resources is vital to the growth and prosperity of the companies. The acquisitions and mergers as well as joint ventures might be the best option to reach out for a much more vibrant market than the domestic one with varying factors of pricing, resources availability, cheap labor and land in most cases. Yet to drive such diversification efforts the companies needs to enjoy a strong basis of intangible asset especially the unique and valuable skill of top management and technical employees involved in the process. As mentioned earlier, it seems that one of the most important factors that intervene in the success or failure of the diversification strategy is whether or not the company is tactically and strategically ready for the change. Readiness for future plans obviously stems from the adequacy of the current assets that the corporation possesses. The highest and most valuable assets for the corporation as shown in the results of the survey are the skilled and competent management teams and technical staff as well as highly trained operatives. In addition to that, the high overhead costs are also considered as a moderate weakness that the companies still have to deal with.
The challenges for diversification were identified as; the high entry barriers, the use of the lowest bid competitive tendering, globalization and the lack of technical skills for certain projects. The obstacles and challenges found in the present research also coincide with the findings of Hoskisson et al. (2000) who report that emerging economies have challenges due to weak institutional infrastructure and uncertainties arising from political and economies instabilities in addition to the lack of market based management skills that pose another challenge for strategy decision. The findings discussed above also state that some of the most important obstacles are related to the lack of a clear market assessment and the lack of appropriate technical knowledge and transferable knowledge needed for certain projects along with the constantly fluctuating regulatory frameworks in Saudi Arabia.
The results of the present study support the findings of Bathia & Thakur (2017) who found that corporations prefer related diversification. In fact, most of the corporations preferred related internal lateral diversification to other modes and strategies of diversifications. In line with what Garrido-Prada et al. (2018) and Vogl (2018) have expressed in their studies, the present research revealed that the diversifications of related products as well as the annexation of other diversification strategies have indeed proven their effectiveness in raising a corporation's profitability and performance levels. This research also concludes that a careful analysis of the market and a good analysis of the customer base are vital to the success of the diversification process.
The findings of this research come in concordance with most of the literature studied at the beginning of this paper especially when it comes to the fact that businesses succeed when they possess some advantage relative to their competitors. On the benefits that diversification brought to the corporations in question, most of the respondents testified that the corporations experienced a great improvement in the utilization of resources. Moreover, some of the participants reported that their company's asset turnover increased, the overall sale volume increased, and the corporate image has improved. From the resources based view of the firm, it seems that the Saudi companies are indeed aware of the importance of acquiring highly skilled and competent management and technical staff before venturing into diversification endeavors. On another level, the study has established that diversification offers a growth strategy and it has been statistically proven that diversification offered Saudi companies several competitive advantages especially that many among them operate in numerous countries globally.
The study is particularly significant for emerging economies. It will contribute to this body of knowledge and research through evidence for diversification across a large sample of firms from emerging market. Moreover, it is important for managerial and public policy concern. The limitation that this research work faced was mainly in the access to the respondents because of the wide base of respondents and the varied sectors in which the respondent companies are working.
This work was supported by the research project corporate diversification in an emerging economy; Prince Sultan University; Saudi Arabia grant number IBRP-CBA-2016-11-30. Authors acknowledge the contribution provided by the participants and faculty members including Dr. Allwiya Allui in this research.
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Wright, M., Filatotchev, I., Hoskisson, R.E., & Peng, M.W. (2005). Strategy research in emerging economies: Challenging the conventional wisdom.Journal of Management Studies,42(1), 1-33.
Ye, M., Lu, W., Ye, K., & Flanagan, R. (2017). How do top construction corporations diversify in the international construction market? InProceedings of the 20th International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate(pp. 101-110). Springer, Singapore.
Zahavi, T., & Lavie, D. (2013). Intra?industry diversification and firm performance. Strategic Management Journal, 34(8), 978-998.


As it is soon Valentines Day the wonderful british chocolatier Hotel Chocolat is presenting so much irrisistable chocolate and truffles in their romantic Valentine range. This is the day to go all out on chocolate, at least I will (in addition to my heartsaped Healthy lemon meringue pies ofcourse!). So let's celebrate with a Valentines day Chocolate give away!
To be able to win the fantastic and romantic The Sleekster Valentine Selection filled with the perfect valentines day chocolate treats all you have to do is to follow the steps above the photo; Follow @thatcakechick on Instagram, share the photo above (you will find it on @thacakechick), and hashtag #thatcakechick and #hotelchocolat. If you comment below this post with what you would want to eat on Valentines day, you will also have the chance to win.
Just to tempt you even more, here is what is inside the 28 gorgeous filled chocolates in The Sleekster Valentine Selection: Passion Fruit Truffles, Strawberry & Rose Truffles, Triple-Layer Pralines, Salted Caramel Cheesecakes, Balsamic Caramels, Pink Champagne Truffles, Lemon Berry Tarts, Caramel Pralines, Soft Caramels, Champagne Bellini, Chilli, Ginger & Almond Pralines and Creamy Raspberry Truffles.
The winner will be announced on Sunday the 9th of February. So hurry up if you want to win! If you are not the lucky one, you can always order yours special directly from Hotel Chocolat.


text:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
    "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

    <title>AppEngine::Datastore::Entity</title>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="../../../css/main.css" type="text/css" media="screen" />

            Class
AppEngine::Datastore::Entity

                        In:

                            lib/appengine-apis/datastore_types.rb

                        Parent:

                            Object

Entity is the fundamental unit of data storage.
It has an immutable identifier (contained in the Key) object, a reference to an optional parent Entity, a kind (represented as an arbitrary string),
and a set of zero or more typed properties.

See also code.google.com/appengine/docs/java/javadoc/com/google/appengine/api/datastore/Entity.html

Methods

[]

[]=

delete

each

get_property

has_property

has_property?

merge!

set_property

to_hash

update

Included Modules

            Enumerable

            START:includes

Constants

            SPECIAL_JAVA_TYPES
            =
            {         JavaDatastore::Text => Text,         JavaDatastore::Blob => Blob,         JavaDatastore::ShortBlob => ByteString,         JavaDatastore::Link => Link,         java.util.Date => Time,       }.freeze

Instance Public methods

                    [](name)

Alias for get_property

                    []=(name, value)

Alias for set_property

                    delete(name)

Removes any property with the specified name. If there is no property with
this name set, simply does nothing.

                        Source: show

# File lib/appengine-apis/datastore_types.rb, line 287
      def delete(name)
        name = name.to_s if name.kind_of? Symbol
        Datastore.convert_exceptions do
          removeProperty(name)
        end
      end

                    each()

Iterates over all the properties in this Entity.

                        Source: show

# File lib/appengine-apis/datastore_types.rb, line 317
      def each(&proc)  # :yields: name, value
        getProperties.each(&proc)
      end

                    get_property(name)

Returns the property with the specified name.

                    This method is also aliased as

                    []

                        Source: show

# File lib/appengine-apis/datastore_types.rb, line 247
      def get_property(name)
        name = name.to_s if name.kind_of? Symbol
        prop = Datastore.convert_exceptions { getProperty(name) }
        ruby_type = SPECIAL_JAVA_TYPES[prop.class]
        if ruby_type
          ruby_type.new_from_java(prop)
        else
          prop
        end
      end

                    has_property(name)

Alias for has_property?

                    has_property?(name)

Returns true if a property has been set. This function can be used to test
if a property has been specifically set to nil.

                    This method is also aliased as

                    has_property

                        Source: show

# File lib/appengine-apis/datastore_types.rb, line 298
      def has_property?(name)
        name = name.to_s if name.kind_of? Symbol
        Datastore.convert_exceptions do
          hasProperty(name)
        end
      end

                    merge!(other)

Alias for update

                    set_property(name, value)

Sets the property named, <tt>name</tt>, to <tt>value</tt>.

As the value is stored in the datastore, it is converted to the
datastore’s native type.

All Enumerables are prone to losing their sort order and their original
types as they are stored in the datastore. For example, a Set may be
returned as an Array from getProperty, with an arbitrary re-ordering of
elements.

<tt>value</tt> may be one of the supported datatypes, or a heterogenous
Enumerable of one of the supported datatypes.

Throws ArgumentError if the value is not of a type that the data store
supports.

                    This method is also aliased as

                    []=

                        Source: show

# File lib/appengine-apis/datastore_types.rb, line 275
      def set_property(name, value)
        name = name.to_s if name.kind_of? Symbol
        value = Datastore.ruby_to_java(value)
        Datastore.convert_exceptions do
          setProperty(name, value)
        end
      end

                    to_hash()

                        Source: show

# File lib/appengine-apis/datastore_types.rb, line 321
      def to_hash
        inject({}) do |hash, item|
          name, value = item
          hash[name] = value
          hash
        end
      end

                    update(other)

Add the properties from <tt>other</tt> to this Entity. Other may be an Entity or Hash

                    This method is also aliased as

                    merge!

                        Source: show

# File lib/appengine-apis/datastore_types.rb, line 308
      def update(other)
        other.each do |name, value|
          self[name] = value
        end
        self
      end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
https://qimg.traveltrivia.com/uploads/38bf100736c151d5a80c97e5664a140e
[A] Which two countries do not sell Coca-Cola?
/answer-which-two-countries-do-not-sell-coca-cola/
5d925e060569b5002d0f712d
6 Interesting Drinking Traditions From Around the World
Pretty much everywhere you go, you're going to find some kind of fermented drink. And while sampling all the different types of alcohol in the world is a worthy pursuit, we're usually more interested in the culture around the drink. Every culture's put its own mark on a fairly universal pastime, so our globetrotting is much more about what people do around the drink, not the drink itself. These are the six most interesting drinking traditions around the world.
Germany | Bridal Kidnapping
Credit: Nikada/iStock
In The Office, a lot of Dwight Schrute's claims about German traditions are dubious at best. Which is what we originally thought about when Mose kidnaps Angela on the eve of Dwight and Angela's wedding. But apparently, that's rooted in real German tradition. In Germany, a wedding traditionally lasts three days and on the night of the third day, the best man would kidnap the bride and take her to a local drinking establishment. Once the groom found her, he'd have to buy his wedding party a round of drinks, just like Dwight does in the show. Which makes us wonder about how real of a tradition Dwight's shotgun blasts to his aunt's corpse are.
Japan | Selfless Pouring
Credit: Image Source/iStock
The best drinking traditions are the ones that emphasize the togetherness of your trip to the bar, pub, cafe or wherever else you're hanging out. We're thinking about going for rounds with friends, unexpected prepaid drinks and even the infamous shotski. But we can't find a more inclusive tradition than the way the Japanese pour their drinks, in that they don't actually pour their own drinks. They generally pour for those they're drinking with, who then, in turn, fill the original pourer's glass. For westerners worried about possibly falling behind in drinks, we'd like to reassure you by saying the Japanese are extraordinarily attentive when it comes to how much is left in your glass. You won't go dry at any point.
England and the United States | Wassail
Credit: Elena Dijour/Shutterstock.com
Wassailing has a long history behind it, going from the word spoken over a toast in ancient England, to a specific drink made during the medieval period, to an activity consisting of poor people harassing the wealthy into feeding them and getting them drunk at Christmas, and finally mellowing out into a drink and a few carolers filled with holiday cheer. And while we're bummed we missed out on the times we could stand outside our rich neighbor's house yelling at them until they fed us mulled wine, we're happy to be around for the times when wassailing means sitting around with close friends and family, sharing hot drinks and singing a few songs.
Haro, Spain | The Wine Fight
Credit: Iakov Filimonov/Shutterstock.com
In the 13th century, the people living in Haro had to mark the borders between their town and the neighboring town of Miranda de Ebro every year on Saint Peter's Day. Today, the same occasion is marked by splashing wine over everyone and everything within your throwing range, using whatever vessel, instrument or other container capable of holding liquid. After the "Batalla de Wino," everyone heads back into town for food, more drinks, general partying and a far more animal-friendly version of bullfighting. It's an evolution we generally approve of.
Kazakhstan | Kumis
Credit: Goddard_Photography/iStock
What's interesting about kumis isn't so much what it's used for (a fairly standard ceremonial libation) as it is what it's made of and the history behind it. Kumis is fermented mare's milk and is deeply tied into the nomadic lifestyle of ancient Kazakh ancestors. The lives of the nomads on the Central Asian steppe revolved around the horse in such a way that it's hard to find a modern equivalent. The only thing that comes close is the way some modern people feel about their smartphones (hopefully that doesn't make us sound like pandering luddites). But even that analogy breaks down when you consider the smartphone is a manufactured dependency, whereas the steppe nomads absolutely would have died without their horses. Kumis is a holdover from that ancient lifestyle and one that still holds an immense amount of importance to the people of Kazakhstan.
Sourdough Saloon, Dawson City, Yukon, Canada | The Sourtoe Cocktail
Credit: Alan Currie/iStock
Let's get really weird to close this article out. The Sourdough Saloon's claim to international fame is dropping a mummified, amputated toe into your cocktail. At this point, the drink's origin is as much oral history or legend as it is true events, but we'll give you the important points. In the early '70s, Captain Dick Stevenson, a Yukon local, found a pickled toe in a jar while he was cleaning out his cabin. Naturally, he brought that toe with him to the bar and began dropping it into the beverages of the bravest drinkers. Someone got too brave and accidentally swallowed the toe. Seven toes later (people keep swallowing these things) and you drop the toe into whatever you order at the bar. The only rule is, "You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow—but the lips have gotta touch the toe."
We're gagging as we write this.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Natal Nutrition: Can Autism Be Prevented?
Center for Disease Control now claims that 75% of all healthcare spending goes towards the treatment of preventable diseases - most of which are linked to diet.
In a world where women are usually responsible for, well, everything - from birthing to bringing home the bacon (and then making sure that it's perfectly cooked) - hearing that we are also responsible for preventing disease can just add another layer of stress.
If you're like me, one way of dealing with that added pressure is to ignore it. That's what I did, for years, until my body literally shut down and forced me to listen.
As women, we tend to put others' needs before our own. I put the needs of my job wayyyy before my own, and it finally caught up with me. My body didn't appreciate my work hard, play hard lifestyle.
But I couldn't (or didn't want to) face the prospect of adding even more tasks to my plate. Working out, food shopping, cooking ... these things take TIME. And time is a precious commodity these days.
Luckily, what I've learned since then is that taking better care of myself wasn't really as hard as it seemed. Which brings me back to my current stance on disease prevention: why bother kicking the can down the road when you can take small actions now that will help your health later?
A great time to do that is when you're pregnant, because it's so much easier to justify taking care of someone else instead of yourself.
Studies suggest that pregnancy super-nutrient folate can prevent autism - even when consumed BEFORE conception!
The tricky thing about folate is that supplements usually include the synthetic version, folic acid. Folic acid has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, maternal infection, and low birth weight infants. In addition, an estimated 40% of the population has a genetic variant that prevents the metabolism of folic acid.
A better choice is true folate.
In supplements, that means 5-methyltetrahydrafolate (or 5-MTHF). The prenatal supplements I like contain this kind of absorbable folate, but you can only order them through a practitioner (head to my store to check them out).
Luckily, absorbable folate is found abundantly in beans and greens, among other food sources.
The bottom line? Choosing folate-rich foods and taking a high-quality prenatal vitamin are two easy steps you can take to help prevent autism. There are many other factors in the development and prevention of this disease, but starting with small, easy modifications is the best way to make lasting change.
As Benjamin Franklin said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." While it's not easy to add prevention to your list of things to do, these simple steps have a potentially powerful outcome.
And hey - we might even be able to change those CDC stats.


BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless, owner of the nation's fastest 4G network, is turning on 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) in 11 new markets and making expansions in seven markets on Dec. 15, bringing blazingly fast speeds to more than 200 million people in 190 markets across the United States. The company offers a broad array of 4G LTE-enabled devices, including notebooks and netbooks; hotspots and modems; and smartphones and tablets, such as the two new DROID XYBOARD tablets by Motorola, to connect to the largest 4G LTE network in the nation.
On Dec. 15, Verizon Wireless customers in the Twin Ports can take advantage of Verizon Wireless' 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, the fastest 4G network in the nation. Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network allows customers to share music and photos, surf the Web, and download files up to 10 times faster than before.
On Dec. 15, more Verizon Wireless customers in more areas of northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana can take advantage of Verizon Wireless' 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, the fastest 4G network in the nation.


This is Jeff White--I've been asked to write about my recent trip across the pond to meet with potential SceneExchange partners in the UK. Here is a summary of my observations about the UK market.
While in the UK I had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of a multi-shop company as well as a single location shop. Each provided a unique and distinct view of the insurance marketplace. UK body shops are under much more governmental scrutiny than shops in the US. They are also held to higher service expectations in some areas.
Current repair conditions are much like the US--with fewer vehicles being repaired and smaller shops folding due to increased competition. Perhaps, at some point the remaining shops may revolt and shift the rental cost back to the carrier or at least have them help share in the expense.
Governmental oversight and adherence to several nationally recognized standards, such as the introduction of Kitemark into the repair industry, make it increasingly more expensive to be a shop in the UK. The imposed standards are based on the following four cornerstones: Man, Machine, Method and Materials.
Man--This means that every person working at the shop who touches a specific vehicle, such as a BMW or Merc, needs to be certified by the manufacturer on each of their vehicles and that these certifications must be constantly kept up to date.
Machine--Each machine or tool that is used on a vehicle must be acquired from the manufacturer and only used on their vehicles; this includes everything from lifts to wrenches.
Method--The method to repair the vehicle comes straight from the manufacturer and can not short-circuit any part of the processes; meaning it takes longer and is more costly to repair each car.
Materials--Lastly are the materials, which must be OEM or LKQ and often cause new parts to be ordered rather than repair the existing.
A current example of how all these pieces intersect is the increasing concern over the number of UK vehicles that use Boron Steel for increased strength and lighter weight. For UK shops, they are required to purchase the special welding tools and the training needed to work with this material. They also need to have separate and enclosed bay space for any required welding--and it must be fully sanitized after use. Take these costs, along with the current need to have separate welding tools for aluminum and regular steel and you can see where a shop will need to invest in three sets of welding gear per mechanic in order to perform to the Man, Machine, Method and Materials Kitemark standard.
1. One pro-shop program would give certain shops have the ability to repair a vehicle with no need to provide the carrier an estimate.
2.On the opposite side is a proposal to allow the carriers ability to force a $1,000.00 fixed price per vehicle trial program on shops if they wish to keep the business.
In the end, I believe when the plus and minus columns are totaled in the US and UK the shop issues balance out but it's the UK consumer who is making out the best. They get the all the benefits of the governmental controls on the shops, no rental fees and lower insurance rates on comparable US vehicles.
Women and roadtrips--why didn't I think of this?
Ever hear of Road and Travel Magazine?
Targeting "upscale consumers with a slant towards women", this online weekly magazine brings together everything women would want to know about traveling--and cars.
Anyhow, shop owners, I wanted to cite this website because they have a specific audience in mind and have developed content aimed at them.
Imagine what your website could offer people in terms of helpful content. You could market, for example, to new parents with information about car seat fittings (and clinics onsite at your shop), top kid road trip music, links to information on kid-safe cars, car games and more. The cool thing about the web is that you could link to content rather than trying to develop it all yourself.
You could flesh out your links section by category and link to pages underneath it. That way you provide great information, in an ethical way, but without the burden of it costing you anything more than time to find the links (and ask if it's okay to link to your site).
As another added bonus, having links on your website helps boost it in the search engine rankings. Just a hint.
Don't let the title mislead you, as I am writing this from Europe, in Montreux Switzerland where I am at IBIS, which is the International Bodyshop Information Symposium. IBIS is an annual conference, where all the trends and technology in the automobile care repair industry are updated. There are delegates from all over the world, which means that people do indeed crash their cars all over the world.
Anyway, what I can tell you from my drive down from England is that Europeans drive much too fast, and their cars are not very big. I would assume that this would translate to a higher total loss percentage, which I was told at dinner that it does. You see, gas is about $10/gallon here, and speed limits are more suggestions than rules, so everyone tries to get wherever they are going very fast. This is the only thing in Europe that happens fast, I believe. They all so have national health coverage and heavily regulated Auto insurance, so when there is an accident at such speeds, basically the car and the driver are totaled more often than not, and everything is paid for by taxpayers.
Ok, this was just dinner chatter. The real conference starts tomorrow, which will provide a wealth of material.


Hi Chris, I totally forgot to show you what I did with my overgrown lavender patch in the front garden. It has really grown too wild – so much so that we have to fight with the bushes just to get into the front gate. So my idea is to remove a few of them, retain some of the mature bushes and then work in some new plants to make it more interesting. I started this patch with a dried out river bed design, with the rocks meandering as if it was a dried out river, and to have the lavender surrounding it. Well, as you know, the lavender took over! So this is my first step. I took out the most invasive bush and you can already see the riverbed effect coming through. I will, however, have to re-set all the pebbles. After watching The Gardener DVD's I now know how to lay a professional pebble patch!!!
I'd love to see different grasses planted here – the lovely ornamental grasses would look beautiful.
Hi Chris, I have been seriously thinking of your suggestion and I saw the pic of the grasses you sent via e-mail. So beautiful!!! I really think this is the way to go for the front patch. I'll post my drawing which I did in my new Gardening Journal , so you can see my ideas.
I also think it would look nice with some other flowers planted around the area.
Sadly, the phrase "overgrown lavender patch" will never be used to describe my garden. Although I do have some lavenders that overwinter, it's not entirely reliable here because of the cold wet winters. They certainly do not get huge like yours do.
This is so true – I love looking at gardens and the inspiration and motivation comes from just that. I am fortunate that the sun shines most of the year here!
Your path is really pretty. A dry stone riverbed will look good here, but if you cut back the lavender or divide it you will refresh it. Smaller plants will grow. If it is too woody, they do need replacement. I have a really good image of a stone path in a bed similar to what you designed here that I did for a client. Maybe I will post it if I can locate it. It is surrounded with lavender. I know you are adding other flowers, too. This beds had some also.
Thanks for this Donna – I have to continuously tell myself that the lavender will one day need to be relaced. I will so interested at what you have done for a client! PLEASE let me know if you can! Much apprecaited.


text:
Campionatul European de Baschet Feminin din 2017 (sau EuroBaschet Feminin 2017) a fost cea de a 36-a ediție a turneului european de baschet feminin, aflat sub egida FIBA Europe. Turneul a fost găzduit de Cehia. Turneul s-a desfășurat în perioada 16–27 iunie 2017.

Calificări

Echipe calificate

Tragerea la sorți
Tragerea la sorți pentru turneul final a avut loc la Praga la 9 decembrie 2016.

Urnele valorice

Faza grupelor

Grupa A

Grupa B

Grupa C

Grupa D

Fazele eliminatorii
Turneul pentru locurile 5-8

Calificări pentru sferturile de finală

Sferturi de finală

Semifinalele pentru locurile 5–8

Semifinale

Meciul pentru locul 7

Meciul pentru locul 5

Meciul pentru locul 3

Finala

Referințe

Legături externe

Site oficial

FIBA
Campionatul European de Baschet
baschet
2017 în sport
Competiții sportive internaționale găzduite de Republica Cehă

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Juan Pablo Wainwright Nuila (1894–February 18, 1932) was a Honduran revolutionary leader. A former member of the Canadian Army in World War I, he joined the Communist Party in El Salvador in 1928. He was expelled from the country that year, returning to Honduras. He was later identified as one of the major communist agitators in Latin America. After an escape from a Honduran prison in 1930, he was arrested in Guatemala in January 1932. Following a confrontation between Wainwright and Guatemalan dictator Jorge Ubico in a prison office, Ubico ordered Wainwright's execution.

Youth
Wainwright was born in Santa Barbara in 1894.  He was born to an English father (hailing from Leeds) and a Honduran mother Carlota Nuila Leiva. Many of Wainwright's biographical details remain unclear. According to Robert J. Alexander, Wainwright was imprisoned in the United States for a period. After his release, he joined the Canadian Army and fought at the battlefront in France during the First World War. According to Alexander's account, he travelled across Europe, Africa and the Orient, returning to Honduras in 1924.

According to biographer Rina Villars, Wainwright spent much of his youth years in Manchester living with his aunt and uncle. In 1916 he joined the British Corps of Royal Engineers for a short period. He travelled a lot, working as a sailor and in other professions. After returning to Central America, he set up a business in El Salvador selling fire extinguishers and Smith Corona typewriters. During these years he travelled extensively throughout the region. He fathered a son, William, in Barbados.

Communist organizer
In 1928 he became a member of the Communist Party in El Salvador. In the same year, he was expelled from El Salvador for political reasons. After his return to Honduras he began to organize workers at the United Fruit Company plantations in northern Honduras through the Federación Sindical Hondureña (Honduran Trade Union Federation). An article in a Guatemalan newspaper labelled him as one of the foremost communist agitators in Central America, accusing him of seeking to establish a Soviet federation in the region. Apart from politics, he also set up a business in San Pedro Sula, selling tobacco, sweets and soft drinks.

Jail and escape
Following a violent strike movement in Honduras in 1930 he was jailed, but managed to escape to Guatemala. Wainwright used his family business, the sweets and tobacco company Hondusal, for his cross-border activities. In Guatemala he used the pseudonym Nicolás Guerra. In February 1931 he was elected as External Relations Secretary of the Communist Party of Guatemala, at a clandestine party plenary held at the General Cemetery of Guatemala City.

Execution
In January 1932 he was jailed in Guatemala, accused of preparing a revolt in the country on the lines of the insurgency in El Salvador. At the office of the prison, a heated discussion took place between Wainwright and the Guatemalan dictator Jorge Ubico during which Wainwright spat in the face of Ubico. Ubico ordered the execution of Wainwright for February 18, 1932. Prior to his execution Wainwright tried to commit suicide in his cell, writing 'Long live the Communist International!' on the walls of his prison cell with his own blood. The following day Wainwright was executed by a firing squad.

The death of Wainwright contributed to the emerging vacuum of leadership of the labour movement on the Honduran north coast.

See also

 History of Honduras

References

Bibliography
Villars, Rina. Lealtad y rebeldía: la vida de Juan Pablo Wainwright. Tegucigalpa, Honduras: Guaymuras, 2010.

1894 births
1932 deaths
People from Santa Bárbara Department, Honduras
Honduran people of British descent
Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers
Honduran communists
Honduran escapees
Executed Honduran people
People executed by Honduras by firing squad
Executed activists
People deported from El Salvador
Escapees from Honduran detention
Honduran people imprisoned abroad
Date of birth unknown
History of Honduras
Honduran expatriates in the United Kingdom
Honduran expatriates in El Salvador


text:
« SKULLCANDY LAUNCHES WIRELESS EARPHONES IN INDIA Withings in collaboration with Brandeyes launches connected health devices in India »
Skullcandy Launches Grind Wireless Headphones in India
Skullcandy has launched Grind Wireless headphones in India at a price of Rs. 6,499. The headphones are an upgraded and wireless version of the Grind 2.0 headphones, which are widely available for around Rs. 2,500 today, and use Bluetooth for audio transmission.
"Our wireless product innovations were well-received in 2015. Grind Wireless will continue our mission to launch headphone in style that change consumers' expectations of Bluetooth product's aesthetics and acoustic performance," said Amlan Bhattacharjya, founder and CEO of Brandeyes Distributors Pvt. Ltd, the official distributor for Skullcandy in India.
The Grind Wireless features a similar design and look as the Grind 2.0, and has an added integrated amplifier to enhance the sound over Bluetooth. The headset boasts of a battery life of up to 12 hours on a full charge, while the right ear cup integrates microphone, call, track and volume controls to easily control the headset and music.
The grand launch event of Grind Wireless took place at Anti Social, Hauz Khas (Delhi), in presence of several tech bloggers and journalists from India's most prestigious media houses.
At the beginning of the event, the bloggers and journalists were briefed about the product's unique features and later, were allowed to experience the headphones themselves.
These new headphones will initially be available exclusively at Croma for one month, following which availability will be expanded to other stores all over the country as well as online.
The launch will further strengthen the Skullcandy range of Wireless Headphones in India.


text:
Q: POST method for elements in collection I'm on a .NET platform, writing an MVC application for registering attendances of Departments' Chiefs and their staff. Each of them will log into the webpage, will have a list of some people in their staff shown, then they shall check some checkboxes and select some elements from dropdownlists, and all need to be posted back to the server.
First, I have the Entities:
public class Attendance
{
    public DateTime Date { get; set; }
    public Chief Appointed { get; set; }
    public bool Present { get; set; }
    public LeaveType Leave { get; set; }
    public Chief Deputy { get; set; }
}

public class Department
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public int ID { get; set; }
    public Chief Head { get; set; }
    public Department Parent { get; set; }
    public List<Department> Children { get; set; }
}

These entities, stored in a SQL Server database, make up a repository so that when anyone logs into the web page, the Controller populates the ViewModel with a list of people in their staff only.
This filtered repository is wrapped up in the ViewModel that, for other reasons, has a constructor method:
public class ViewModel
{
    public List<Attendance> Attendances { get; set; }
    public List<Department> Departments { get; set; }

    public ViewModel()
    {
        // some code
    }
}

This is (part of) the View code - important note: I'm using this boostrap-switch javascript library for turning checkboxes into switches, so I can't rely on helper methods for the input elements.
@model ViewModel

@using (Html.BeginForm("Index", "Attendances", FormMethod.Post))
{
    foreach (Department department in Model.Departments)
    {

                @department.Name

                @department.Head

                <input type="checkbox" id="@department.ID" name="Department.ID" checked />

    }

    <input type="submit" value="Submit"/>
}

Now, this is where I have problems: in the controller, I have this POST method that create a new instance of the ViewModel every time is called.
[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Index(ViewModel viewModel)
{
    // Register the submitted data

    return View(viewModel);
}

How do I tell the code to take the collection submitted by the user into the new (empty) collection created by the controller when the user clicks on the submit button?
Thanks, Davide.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
G3/G4/G5 Power Mac, iMac & eMac
PowerPC Model Forums
Will a iBook 9.2.2 disk do a full install to a B&W G3?
By mraroid, February 9, 2019 in G3/G4/G5 Power Mac, iMac & eMac
blue & white 9.2.2
mraroid
Location Salem Oregon, US, formally, Ibarra Ecuador
I have a apple branded 9.2.1 CD. I am looking for a 9.2.2 CD. Will a 9.2.2 CD made for the iBook, install everything I need for my Blue & White G3 tower? If not, I can go back to what I have been doing. I have been installing 9.2.1 from my Apple OS 9 CD, and then down loading the update to make it 9.2.2.
I can't believe I have stumped everyone.....
I can buy the iBook 9.2.2 CD and see what happens I guess.
Cory5412
Daring Pioneer of the Future
Location Arizona, USA
It should, but: How many times have I linked you to the download of the 2003 eMac CD image? That's the one. Get that image. It's GAURANTEED to work on every single OS9-capable system, short of (and it might work, I've just never tested it) the 2003 OS9-booting re-release of the MDD PowerMac G4.
If you need, and you can hold on a couple minutes, I can get out my TIBook and burn the toast image to CD and reimage it with a modern Mac so you have something you can burn with infrarec or imgburn on a Windows computer.
Downloading now. It's a little bit round-about since, ironically, for as much on macgarden is in modern-compatible formats, these particular things are in either dc6 or toast format so I have to burn the disc with my powerbook g4 then reimage it with a modern machine, to provide an ISO that'll should burn in infrarecorder or imgburn on a windows PC.
One more housekeeping note:
Generally, most of the "gray label" Mac install discs are set up to only install onto particular machines. I believe this is actually primarily true for OS X CDs, but there's a couple situations even then where the disc only knows so much about the machine it "says" it's for.
The eMac 03 CD is a gray label CD but as I've noted, it's what I personally use on all of my Macs. I don't personally know what the status is on the iBook CDs, which is in large part why I don't recommend them. If they do work on other machines, it's likely they'll work on your beige, but, not, say, a later G4 (especially a QS'02). Someone whose got one might know, but I suspect most people are in the habit of using either the emac'03 CD, using 9.2.1+patches, or one of the unofficial "universal" 9.2.2 CDs.
15 hours ago, Cory5412 said:
Cory.....
I often do not do a very good job of explaining my self. I see that I have failed again. Let me give it another go.....
I have a good source for the full install of 9.2.2 I have a apple branded 9.2.1 CD and I have a update file that I down loaded that I use to update 9.2.1 to 9.2.2. The update file is quite small and it installs quickly. All is well. I am a happy camper because I have a great source for 9.2.2.
What I am looking for, is a apple branded CD (or DVD) of 9.2.2. I like apple branded CDs, DVDs and floppies. I installed OS 7 onto my Mystic from a home made CD. But I still searched and finally bought a Apple branded set of original floppy disks for the Color Classic. Call me stupid, call me crazy, but i like to buy Apple branded operating systems.
What I am looking for now, is a apple branded CD or DVD of 9.2.2. All I could find is a version made for the iBook. The question I asked is this CD a full version of 9.2.2 or is it a version of 9.2.2 that is tailor made for the iBook?
If someone could answer that question for me, that would be great. If no one here can answer the question, then I will buy it and test it out on my B&W.
I apologize again for not being as clear as I could have been. I will try harder to explain my self better in the future.
By "Apple branded" - do you mean pressed?
if so, I still recommend finding the eMac 2003 CD.
If by "Apple Branded" you mean that Apple officially made it, then, the eMac 2003 CD also fits that bill. Unfortunately, in about five minutes of casually searching, I can't find an eMac 2003 CD on eBay, but if you're looking, that's the one I would get.
35 minutes ago, Cory5412 said:
Uh, I guess. I am looking for a CD or a DVD made by Apple.
OK. I will start searching. Thanks again for the help.
By "pressed" what I mean is, original apple-logo disc, not a CD-r made from an ISO image downloaded off the Internet.
There are two senses of legit Apple CDs. One is that a CD can be an actual verifiable copy of a real CD that Apple actually made (*the eMac CD, as compared with some of the other "universal" 9.2.2 installers) or one can be an actual pressed retail or OEM CD.
The latter type would, of course, generally meet both criteria, because nobody's gonna get a pressed run of an unofficial CD made. Though, hypothetically, that's possible, it's just, difficult.
Gorgonops
What Cory was trying to explain is that the restore CDs that shipped with Apple machines (IE, has a specific name like "iBook" on it) are usually locked to only install on a machine with the same system identifier; on other machines the installer will tell you to drop dead if you try to run it. The reason that eMac restore CD is so often mentioned as the "right one" to buy is for some reason Apple skipped locking it down, probably because they figured it was an unnecessary hassle to impose on machines sold almost exclusively to schools.
(Note that on some of the locked CDs there are workarounds you can do to install anyway; for instance, on some of them it's possible to manually open the not-particularly-well-hidden disk image that has the restore contents and just drag it all to your freshly formatted hard disk.)
As to whether the OS off a restore CD will work on a different machine, with few exceptions the answer is "yes" as long as the machine you install on is older than what the CD is for. The reason there exists the "older than" proviso is Apple actually used to have to release "stealth" version bumps to accommodate new machines introduced in the gap between official OS updates. This is why the very last OS 9 Macs can be difficult to restore the OS to because they *do* need a "special" build of 9.2.2 that has some tiny changes compared to the 9.2.2 you'd get from installing from a 9.2.1 retail disk (I *think* 9.2.1 was the last universal retail disk, but don't quote me on that.) and applying the 9.2.2 update packages. (Which you can't do on these machines anyway because they can't boot the retail disk.) However, that doesn't apply in reverse; these "special" versions generally are fine running on older hardware.
The one exception I know of Re: special versions: I had a sleeve of old restore disks I tried on my B&W years ago, and I discovered that the special version of OS 9.0.something on the Cube restore disk had broken audio drivers on the B&W. 9.0.something from an AGP G4 tower worked fine, though. I assume it had to do with the cube having unique USB speakers.
MOS8_030
Location Austin, TX
I have an original 9.2.2 install disk for the TiBook (PowerBook G4 CD Ver. 1.2 Circa 2002) that worked with any system that supported 9.2.2 back in the day.
I used it on most every model including iBooks, B&W G3's, ST & QS G4's etc.
Iirc, it was about the last stand-alone OS 9.2.2 install CD that I remember before "Classic" was introduced.
24 minutes ago, MOS8_030 said:
So, there's another example of an unlocked disk.
I never really understood myself why Apple was so schizophrenic about locking or not locking those disks. There really is no way to tell whether you're going to run into an installation block or not on a given disk until you try it. (Or someone else has.)
So far as I'm aware the really notorious outlier when it comes to getting OS 9 on it is the 2003 MDD G4 tower, the model that was introduced/slash/downgraded solely to act as a backwards compatible option for businesses that still needed direct OS 9 boot. It didn't ship with an OS 9-booting restore CD, the *only* way out of the box to get its special version of 9.2.2 was to install the OS X-based restore disk and install the optional OS 9 classic/boot package from there. The *only* OS 9 CDs that will directly boot on this model are the unofficial ones.
Another minor tidbit: even the ancient B&W will boot from the versions of OS X Tiger used on the restore disks shipped with the last PowerPC Macs (like, say, a 2005 PowerBook) if you image said OS onto a compatible hard disk. The interesting thing you'll find is they will *also* be able to boot into OS 9 if you have "Classic" installed. However, the "Classic Only" version of OS 9 that's included with the later OS X-only machines *is* badly broken if you boot directly into it; various control panels, etc, are borked. This borked version of 9 still identifies itself as 9.2.2, so strictly speaking there are a *lot* of bizarre variants of the OS in circulation.
... in any case, ultimately there's really no reason to seek out a 9.2.2 CD for a B&W, 9.2.1 plus the update will do everything it needs. Unless you plan to be reinstalling the OS every other day.
Thanks to everyone for the CD/DVD suggestions. I will keep an eye out. I did suspect that many of the CDs I saw were machine specific. I know which ones to look for now.
6 hours ago, MOS8_030 said:
I'm curious as to which machine this came with, because my TiBook@1000 did not come with a dedicated OS9 CD, instead on the "extras" DVD, along with faxstf and the screenshot program, there was an "install classic mode" package.
I originally acquired the eMac CD I've been using just under 7 years ago in the previous attempt to get another TiBook running.
6 hours ago, Gorgonops said:
The 867/1000 TiBooks are, to my experience (and: I had one close to brand new, it was a display model). The eMac 2003 installs directly onto that and everything works.
The next most troublesome machine to put 9 on is the Quicksilver "2002" - which had some revised Ethernet hardware which required newer drivers. The eMac 2003 CD works on that machine as well. As far as I know, a TiBook install CD wouldn't have worked on that machine, but I don't have such a disc on hand.
EDIT: if the CD you have is truly from a TiBook 867/1000, which was introduced in November 2002, it will probably run the QS'02's ethernet fine. It might even run the 2002 variant of the MDD. The QS'02 was introduced January 2002.
I would love to see it tested whether the MDD'02 and "XPress Edition" MDD'03 (OS9/2002 reissue) will run with the eMac'03 CD. If anyone has one of those machines and the wherewithal to give it a go, please try and report back!
1 hour ago, Cory5412 said:
I don't remember which TiBook it came with. I got it when I was doing IT at Motorola. (2000-05)
The newest files on the disk are dated April 19 2002.
(I guess that would make it for a 667 MHz or 800 MHz machine, based on their release date.)
The read me says Mac OS 9.2 but the disk installs 9.2.2 (And says 9.2.2 on the disk)
I have an earlier PowerMac G4 CD that is Ver. 1.0 that says 9.2 on the disk. The files are dated June 21 2001.
I labeled that disk "most systems" back in the day, as it installed the OS on "most" systems.
Edited February 11, 2019 by MOS8_030
9 minutes ago, MOS8_030 said:
In any specific case, if someone has such a disc that works, yay!
For my part, the reason I'm recommending the eMac CD specifically is because if you are going to go on ebay and pay money for a 20-year-old CD, it may as well be the best possible version of that CD, and the eMac 2003 is that one. Similarly, if you're going to go through the trouble of dealing with all the shenanigans involving burning a bootable Mac OS 9 CD (and, I have confirmed the one on MG is the correct disc, which is annoying because they are labeled with both 691- numbers and 693- numbers, which relates to something I was discussing with @defor at some point) but I haven't gotten it to burn-and-boot yet.
I'll get out a CD-RW and have at it at some point this coming week but my weekend time and energy is rapidly drawing to a close.
CC_333
68LC040
Location Northern California
I have a TiBook, which started life originally as an 867 MHz model, but was subsequently upgraded to 1 GHz via logic board swap.
When I got it, it's *original* disk were provided, except they no longer work because they were meant for 867 MHz models; the 1 GHz models must've used a separate set of disks?
I don't understand why the two have to be mutually exclusive, especially since virtually ever source I've seen identifies the 1 GHz TiBook as nothing more than a speed-bumped 867 MHz TiBook (in other words, identical save for a slightly faster CPU). The machine identifiers are even the same, so why don't the 867 MHz disks work on a 1 GHz machine?
So, I can attest to this bizarre, illogical, and sometimes locked, sometimes not strategy Apple seemed to have at the time.
Go To Topic Listing G3/G4/G5 Power Mac, iMac & eMac


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