Sample records for technology based firms

  1. Investment decisions with the social and environmental impacts of new technology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Evans, D.A.C.

    1985-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyze technology assessment from a finance point of view. Specifically, the study investigated the opinions of firms in the chemical, the computer, and the pharmaceutical industries on technology assessment and the practices they currently use. In addition, it examined the effect of these practices on the financial performances of the firms. Results indicated that the accountability of the firm is the primary explanation for (1) the firm's perceived feasibility of assessing the impacts of new technology, and (2) the firm's emphasis of those impacts in its investment decision. Technology assessment was seen asmore » beneficial because it helped to identify areas of financial and market exposure and to stay in legal compliance. The firms indicated a mistrust of the public and the government. The technology assessment methods used confirmed that assessment is performed as a defensive action. Firms establish the relative importance of their impacts based on the punishment they might face for neglecting them (e.g., government penalties). Likewise, the most selected method of identifying impacts (determining whether the technology will meet government regulation) displays defensiveness.« less

  2. Measuring efficiency and productivity growth of new technology-based firms in business incubators: the Portuguese case study of Madan Parque.

    PubMed

    Grilo, A; Santos, J

    2015-01-01

    Business incubators can play a major role in helping to turn a business idea into a technology-based organization that is economically efficient. However, there is a shortage in the literature regarding the efficiency evaluation and productivity evolution of the new technology-based firms (NTBFs) in the incubation scope. This study develops a model based on the data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology, which allows the incubated NTBFs to evaluate and improve the efficiency of their management. Moreover, the Malmquist index is used to examine productivity change. The index is decomposed into multiple components to give insights into the root sources of productivity change. The proposed model was applied in a case study with 13 NTBFs incubated. From that study, we conclude that inefficient firms invest excessively in research and development (R&D), and, on average, firms have a productivity growth in the period of study.

  3. Measuring Efficiency and Productivity Growth of New Technology-Based Firms in Business Incubators: The Portuguese Case Study of Madan Parque

    PubMed Central

    Grilo, A.; Santos, J.

    2015-01-01

    Business incubators can play a major role in helping to turn a business idea into a technology-based organization that is economically efficient. However, there is a shortage in the literature regarding the efficiency evaluation and productivity evolution of the new technology-based firms (NTBFs) in the incubation scope. This study develops a model based on the data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology, which allows the incubated NTBFs to evaluate and improve the efficiency of their management. Moreover, the Malmquist index is used to examine productivity change. The index is decomposed into multiple components to give insights into the root sources of productivity change. The proposed model was applied in a case study with 13 NTBFs incubated. From that study, we conclude that inefficient firms invest excessively in research and development (R&D), and, on average, firms have a productivity growth in the period of study. PMID:25874266

  4. Skill-Biased Technological Change. Evidence from a Firm-Level Survey.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siegel, Donald S.

    A study addressed the effects of technological change using a new, rich source of firm-level data on technology usage and labor force composition. The empirical investigation is based on a survey of Long Island manufacturers' usage of computer-integrated manufacturing systems (CIMS) or advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs). The study also…

  5. Catching up: The rise of the Chinese wind turbine industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lefevre-Marton, Nicolas

    This thesis argues that Chinese firms can catch up with the technological frontier in the scope of new climate friendly energy technologies and provides a detailed study of the case of wind power. Chapter 2 assesses the nature and extent of wind turbine technology catch-up. Firstly, it uses various wind turbine technology indicators to detail the convergence of trends of leading Chinese firms with firms at the technological frontier. Secondly, the chapter assesses the evolution of technological capabilities among leading Chinese turbine manufacturers. It shows that Chinese firms were progressively introducing turbine technologies similar to those produced by frontier firms and had rapidly improved their capabilities, allowing them to increasingly rely on independent technology development efforts. Chapter 3 describes how the Chinese wind power technology development system, characterized by the presence of a powerful and proactive government, provided the necessary conditions for Chinese wind turbine manufacturers to make rapid technological progress. In particular, it highlights the policies introduced by the government to create a large and rapidly growing wind power market in China and the steps taken by the government to ensure that Chinese firms entered and progressively dominated the domestic turbine manufacturing market. The competition which ensued among domestic turbine manufacturers was arguably the main driver of technology development efforts. The most significant challenge to the continued progress of the industry was whether the Chinese system could transition from a model of technology development based on technology transfer to one based on its own innovation efforts. Chapter 4 shows that due to limited government support over the years in both Europe and the United States, the wind power technology frontier has evolved relatively slowly, making it easier for Chinese firms to catch up. Firstly, using patenting rates as indicators of knowledge development, the chapter shows a strong correlation between changes in government wind power support policies and patenting activity. Secondly, using both technology penetration rates and patenting trends, the chapter shows that the evolution of the wind power frontier was slow compared to most other technology sectors globally.

  6. Assimilation of enterprise technology upgrades: a factor-based study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Claybaugh, Craig C.; Ramamurthy, Keshavamurthy; Haseman, William D.

    2017-02-01

    The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the differences in the propensity of firms to initiate and commit to the assimilation of an enterprise technology upgrade. A research model is proposed that examines the influences that four technological and four organisational factors have on predicting assimilation of a technology upgrade. Results show that firms with a greater propensity to assimilate the new enterprise resource planning (ERP) version have a higher assessment of relative advantage, IS technical competence, and the strategic role of IS relative to those firms with a lower propensity to assimilate a new ERP version.

  7. R&D Investment in New Technology-Based Firms: Strategic and Entrepreneurial Dynamics and the Impact of Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lynskey, Michael J.

    2016-01-01

    This article examines how two core factors--strategic and entrepreneurial dynamics--influence research and development (R&D) investment in new technology-based firms (NTBFs) using data from a questionnaire survey conducted in Japan. Among the strategic dynamics, it is found that joint R&D projects with universities have a positive,…

  8. The Impact of Learning Context on Intent to Use Marketing and Sales Technology: A Comparison of Scenario-Based and Task-Based Approaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mallin, Michael L.; Jones, Deirdre E.; Cordell, Jennifer L.

    2010-01-01

    With firms focused on increasing efficiency and effectiveness in today's marketing and sales environment, it is crucial that salesforce training methods facilitate greater adoption of salesforce automation technology. Given the growth in sales education at colleges and universities, firms are looking to recruit their frontline marketing and sales…

  9. The mobile hospital technology industry: focus on the computerized tomography scanner.

    PubMed

    Hartley, D; Moscovice, I

    1996-01-01

    This study of firms offering mobile hospital technology to rural hospitals in eight northwestern states found that several permanently parked computerized tomography (CT) units were found where mobile routes had atrophied due to the purchase of fixed units by former mobile CT hospital clients. Based on a criterion of 140 scans per month per unit as a threshold of profitable production, units owned by larger firms (those that operate five or more units) were more likely to be profitable than units owned by smaller firms (71% versus 20%, P = 0.03). A substantial number of rural hospitals lose money on mobile CT due to low Medicare reimbursement. In some areas, mobile hospital technology is a highly competitive industry. Evidence was found that several firms compete in some geographic areas and that some firms have lost hospital clients to competing vendors.

  10. Value-based metrics and Internet-based enterprises

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, Krishan M.

    2001-10-01

    Within the last few years, a host of value-based metrics like EVA, MVA, TBR, CFORI, and TSR have evolved. This paper attempts to analyze the validity and applicability of EVA and Balanced Scorecard for Internet based organizations. Despite the collapse of the dot-com model, the firms engaged in e- commerce continue to struggle to find new ways to account for customer-base, technology, employees, knowledge, etc, as part of the value of the firm. While some metrics, like the Balance Scorecard are geared towards internal use, others like EVA are for external use. Value-based metrics are used for performing internal audits as well as comparing firms against one another; and can also be effectively utilized by individuals outside the firm looking to determine if the firm is creating value for its stakeholders.

  11. Companies hone in on radar-docking technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howell, Elizabeth

    2009-11-01

    As NASA prepares to retire the Space Shuttle next year, two private space firms have tested docking technology that could be used on the next generation of US spacecraft. In September, Canadian firm Neptec tested a new radar system on the Space Shuttle Discovery that allows spacecraft to dock more easily. Meanwhile, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) based in California has revealed that it tested out a new proximity sensor, dubbed "Dragoneye", on an earlier shuttle mission in July.

  12. Environmental Concerns, Environmental Policy and Green Investment.

    PubMed

    Gao, Xuexian; Zheng, Haidong

    2017-12-13

    Environmental regulators often use environmental policy to induce green investment by firms. However, if an environmental policy fails to exert a long-run effect on regulating the economic agents' behavior, it may be more reasonable to think of the firm as the leader in the game, since the investment in green technology is usually a strategic decision. In this paper, we consider a three-stage Stackelberg game to address the interaction between a profit-maximizing firm (Stackelberg leader) facing emission-dependent demand, and the environmental regulator (Stackelberg follower). The firm decides on the green technology level in the first stage of the game based on its understanding of the regulator's profits function, especially an environmental concern that is introduced as an exogenous variable. In the current research, we show that high levels of the regulator's environmental concerns do not necessarily lead to the choice of green technology by the firm, and green investment level depends on the combined effects of the market and operational factors for a given level of the regulator's environmental concerns. The result also shows that increasing environmental awareness amongst the consumers is an effective way to drive the firm's green investment.

  13. Firms navigating through innovation spaces: a conceptualization of how firms search and perceive technological, market and productive opportunities globally.

    PubMed

    McKelvey, Maureen

    2016-01-01

    The main contribution of this paper is a theory-based conceptual framework of innovation spaces, and how firms must navigate through them to innovate. The concept of innovation systems - at the regional, sectoral and national levels - have been highly influential. Previous literature developing the concept of innovation systems has stressed the importance of institutions, networks and knowledge bases at the regional, sectoral and national levels. This paper primarily draws upon an evolutionary and Schumpeterian economics perspective, in the following three senses. The conceptualization of 'innnovation spaces' focuses upon how and why firm search for innovations is influenced the opportunities within certain geographical contexts. This means that the firm create opportunities and can span different context, but they are influence by the context in term of the access, flow and co-evolution of ideas, resources, technology, people and knowledge, which help stimulate business innovation in terms of products, process and services. The paper concludes with an agenda for future research and especially the need to focus on globalization as a process of intensifying linkages across the globe.

  14. 14 CFR 1274.915 - Restrictions on sale or transfer of technology to foreign firms or institutions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... technology to foreign firms or institutions. 1274.915 Section 1274.915 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL... Conditions § 1274.915 Restrictions on sale or transfer of technology to foreign firms or institutions. Restrictions on Sale or Transfer of Technology to Foreign Firms or Institutions July 2002 (a) The parties agree...

  15. Causal Relationships among Technology Acquisition, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation Performance: Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Industry.

    PubMed

    Jeon, Jieun; Hong, Suckchul; Ohm, Jay; Yang, Taeyong

    2015-01-01

    This paper discusses the importance of absorptive capacity in improving a firm's innovation performance. Specifically, we examine firm interaction with the knowledge and capabilities of outside organizations and the effect on the firm's bottom line. We use the impulse-response function of the vector auto-regressive model to gain insight into this relationship by estimating the time required for the effect of each activity level to reach outputs, the spillover effects. We apply this methodology to pharmaceutical firms, which we classify into two sub-groups--large firms and medium and small firms--based on sales. Our results show that the impact of an activity on any other activity is delayed by three years for large firms and by one to two years for small and medium firms.

  16. Evaluation Method for Service Branding Using Word-of-Mouth Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shirahada, Kunio; Kosaka, Michitaka

    Development and spread of internet technology contributes service firms to obtaining the high capability of brand information transmission as well as relative customer feedback data collection. In this paper, we propose a new evaluation method for service branding using firms and consumers data on the internet. Based on service marketing 7Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Physical evidence, Process) which are the key viewpoints for branding, we develop a brand evaluation system including coding methods for Word-of-Mouth (WoM) and corporate introductory information on the internet to identify both customer's service value recognition vector and firm's service value proposition vector. Our system quantitatively clarify both customer's service value recognition of the firm and firm's strength in service value proposition, thereby analyzing service brand communication gaps between firm and consumers. We applied this system to Japanese Ryokan hotel industry. Using six ryokan-hotels' data on Jyaran-net and Rakuten travel, we made totally 983 codes from WoM information and analyzed their service brand value according to three price based categories. As a result, we found that the characteristics of customers' service value recognition vector differ according to the price categories. In addition, the system clarified that there is a firm that has a different service value proposition vector from customers' recognition vector. This helps to analyze corporate service brand strategy and has a significance as a system technology supporting service management.

  17. Inter-firm Networks, Organizational Learning and Knowledge Updating: An Empirical Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Su-rong; Wang, Wen-ping

    In the era of knowledge-based economy which information technology develops rapidly, the rate of knowledge updating has become a critical factor for enterprises to gaining competitive advantage .We build an interactional theoretical model among inter-firm networks, organizational learning and knowledge updating thereby and demonstrate it with empirical study at last. The result shows that inter-firm networks and organizational learning is the source of knowledge updating.

  18. Absorptive capacity, technological innovation, and product life cycle: a system dynamics model.

    PubMed

    Zou, Bo; Guo, Feng; Guo, Jinyu

    2016-01-01

    While past research has recognized the importance of the dynamic nature of absorptive capacity, there is limited knowledge on how to generate a fair and comprehensive analytical framework. Based on interviews with 24 Chinese firms, this study develops a system-dynamics model that incorporates an important feedback loop among absorptive capacity, technological innovation, and product life cycle (PLC). The simulation results reveal that (1) PLC affects the dynamic process of absorptive capacity; (2) the absorptive capacity of a firm peaks in the growth stage of PLC, and (3) the market demand at different PLC stages is the main driving force in firms' technological innovations. This study also explores a sensitivity simulation using the variables of (1) time spent in founding an external knowledge network, (2) research and development period, and (3) knowledge diversity. The sensitivity simulation results show that the changes of these three variables have a greater impact on absorptive capacity and technological innovation during growth and maturity stages than in the introduction and declining stages of PLC. We provide suggestions on how firms can adjust management policies to improve their absorptive capacity and technological innovation performance during different PLC stages.

  19. Environmental Concerns, Environmental Policy and Green Investment

    PubMed Central

    Gao, Xuexian; Zheng, Haidong

    2017-01-01

    Environmental regulators often use environmental policy to induce green investment by firms. However, if an environmental policy fails to exert a long-run effect on regulating the economic agents’ behavior, it may be more reasonable to think of the firm as the leader in the game, since the investment in green technology is usually a strategic decision. In this paper, we consider a three-stage Stackelberg game to address the interaction between a profit-maximizing firm (Stackelberg leader) facing emission-dependent demand, and the environmental regulator (Stackelberg follower). The firm decides on the green technology level in the first stage of the game based on its understanding of the regulator’s profits function, especially an environmental concern that is introduced as an exogenous variable. In the current research, we show that high levels of the regulator’s environmental concerns do not necessarily lead to the choice of green technology by the firm, and green investment level depends on the combined effects of the market and operational factors for a given level of the regulator’s environmental concerns. The result also shows that increasing environmental awareness amongst the consumers is an effective way to drive the firm’s green investment. PMID:29236072

  20. Measuring the Return on Information Technology: A Knowledge-Based Approach for Revenue Allocation at the Process and Firm Level

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-07-01

    approach for measuring the return on Information Technology (IT) investments. A review of existing methods suggests the difficulty in adequately...measuring the returns of IT at various levels of analysis (e.g., firm or process level). To address this issue, this study aims to develop a method for...view (KBV), this paper proposes an analytic method for measuring the historical revenue and cost of IT investments by estimating the amount of

  1. Technological and organizational diversity and technical advance in the early history of the American semiconductor industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cohen, W.; Holbrook, D.; Klepper, S.

    1994-06-01

    This study examines the early years of the semiconductor industry and focuses on the roles played by different size firms in technologically innovative processes. A large and diverse pool of firms participated in the growth of the industry. Three related technological areas were chosen for in-depth analysis: integrated circuits, materials technology, and device packaging. Large business producing vacuum tubes dominated the early production of semiconductor devices. As the market for new devices grew during the 1950's, new firms were founded and existing firms from other industries, e.g. aircraft builders and instrument makers, began to pursue semiconductor electronics. Small firms began to cater to the emerging industry by supplying materials and equipment. These firms contributed to the development of certain aspects of one thousand firms that were playing some part in the semiconductor industry.

  2. A survey of manufacturers of solar thermal energy systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Levine, N.; Slonski, M. L.

    1982-01-01

    Sixty-seven firms that had received funding for development of solar thermal energy systems (STES) were surveyed. The effect of the solar thermal technology systems program in accelerating (STES) were assessed. The 54 firms still developing STES were grouped into a production typology comparing the three major technologies with three basic functions. It was discovered that large and small firms were developing primarily central receiver systems, but also typically worked on more than one technology. Most medium-sized firms worked only on distributed systems. Federal support of STES was perceived as necessary to allow producers to take otherwise unacceptable risks. Approximately half of the respondents would drop out of STES if support were terminated, including a disproportionate number of medium-sized firms. A differentiated view of the technology, taking into account differing firm sizes and the various stages of technology development, was suggested for policy and planning purposes.

  3. A survey of manufacturers of solar thermal energy systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levine, N.; Slonski, M. L.

    1982-08-01

    Sixty-seven firms that had received funding for development of solar thermal energy systems (STES) were surveyed. The effect of the solar thermal technology systems program in accelerating (STES) were assessed. The 54 firms still developing STES were grouped into a production typology comparing the three major technologies with three basic functions. It was discovered that large and small firms were developing primarily central receiver systems, but also typically worked on more than one technology. Most medium-sized firms worked only on distributed systems. Federal support of STES was perceived as necessary to allow producers to take otherwise unacceptable risks. Approximately half of the respondents would drop out of STES if support were terminated, including a disproportionate number of medium-sized firms. A differentiated view of the technology, taking into account differing firm sizes and the various stages of technology development, was suggested for policy and planning purposes.

  4. Learning the Hard Way? Issues in the Adoption of New Technology in Small Technology Oriented Firms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chibelushi, Caroline

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore, through a survey and two short case studies, the issues smaller firms face with the adoption of new technologies. Design/methodology/approach: A survey of the pressures to adopt new technologies and the existence of specialist technology skills was conducted of small ICT oriented firms in the West…

  5. Comparison and fusion of four nondestructive sensors for predicting apple fruit firmness and soluble solids content

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Four nondestructive technologies (i.e., acoustic firmness, bioyield firmness, visible/near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, and spectral scattering) have been developed in recent years for assessing the firmness and/or soluble solids content (SSC) of apples. Each of these technologies has its merits and...

  6. The emergence of commercial genomics: analysis of the rise of a biotechnology subsector during the Human Genome Project, 1990 to 2004.

    PubMed

    Wiechers, Ilse R; Perin, Noah C; Cook-Deegan, Robert

    2013-01-01

    Development of the commercial genomics sector within the biotechnology industry relied heavily on the scientific commons, public funding, and technology transfer between academic and industrial research. This study tracks financial and intellectual property data on genomics firms from 1990 through 2004, thus following these firms as they emerged in the era of the Human Genome Project and through the 2000 to 2001 market bubble. A database was created based on an early survey of genomics firms, which was expanded using three web-based biotechnology services, scientific journals, and biotechnology trade and technical publications. Financial data for publicly traded firms was collected through the use of four databases specializing in firm financials. Patent searches were conducted using firm names in the US Patent and Trademark Office website search engine and the DNA Patent Database. A biotechnology subsector of genomics firms emerged in parallel to the publicly funded Human Genome Project. Trends among top firms show that hiring, capital improvement, and research and development expenditures continued to grow after a 2000 to 2001 bubble. The majority of firms are small businesses with great diversity in type of research and development, products, and services provided. Over half the public firms holding patents have the majority of their intellectual property portfolio in DNA-based patents. These data allow estimates of investment, research and development expenditures, and jobs that paralleled the rise of genomics as a sector within biotechnology between 1990 and 2004.

  7. Causal Relationships among Technology Acquisition, Absorptive Capacity, and Innovation Performance: Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Industry

    PubMed Central

    Jeon, Jieun; Hong, Suckchul; Ohm, Jay; Yang, Taeyong

    2015-01-01

    This paper discusses the importance of absorptive capacity in improving a firm’s innovation performance. Specifically, we examine firm interaction with the knowledge and capabilities of outside organizations and the effect on the firm’s bottom line. We use the impulse-response function of the vector auto-regressive model to gain insight into this relationship by estimating the time required for the effect of each activity level to reach outputs, the spillover effects. We apply this methodology to pharmaceutical firms, which we classify into two sub-groups – large firms and medium and small firms – based on sales. Our results show that the impact of an activity on any other activity is delayed by three years for large firms and by one to two years for small and medium firms. PMID:26181440

  8. Adoption of Emissions Abating Technologies by U.S. Electricity Producing Firms Under the SO2 Emission Allowance Market

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Creamer, Gregorio Bernardo

    The objective of this research is to determine the adaptation strategies that coal-based, electricity producing firms in the United States utilize to comply with the emission control regulations imposed by the SO2 Emissions Allowance Market created by the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990, and the effect of market conditions on the decision making process. In particular, I take into consideration (1) the existence of carbon contracts for the provision of coal that may a affect coal prices at the plant level, and (2) local and geographical conditions, as well as political arrangements that may encourage firms to adopt strategies that appear socially less efficient. As the electricity producing sector is a regulated sector, firms do not necessarily behave in a way that maximizes the welfare of society when reacting to environmental regulations. In other words, profit maximization actions taken by the firm do not necessarily translate into utility maximization for society. Therefore, the environmental regulator has to direct firms into adopting strategies that are socially efficient, i.e., that maximize utility. The SO 2 permit market is an instrument that allows each firm to reduce marginal emissions abatement costs according to their own production conditions and abatement costs. Companies will be driven to opt for a cost-minimizing emissions abatement strategy or a combination of abatement strategies when adapting to new environmental regulations or markets. Firms may adopt one or more of the following strategies to reduce abatement costs while meeting the emission constraints imposed by the SO2 Emissions Allowance Market: (1) continue with business as usual on the production site while buying SO2 permits to comply with environmental regulations, (2) switch to higher quality, lower sulfur coal inputs that will generate less SO2 emissions, or (3) adopting new emissions abating technologies. A utility optimization condition is that the marginal value of each input should be equal to the product generated by using it and to the activities that are required by new regulations. The comparative technological and scale efficiency factors of coal-based electricity producing plants are calculated using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) framework, and used as proxies to test this condition. In the empirical analysis, econometric models of the response of firms to emissions control are analyzed around the following aspects: (1) characterization of the behavior of firms and their efficiency, (2) relevant variables that trigger the adoption of technology, that is, the acquisition of scrubbers , and (3) the influence of exogenous variables, such as the existence of contracts, distance from mine to plant, and local conditions of the region where plants are located.

  9. Science Coalition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    The National Coalition of Science and Technology (NCST) has elected S. Thomas Moser, of the international accounting firm Peat Marwick, to their board of advisors. Moser is the national director of Marwick's high-technology practice.NCST, based in Washington, D.C., is a broad-based science and technology advocacy organization that seeks to bridge the political interests of the scientific and academic research community with the business community.

  10. Applied technology center business plan and market survey

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hodgin, Robert F.; Marchesini, Roberto

    1990-01-01

    Business plan and market survey for the Applied Technology Center (ATC), computer technology transfer and development non-profit corporation, is presented. The mission of the ATC is to stimulate innovation in state-of-the-art and leading edge computer based technology. The ATC encourages the practical utilization of late-breaking computer technologies by firms of all variety.

  11. The emergence of commercial genomics: analysis of the rise of a biotechnology subsector during the Human Genome Project, 1990 to 2004

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Development of the commercial genomics sector within the biotechnology industry relied heavily on the scientific commons, public funding, and technology transfer between academic and industrial research. This study tracks financial and intellectual property data on genomics firms from 1990 through 2004, thus following these firms as they emerged in the era of the Human Genome Project and through the 2000 to 2001 market bubble. Methods A database was created based on an early survey of genomics firms, which was expanded using three web-based biotechnology services, scientific journals, and biotechnology trade and technical publications. Financial data for publicly traded firms was collected through the use of four databases specializing in firm financials. Patent searches were conducted using firm names in the US Patent and Trademark Office website search engine and the DNA Patent Database. Results A biotechnology subsector of genomics firms emerged in parallel to the publicly funded Human Genome Project. Trends among top firms show that hiring, capital improvement, and research and development expenditures continued to grow after a 2000 to 2001 bubble. The majority of firms are small businesses with great diversity in type of research and development, products, and services provided. Over half the public firms holding patents have the majority of their intellectual property portfolio in DNA-based patents. Conclusions These data allow estimates of investment, research and development expenditures, and jobs that paralleled the rise of genomics as a sector within biotechnology between 1990 and 2004. PMID:24050173

  12. United States Air Force Computer-Aided Acquisition and Logistics Support (CALS) Evolution of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Technologies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-11-01

    Manufacturing System 22 4. Similar Parts Based Shape or Manufactuting Process 24 5. Projected Annual Unit Robot Sales and Installed Base Through 1992 30 6. U.S...effort needed to perform personnel, product design, marketing , and advertising, and finance tasks of the firm. Level III controls the resource...planning and accounting functions of the firm. Systems at this level support purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, master scheduling and sales

  13. E-health & pharmaceuticals.

    PubMed

    Appleby, C

    2001-01-01

    Drug firms are integrating technology into the continuum of care. They're enlisting physicians to use their technology in prescribing medications, reporting clinical data, and learning about new drugs. They're also building a loyal customer base, and they're doing it smartly.

  14. High Technology Service Value Maximization through an MCDM-Based Innovative e-Business Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Chi-Yo; Tzeng, Gwo-Hshiung; Ho, Wen-Rong; Chuang, Hsiu-Tyan; Lue, Yeou-Feng

    The emergence of the Internet has changed the high technology marketing channels thoroughly in the past decade while E-commerce has already become one of the most efficient channels which high technology firms may skip the intermediaries and reach end customers directly. However, defining appropriate e-business models for commercializing new high technology products or services through Internet are not that easy. To overcome the above mentioned problems, a novel analytic framework based on the concept of high technology customers’ competence set expansion by leveraging high technology service firms’ capabilities and resources as well as novel multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques, will be proposed in order to define an appropriate e-business model. An empirical example study of a silicon intellectual property (SIP) commercialization e-business model based on MCDM techniques will be provided for verifying the effectiveness of this novel analytic framework. The analysis successful assisted a Taiwanese IC design service firm to define an e-business model for maximizing its customer’s SIP transactions. In the future, the novel MCDM framework can be applied successful to novel business model definitions in the high technology industry.

  15. Proposing an Optimal Learning Architecture for the Digital Enterprise.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Driscoll, Tony

    2003-01-01

    Discusses the strategic role of learning in information age organizations; analyzes parallels between the application of technology to business and the application of technology to learning; and proposes a learning architecture that aligns with the knowledge-based view of the firm and optimizes the application of technology to achieve proficiency…

  16. Barriers to Technological Acceptance in a Legal Environment: A Case Study of a Florida Law Firm

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owusu, Theophilus D.

    2010-01-01

    Technology is made available in the law firm to promote time efficient tasks and to provide resources that allows the accurate billing and storing of documents. This study examined the impact of three major technologies that are used by attorneys in a law firm. Quantitative procedures facilitated the identification of barriers to Personal Digital…

  17. Factors that influence the rejection of new manufacturing technologies and concepts

    Treesearch

    Kristen G. Hoff; Timothy J. Greene; Timothy J. Greene

    1998-01-01

    New manufacturing technologies or concepts often are adopted to improve a firm's competitive advantage over other firms in the same industry. The benefits that a firm expects to receive as a result of that adoption are presumed to outweigh the risk factors that accompany the adoption of a new manufacturing technology. Much research has been conducted to...

  18. Dust control technology usage patterns in the drywall finishing industry.

    PubMed

    Young-Corbett, Deborah E; Nussbaum, Maury A

    2009-06-01

    A telephone survey was conducted to quantify drywall finishing industry usage rates of dust control technology, identify barriers to technology adoption, and explore firm owner perception of risk. Industry use of the following technologies was described: wet methods, respiratory protection, pole sanders, ventilated sanders, and low-dust joint compound. A survey instrument composed of both Likert-type scaled items and open-ended items was developed and administered by telephone to the census population of the owners of member firms of trade associations: Finishing Contractors Association and Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industries. Of 857 firms, 264 interviews were completed. Along with descriptive statistics, results were analyzed to examine effects of firm size and union affiliation on responses. Responses to open-ended items were analyzed using content analysis procedures. Firm owners rated the risk of dust to productivity and customer satisfaction as low-moderate. Half rated the dust as having some impact on worker health, with higher impacts indicated by owners of small firms. Among the available control technologies, respiratory protection was used most frequently. Several barriers to implementation of the more effective control technologies were identified. Barriers associated with technology usability, productivity, and cost, as well as misperceptions of risk, should be addressed to improve dust control in the drywall finishing industry.

  19. Impact of Top Management Team on Firm Performance in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Adopting Commercial Open-Source Enterprise Resource Planning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cereola, Sandra J.; Wier, Benson; Norman, Carolyn Strand

    2012-01-01

    Based on the large number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the United States, their increasing interest in enterprise-wide software systems and their impact on the US economy, it is important to understand the determinants that can facilitate the successful implementation and assimilation of such technology into these firms' daily…

  20. University-Industry Technology Transfer in Hong Kong

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poon, Patrick S.; Chan, Kan S.

    2007-01-01

    In the modern knowledge economy, higher educational institutions are being required to deal with commercialising the results of their research, spinning out knowledge-based enterprises and facilitating technology transfer between their research centres and industrial firms. The universities are undergoing changes in institutional and…

  1. Civil Technology Applications. Teacher Edition [and] Student Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schertz, Karen

    Teacher and student editions of Civil Technology Applications are one in a series of competency-based instructional materials for drafting and civil technology programs. It includes the technical content and tasks necessary for a student to be employed as a drafter or civil technician in a civil engineering firm. Introductory pages in the teacher…

  2. Hypercompetitive Environments: An Agent-based model approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dias, Manuel; Araújo, Tanya

    Information technology (IT) environments are characterized by complex changes and rapid evolution. Globalization and the spread of technological innovation have increased the need for new strategic information resources, both from individual firms and management environments. Improvements in multidisciplinary methods and, particularly, the availability of powerful computational tools, are giving researchers an increasing opportunity to investigate management environments in their true complex nature. The adoption of a complex systems approach allows for modeling business strategies from a bottom-up perspective — understood as resulting from repeated and local interaction of economic agents — without disregarding the consequences of the business strategies themselves to individual behavior of enterprises, emergence of interaction patterns between firms and management environments. Agent-based models are at the leading approach of this attempt.

  3. How Might Civilian Technology Firms Play A Role In The Defense Industrial Base Going Forward

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-12-01

    Political ............................................................................. 55 2. Economic ...the political, economic , social, technological, environmental, and legal forces affecting entry into the defense industrial base...development BBP 1.0 Better Buying Power 1.0 BBP 2.0 Better Buying Power 2.0 BBP 3.0 Better Buying Power 3.0 BEA Bureau of Economic Analysis BLS

  4. Transatlantic Defence Industrial Relationships: An Audit and Commentary

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-12-01

    were German concerns about the leakage of technology to General Dynamics. In April 2001, it was reported that German firm Krauss-Maffei Wegmann had...reported (subject to approval) that German firm Krauss-Maffei Wegmann had signed a technology transfer agreement freeing the sale of Santa Barbara...was reported that German firm Krauss-Maffei W egrnann had signed a technology transfer agreement freeing the sale of Santa Barbara to General

  5. Transcending Technological Innovation: The Impact of Acquisitions on Entrepreneurial Technical Organizations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crochetiere, Bruce

    2011-01-01

    Technology firms with substantial cash reserves acquire smaller entrepreneurial firms for diversification. In 2006, 3 large firms acquired 28 organizations, with the combined deals exceeding $4.7 billion. The problem addressed in this study is that new start-up companies with innovative ideas may not mature when they are acquired by larger…

  6. Designing Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning at Work for Rural It Workers: Learning Ensembles and Geographic Isolation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goggins, Sean P.

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents the results of a 9-month ethnographic and action research study of rural technology workers where computer support for collaborative learning through workplace technologies was introduced to a US-based technology firm. Throughout the implementation of this support and participation, issues related to geographic isolation are…

  7. Developing a validation for environmental sustainability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adewale, Bamgbade Jibril; Mohammed, Kamaruddeen Ahmed; Nawi, Mohd Nasrun Mohd; Aziz, Zulkifli

    2016-08-01

    One of the agendas for addressing environmental protection in construction is to reduce impacts and make the construction activities more sustainable. This important consideration has generated several research interests within the construction industry, especially considering the construction damaging effects on the ecosystem, such as various forms of environmental pollution, resource depletion and biodiversity loss on a global scale. Using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling technique, this study validates environmental sustainability (ES) construct in the context of large construction firms in Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was carried out where data was collected from Malaysian large construction firms using a structured questionnaire. Results of this study revealed that business innovativeness and new technology are important in determining environmental sustainability (ES) of the Malaysian construction firms. It also established an adequate level of internal consistency reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity for each of this study's constructs. And based on this result, it could be suggested that the indicators for organisational innovativeness dimensions (business innovativeness and new technology) are useful to measure these constructs in order to study construction firms' tendency to adopt environmental sustainability (ES) in their project execution.

  8. A combined qualitative-quantitative approach for the identification of highly co-creative technology-driven firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milyakov, Hristo; Tanev, Stoyan; Ruskov, Petko

    2011-03-01

    Value co-creation, is an emerging business and innovation paradigm, however, there is not enough clarity on the distinctive characteristics of value co-creation as compared to more traditional value creation approaches. The present paper summarizes the results from an empirically-derived research study focusing on the development of a systematic procedure for the identification of firms that are active in value co-creation. The study is based on a sample 273 firms that were selected for being representative of the breadth of their value co-creation activities. The results include: i) the identification of the key components of value co-creation based on a research methodology using web search and Principal Component Analysis techniques, and ii) the comparison of two different classification techniques identifying the firms with the highest degree of involvement in value co-creation practices. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study using sophisticated data collection techniques to provide a classification of firms according to the degree of their involvement in value co-creation.

  9. Data on the relationships between financing strategies, entrepreneurial competencies and business growth of technology-based SMEs in Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Ibidunni, Ayodotun Stephen; Kehinde, Oladele Joseph; Ibidunni, Oyebisi Mary; Olokundun, Maxwell Ayodele; Olubusayo, Falola Hezekiah; Salau, Odunayo Paul; Borishade, Taiye Tairat; Fred, Peter

    2018-06-01

    The article presents data on the relationship between financing strategies, entrepreneurial competencies and business growth of technology-based SMEs in Nigeria. Copies of structured questionnaire were administered to 233 SME owners and financial managers. Using descriptive and standard multiple regression statistical analysis, the data revealed that venture capital and business donations significantly influences profit growth of technology-based SMEs. Moreover, the data revealed that technology-`based firms can enhance their access to financing through capacity building in entrepreneurial competencies, such as acquiring the right skills and attitude.

  10. Innovation Value of Information Technology: Impact of Information Technology--Intensity on Innovation Capability and Firm Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramamani, Mahesh Kumar

    2010-01-01

    Though information technology adoptions have been always referred to as innovations in firms, much of the business value literature has concentrated on the tangible and immediately measurable impacts of information technology (IT) adoptions. This study aims to explore the impact of information technology investments on the innovativeness of a…

  11. Value Creation, Appropriation, and Product Design Strategies in Technology Ecosystems: Three Essays on the Role of Complementary Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Cameron Dee

    2017-01-01

    Firms are often embedded in a technology ecosystem comprised of complementary technologies that span multiple product markets. In this dissertation, I examine how complementarity between the firm's technologies influences its strategies to create and appropriate value in the ecosystem. I investigate this overarching question in two contexts:…

  12. Advantage Management Strategy in Competition via Technological Race Perspective: Empirical Evidence from the Taiwanese Manufacturing Industry

    PubMed Central

    Hung, Tsu-Yi; Hsiao, Yu-Ju; Wu, Shih-Wei

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the advantage management strategies of a firm regarding the technological race in the manufacturing sector. This is to reveal whether firms adopt a catch-up or leapfrogging strategy in the competition for innovation. The results show that competition is fierce in the Taiwanese manufacturing industry. Taiwanese manufacturing firms (mostly SMEs) tend to adopt the “catch-up” strategy to keep up with their competitors in order to remain in the technological race. The result indicates that, under financial constraints, Taiwanese manufacturing firms attempt to invest in R&D to catch up with their rivals or to avoid being eliminated from the race. PMID:25295307

  13. Innovation, Technology and Decision Making: A Perspective for Strategic Action in Firms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mulenburg, Gerald M.

    2002-01-01

    Innovation, technology, and the making of decisions are tightly intertwined in what can generally be called, strategic decision making. Although true for all firms, it is especially true in innovative, high technology firms that operate in a turbulent, fast moving environment where strategic decisions must be made accurately and quickly to survive. This paper looks at some factors reported in the literature that affect how and why the strategic decision process is so important, especially in companies in fast-moving, competitive environments. The work of several prominent authors who looked critically at past theory and research, and the current state of knowledge and practice, provides a perspective of how firms make strategic decisions.

  14. Advantage management strategy in competition via technological race perspective: empirical evidence from the Taiwanese manufacturing industry.

    PubMed

    Hung, Tsu-Yi; Hsiao, Yu-Ju; Wu, Shih-Wei

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the advantage management strategies of a firm regarding the technological race in the manufacturing sector. This is to reveal whether firms adopt a catch-up or leapfrogging strategy in the competition for innovation. The results show that competition is fierce in the Taiwanese manufacturing industry. Taiwanese manufacturing firms (mostly SMEs) tend to adopt the "catch-up" strategy to keep up with their competitors in order to remain in the technological race. The result indicates that, under financial constraints, Taiwanese manufacturing firms attempt to invest in R&D to catch up with their rivals or to avoid being eliminated from the race.

  15. [Micro-simulation of firms' heterogeneity on pollution intensity and regional characteristics].

    PubMed

    Zhao, Nan; Liu, Yi; Chen, Ji-Ning

    2009-11-01

    In the same industrial sector, heterogeneity of pollution intensity exists among firms. There are some errors if using sector's average pollution intensity, which are calculated by limited number of firms in environmental statistic database to represent the sector's regional economic-environmental status. Based on the production function which includes environmental depletion as input, a micro-simulation model on firms' operational decision making is proposed. Then the heterogeneity of firms' pollution intensity can be mechanically described. Taking the mechanical manufacturing sector in Deyang city, 2005 as the case, the model's parameters were estimated. And the actual COD emission intensities of environmental statistic firms can be properly matched by the simulation. The model's results also show that the regional average COD emission intensity calculated by the environmental statistic firms (0.002 6 t per 10 000 yuan fixed asset, 0.001 5 t per 10 000 yuan production value) is lower than the regional average intensity calculated by all the firms in the region (0.003 0 t per 10 000 yuan fixed asset, 0.002 3 t per 10 000 yuan production value). The difference among average intensities in the six counties is significant as well. These regional characteristics of pollution intensity attribute to the sector's inner-structure (firms' scale distribution, technology distribution) and its spatial deviation.

  16. Optoelectronics-related competence building in Japanese and Western firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miyazaki, Kumiko

    1992-05-01

    In this paper, an analysis is made of how different firms in Japan and the West have developed competence related to optoelectronics on the basis of their previous experience and corporate strategies. The sample consists of a set of seven Japanese and four Western firms in the industrial, consumer electronics and materials sectors. Optoelectronics is divided into subfields including optical communications systems, optical fibers, optoelectronic key components, liquid crystal displays, optical disks, and others. The relative strengths and weaknesses of companies in the various subfields are determined using the INSPEC database, from 1976 to 1989. Parallel data are analyzed using OTAF U.S. patent statistics and the two sets of data are compared. The statistical analysis from the database is summarized for firms in each subfield in the form of an intra-firm technology index (IFTI), a new technique introduced to assess the revealed technology advantage of firms. The quantitative evaluation is complemented by results from intensive interviews with the management and scientists of the firms involved. The findings show that there is a marked variation in the way firms' technological trajectories have evolved giving rise to strength in some and weakness in other subfields for the different companies, which are related to their accumulated core competencies, previous core business activities, organizational, marketing, and competitive factors.

  17. 2007 Report to Congress of the U.S.- China Economic and Security Review Commission

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-11-01

    the $3 billion stake it took in the New York-based private equity firm The Blackstone Group. Some worry that the new fund may be used to capture more...pollution of surrounding riverbanks and other ecological harm. Pollution from Coal Mining Air pollution is not the only environmental consequence of Chi...technology firms and human rights organizations was formed to discuss the establishment of an international code of ethics on issues related to

  18. Evolutionary technology adoption in an oligopoly market with forward-looking firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lamantia, F.; Radi, D.

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, we propose an evolutionary oligopoly game of technology adoption in a market with isoelastic demand and two possible (linear) production technologies. While one technology is characterized by lower marginal costs, the magnitude of fixed costs entails that a technology does not necessarily dominate the other. Firms are forward-looking as they assess the profitability of employing either technology according to the corresponding expected profits. The dynamics of the system is studied through a piecewise-smooth map, for which we present a local stability analysis of equilibria and show the occurrence of smooth and border collision bifurcations. Global analysis of the model is also presented to show the coexistence of attractors and its economic significance. This investigation reveals that firms can fail to learn to adopt the more efficient technology.

  19. Evolutionary technology adoption in an oligopoly market with forward-looking firms.

    PubMed

    Lamantia, F; Radi, D

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, we propose an evolutionary oligopoly game of technology adoption in a market with isoelastic demand and two possible (linear) production technologies. While one technology is characterized by lower marginal costs, the magnitude of fixed costs entails that a technology does not necessarily dominate the other. Firms are forward-looking as they assess the profitability of employing either technology according to the corresponding expected profits. The dynamics of the system is studied through a piecewise-smooth map, for which we present a local stability analysis of equilibria and show the occurrence of smooth and border collision bifurcations. Global analysis of the model is also presented to show the coexistence of attractors and its economic significance. This investigation reveals that firms can fail to learn to adopt the more efficient technology.

  20. The choice of strategic alternatives under increasing regulation in high technology companies.

    PubMed

    Birnbaum, P H

    1984-09-01

    The strategic response of U.S. high technology companies in the medical X-ray manufacturing industry to increased governmental regulations from 1962 to 1977 is examined. Results suggest that regulations increase consumer and competitor uncertainty, with the consequence that firms select less risky strategies and decrease the riskier new product invention strategy. Larger firms reduce inventions less than smaller firms.

  1. Evaluating the enhancement and improvement of China's technology and financial services platform innovation strategy.

    PubMed

    Wu, Ching-Sung; Hu, Kuang-Hua; Chen, Fu-Hsiang

    2016-01-01

    The development of high-tech industry has been prosperous around the world in past decades, while technology and finance have already become the most significant issues in the information era. While high-tech firms are a major force behind a country's economic development, it requires a lot of money for the development process, as well as the financing difficulties for its potential problems, thus, how to evaluate and establish appropriate technology and financial services platforms innovation strategy has become one of the most critical and difficult issues. Moreover, how the chosen intertwined financial environment can be optimized in order that high-tech firms financing problems can be decided has seldom been addressed. Thus, this research aims to establish a technology and financial services platform innovation strategy improvement model, as based on the hybrid MADM model, which addresses the main causal factors and amended priorities in order to strengthen ongoing planning. A DEMATEL technique, as based on Analytic Network Process, as well as modified VIKOR, will be proposed for selecting and re-configuring the aspired technology and financial services platform. An empirical study, as based on China's technology and financial services platform innovation strategy, will be provided for verifying the effectiveness of this proposed methodology. Based on expert interviews, technology and financial services platforms innovation strategy improvement should be made in the following order: credit guarantee platform ( C )_credit rating platform ( B )_investment and finance platform ( A ).

  2. Environmental policies to enhance technological change in the electricity sector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sunol Del Rio, Eric

    International agreements on climate change mitigation set quantitative carbon emission reduction targets in a country for a given year with respect to a given base year. A central question is then on what time do the new clean and costly technologies need to start functioning to comply with the agreed targets, and under what incentive does the market implement them. The planner's economic problem is to design an incentive that makes the new clean technology less costly than the vintage polluting facility, at the precise time in order to comply with the agreements at minimum cost. Chapter 1 reviews the literature on efficient allocation of pollution, discussing its validity to explain induced technological change. It then presents a simple model of technological change showing that market power determes the optimal adoption time of a new technology. Chapter 2 analyzes the effectiveness of carbon costs in accelerating technological change under different paths of technological progress. Furthermore, the paper examines the influence of market conditions. It shows that emission charges do reduce the firm's optimal adoption time when investment cost paths for the new technology are convex. On the contrary, emission charges may delay the optimal the switching time of a technology when the investment cost path is concave. Chapter 3 explores the results of Chapter 2 in an agent-based model. Simulations of firms adjusting their output a la Cournot show that the effectiveness of carbon costs in accelerating technological change is highly dependant on the number of firms in the market. Moreover, the shape of the technological progress curve is determinant: the effects of carbon charges are not linear on carbon price, and become more uncertain the more concave the investment cost path is. These results show that policies aiming at internalizing pollution costs enhance technological change at very different rates, depending on the actual market conditions in the industry and the dynamics of technological progress. This has profound implications in policy design: not only do carbon charges need to be used with precaution in oligopolistic industries, but also its effectiveness depends on the inner dynamics of cleaner technological alternatives.

  3. 32 CFR 37.1250 - Commercial firm.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Definitions of Terms Used in This Part § 37.1250 Commercial firm. A for-profit firm or segment of a for-profit firm (e.g., a division or other business unit) that does a substantial portion of its business in the commercial marketplace. ...

  4. The effects of safety practice, technology adoption, and firm characteristics on motor carrier safety

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2004-01-01

    The theory of the firm suggests that firms should maximize profit by investing in safety until : marginal cost is equal to the marginal benefit. This paper addresses motor carrier safety from the : perspective of the firm, developing the theoretical ...

  5. 76 FR 12693 - Notice of an Opportunity To Serve on the Innovation Advisory Board Advising the Department of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-08

    ... experts, and State and local government officials active in technology-based economic development. DATES...) Barriers to competitiveness in newly emerging business or technology sectors, factors influencing... development and evolution of start-ups, firms, and industries. (vii) The effects of domestic and international...

  6. 77 FR 51064 - Dana Holding Corporation, Power Technologies Group Division, Including On-Site Leased Workers...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-81,317] Dana Holding Corporation, Power Technologies Group Division, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Manpower, Milwaukee, WI; Notice... investigation resulted in a negative determination based on the findings that the subject firm did not shift...

  7. Internet Usage and Competitive Advantage: The Impact of the Internet on an Old Economy Industry in Spain.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    del Aguila Obra, Ana Rosa; Bruque Camara, Sebastian; Padilla Melendez, Antonio

    2002-01-01

    Considers whether Internet technologies have led to competitive advantage for companies operating in traditional industries. Highlights include a literature review; using the resource-based view (RBV) of firms as a theoretical framework for an empirical investigation; and a survey that investigated Internet technologies and competitive advantage…

  8. No More Free Lunch: Commercial Fee-Based Information Services--Past, Present and Future.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wright, A. J.

    This discussion of nongovernmental public- and private-sector fee-based information services in the changing library, social, and technological environment includes descriptions of the relationships between libraries and commercial firms, types of fee-based information services, and the services provided by commercial information vendors. Brief…

  9. Private sector development of stem cell technology and therapeutic cloning.

    PubMed

    Lysaght, Michael J; Hazlehurst, Anne L

    2003-06-01

    Based on data collected in June 2002, more than 30 biotechnology startup firms in 11 countries are pursuing commercial development of stem cell technology and therapeutic cloning. These firms employ 950-1000 scientists and support staff and spend just under $200 million on research and development each year. The field has the look and feel of a high-tech cottage industry, with about half the startups employing fewer than 15 FTEs (full time equivalents). Funding is mostly from venture capitalists and private investors. Participants are geographically dispersed, with about 40% of the activity outside the United States. Focus is equally split between embryonic and adult stem cells. Taken as a whole, both the structure and scope of the private sector in stem cell research seem appropriate to the promise and development time frames of this important new technology.

  10. Timing of Technology Upgrades: A Case of Enterprise Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Claybaugh, Craig C.

    2010-01-01

    Technology upgrades are an inevitable part of dealing with any man-made invention utilized for productive gain. One key technology used for productive gain within a firm is enterprise software, specifically a firm's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. After the adoption of an ERP system, an organization is perpetually faced with the…

  11. The Use of Information Technology in Training Human Resources: An E-Learning Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gasco, Jose L.; Llopis, Juan; Gonzalez, M. Reyes

    2004-01-01

    This paper addresses the influence of information technology in human resources management (HRM) and specifically on training policy through the experience of a Spanish telecommunications firm, "Telefonica". The characteristics of the training model designed by this firm to face new environments is considered and the technologies used,…

  12. 14 CFR 1274.915 - Restrictions on sale or transfer of technology to foreign firms or institutions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... that access to technology developments under this Agreement by foreign firms or institutions must be... software or documentation related to sales of products or components, or (3) Transfers to foreign...

  13. Innovation, Diffusion, and Regulation in Energy Technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fetter, Theodore Robert

    The innovation and diffusion of new technologies is one of the central concerns of economics. New inventions or technological combinations do not spring fully formed into the world; as firms encounter and learn about new technologies they experiment, refine, and learn about them, improving productivity (and sometimes earning economic rents). Understanding the processes by which firms learn, and how these processes interact with regulations, is fundamental to understanding the emergence of new technologies, their contribution to growth, and the interaction of innovation and regulation. This dissertation addresses how firms learn and respond to regulations in the context of emerging technologies. Within this framework, I address several questions. When production inputs are socially controversial, do firms respond to disclosure laws by voluntarily constraining their inputs? Do these public disclosure laws facilitate knowledge transmission across firms, and if so, what are the implications for public welfare - for instance, do the gains from trade outweigh any effects of reduced incentives for innovation? I study these questions in the context of hydraulic fracturing, though the results offer insight for more general settings. Panning out to a much broader view, I also explore how energy-related technologies - in both generation and consumption - diffuse across national boundaries over time, and whether innovation and diffusion of energy-efficient technologies has led to more or less energy-efficient economic growth. In my first paper, I contribute to improved understanding of the conditions in which information-based regulations, which are increasingly common in multiple policy domains, decrease externalities such as environmental pollution. Specifically, I test whether information disclosure regulations applied to hydraulic fracturing chemicals caused firms to decrease their use of toxic inputs. Prior to these mandatory disclosure laws, some operators voluntarily disclosed fluid components for some or all of their wells. I compare the chemical mixtures used prior to the mandatory disclosure laws to those used after the laws took effect, using a difference-in-differences method motivated by the difference in timing of state-level disclosure laws. I use voluntary disclosures to measure the toxicity of fluids prior to mandated disclosure, and thus observe a composite effect of both full reporting and disclosure pressure. These effects likely have opposite signs; I employ several methods to tease them apart so that I can separately identify the effect of disclosure pressure. My analysis, which covers over 70,000 wells in seven states, suggests that state disclosure regulations resulted in a large and persistent decrease in the use of toxic and regulated chemicals in fracturing fluids. This is not the first paper to find that disclosure regulations can change firms' behavior, but it demonstrates such an effect in a setting in which consumer or market pressure is minimal or nonexistent: firms that produce undifferentiated products for an intermediate market, and disclosure policies that do not generate readily accessible or interpretable information. The second paper tests whether disclosure laws facilitated the transmission of useful knowledge across companies. It is well established that economic agents learn about new technologies in part from other adopters, though even sophisticated firms may not take full advantage of social learning. With my co-authors, I examine whether firms took advantage of environmentally-focused disclosure laws to learn from competitors and improve productivity. We find evidence that they did: following mandatory disclosure we observe convergence in productivity per well, in production inputs, and strong evidence of a link between the two. To our knowledge this is the first study to examine this pathway for social learning in an emerging technology. This could also be interpreted as a form of technology diffusion facilitated by environmental regulation. In my third paper, I address a broader scale of technology change, looking for evidence that improved technologies for energy generation and consumption have allowed less energy-intensive or pollution-intensive growth in developing countries. I analyze panel data on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and national energy consumption to look for evidence of technology "leapfrogging" (i.e., decreased intensity of energy consumption for a given level of economic growth). I combine 1960-2014 data on energy consumption from the International Energy Agency with historical data that extends back to 1861 for several countries on energy consumption and fuel source, as well as GDP. I compare countries at the same income level and test whether energy consumption and energy intensity are different for today's less-developed countries compared to today's industrialized countries when they had similar income levels. Compared to prior analysis, my much longer time series allows me to test for leapfrogging over a scale appropriate to the pace of widespread technological change.

  14. What drives successful implementation of pollution prevention and cleaner technology strategy? The role of innovative capability.

    PubMed

    Bhupendra, Kumar Verma; Sangle, Shirish

    2015-05-15

    Firms that are dynamic and prepared to implement environmental strategies have a potential competitive advantage over their industry counterparts. Therefore, it is important to understand, what capabilities are required to implement proactive environmental strategies. The paper discusses the attributes of innovative capability required by firms in order to adopt pollution prevention and cleaner technology strategies. Empirical results show that process and behavioral innovativeness are required by firms to implement a pollution prevention strategy. In addition to process and behavioral innovativeness, firms need a top management with high risk-taking ability as well as market, product, and strategic innovativeness to implement a cleaner technology strategy. The paper proposes some important managerial implications on the basis of the above research findings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Technology diffusion and environmental regulation: Evidence from electric power plants under the Clean Air Act

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frey, Elaine F.

    Even though environmental policy can greatly affect the path of technology diffusion, the economics literature contains limited empirical evidence of this relationship. My research will contribute to the available evidence by providing insight into the technology adoption decisions of electric generating firms. Since policies are often evaluated based on the incentives they provide to promote adoption of new technologies, it is important that policy makers understand the relationship between technological diffusion and regulation structure to make informed decisions. Lessons learned from this study can be used to guide future policies such as those directed to mitigate climate change. I first explore the diffusion of scrubbers, a sulfur dioxide (SO 2) abatement technology, in response to federal market-based regulations and state command-and-control regulations. I develop a simple theoretical model to describe the adoption decisions of scrubbers and use a survival model to empirically test the theoretical model. I find that power plants with strict command-and-control regulations have a high probability of installing a scrubber. These findings suggest that although market-based regulations have encouraged diffusion, many scrubbers have been installed because of state regulatory pressure. Although tradable permit systems are thought to give firms more flexibility in choosing abatement technologies, I show that interactions between a permit system and pre-existing command-and-control regulations can limit that flexibility. In a separate analysis, I explore the diffusion of combined cycle (CC) generating units, which are natural gas-fired generating units that are cleaner and more efficient than alternative generating units. I model the decision to consider adoption of a CC generating unit and the extent to which the technology is adopted in response to environmental regulations imposed on new sources of pollutants. To accomplish this, I use a zero-inflated Poisson model and focus on both the decision to adopt a CC unit at an existing power plant as well as the firm-level decision to adopt a CC unit in either a new or an existing power plant. Evidence from this empirical investigation shows that environmental regulation has a significant effect on both the decision to consider adoption as well as the extent of adoption.

  16. Providing Knowledge Recommendations: An Approach for Informal Electronic Mentoring

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colomo-Palacios, Ricardo; Casado-Lumbreras, Cristina; Soto-Acosta, Pedro; Misra, Sanjay

    2014-01-01

    The use of Web 2.0 technologies for knowledge management is invading the corporate sphere. The Web 2.0 is the most adopted knowledge transfer tool within knowledge intensive firms and is starting to be used for mentoring. This paper presents IM-TAG, a Web 2.0 tool, based on semantic technologies, for informal mentoring. The tool offers…

  17. Creativity, the Individual and Society: A Teaching Case Study within a High-Technology Firm.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edelson, Paul J.

    An innovative method for teaching creativity and leadership to adults was presented to engineers and executives within a high-technology corporation who wished to overcome fear of failure and the inhibiting influences of stress within their industry. The methodology developed was based upon prior research conducted in the area of self-directed…

  18. Why Do Firms Train? Empirical Evidence on the Relationship between Training and Technological and Organizational Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neirotti, Paolo; Paolucci, Emilio

    2013-01-01

    We explore the relationship between training and innovation using key insights from the resource-based approach, organizational learning and labour studies. By using data from 304 large enterprises in Italy, the study highlights a twofold role of training in favouring technological and organizational changes. First, training plays a role in…

  19. E-Learning, Engineering, and Learners of African Descent: A Needs Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eugene, Wanda; Clark, Kevin

    2012-01-01

    The rapid growth and short history of e-Learning technologies and the desire to see these technologies integrated into the learning process have caused a lack of specific guidance and firm foundation of principles on which to base instructional choices. Lessons cultivated in the Learning Sciences about the cultural influences of learning provide a…

  20. Solar hybrid power plants: Solar energy contribution in reaching full dispatchability and firmness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Servert, Jorge F.; López, Diego; Cerrajero, Eduardo; Rocha, Alberto R.; Pereira, Daniel; Gonzalez, Lucía

    2016-05-01

    Renewable energies for electricity generation have always been considered as a risk for the electricity system due to its lack of dispatchability and firmness. Renewable energies penetration is constrained to strong grids or else its production must be limited to ensure grid stability, which is kept by the usage of hydropower energy or fossil-fueled power plants. CSP technology has an opportunity to arise not only as a dispatchable and firm technology, but also as an alternative that improves grid stability. To achieve that objective, solar hybrid configurations are being developed, being the most representative three different solutions: SAPG, ISCC and HYSOL. A reference scenario in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has been defined to compare these solutions, which have been modelled, simulated and evaluated in terms of dispatchability and firmness using ratios defined by the authors. The results show that: a) SAPG obtains the highest firmness KPI values, but no operation constraints have been considered for the coal boiler and the solar energy contribution is limited to 1.7%, b) ISCC provides dispatchable and firm electricity production but its solar energy contribution is limited to a 6.4%, and c) HYSOL presents the higher solar energy contribution of all the technologies considered: 66.0% while providing dispatchable and firm generation in similar conditions as SAPG and ISCC.

  1. An Evolutionary Complex Systems Decision-Support Tool for the Management of Operations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baldwin, J. S.; Allen, P. M.; Ridgway, K.

    2011-12-01

    This research aimed to add both to the development of complex systems thinking in the subject area of Operations and Production Management and to the limited number of applications of computational models and simulations from the science of complex systems. The latter potentially offer helpful decision-support tools for operations and production managers. A mechanical engineering firm was used as a case study where a combined qualitative and quantitative methodological approach was employed to extract the required data from four senior managers. Company performance measures as well as firm technologies, practices and policies, and their relation and interaction with one another, were elicited. The data were subjected to an evolutionary complex systems model resulting in a series of simulations. The findings included both reassuring and some unexpected results. The simulation based on the CEO's opinions led the most cohesive and synergistic collection of practices describing the firm, closely followed by the Marketing and R&D Managers. The Manufacturing Manager's responses led to the most extreme evolutionary trajectory where the integrity of the entire firm came into question particularly when considering how employees were utilised. By drawing directly from the opinions and views of managers rather than from logical 'if-then' rules and averaged mathematical representations of agents that characterise agent-based and other self-organisational models, this work builds on previous applications by capturing a micro-level description of diversity and a learning effect that has been problematical not only in terms of theory but also in application. This approach can be used as a decision-support tool for operations and other managers providing a forum with which to explore a) the strengths, weaknesses and consequences of different decision-making capacities within the firm; b) the introduction of new manufacturing technologies, practices and policies; and, c) the different evolutionary trajectories that a firm can take.

  2. Parallel imports and innovation in an emerging economy: the case of Indian pharmaceuticals.

    PubMed

    Mantovani, Andrea; Naghavi, Alireza

    2012-11-01

    This paper studies the impact of the re-importation of imitated pharmaceuticals as a by-product of an open policy toward parallel import (PI) on process innovation. Foreign investment by a firm to exploit a new unregulated market with weak intellectual property rights can give rise to imitation. These products can potentially re-enter the original country when PI is allowed influencing research and development (R&D) incentives. In an emerging economy with technologically heterogeneous firms, trade costs shift PI-related market share losses from the more to the less R&D efficient firm, inducing the former to strategically increase R&D. PI accompanied by tariffs also induces higher R&D effort by the technologically inferior firm when it results in an expansion of its sales abroad. A tariff on PI is most likely to increase welfare when the technological gap between the two firms at home is sufficiently large. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Bertrand Model Under Incomplete Information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Pinto, Alberto A.

    2008-09-01

    We consider a Bertrand duopoly model with unknown costs. The firms' aim is to choose the price of its product according to the well-known concept of Bayesian Nash equilibrium. The chooses are made simultaneously by both firms. In this paper, we suppose that each firm has two different technologies, and uses one of them according to a certain probability distribution. The use of either one or the other technology affects the unitary production cost. We show that this game has exactly one Bayesian Nash equilibrium. We analyse the advantages, for firms and for consumers, of using the technology with highest production cost versus the one with cheapest production cost. We prove that the expected profit of each firm increases with the variance of its production costs. We also show that the expected price of each good increases with both expected production costs, being the effect of the expected production costs of the rival dominated by the effect of the own expected production costs.

  4. 2001 Industry Studies: Financial Services

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-01-01

    financial services firms are also positioning to compete here and abroad with international firms. Advances in information technology continue to provide...future. A veritable revolution is taking place within the financial services industry. Globalization, information technology and continuing... technological infrastructure that must be protected. Industry vulnerabilities will continue to increase as use of the Internet , e-commerce, and e-banking become

  5. Three Mass. Firms Awarded EPA Research Grants to Develop Environmental Technologies by Small Businesses

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Three small businesses in Massachusetts are among 15 firms nationwide selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to share $1.6 million in funding that is helping to develop technologies that provide sustainable solutions for environmental issues.

  6. Water Mapping Technology Rebuilds Lives in Arid Regions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2015-01-01

    Using NASA Landsat satellite and other remote sensing topographical data, Radar Technologies International developed an algorithm-based software program that can locate underground water sources. Working with international organizations and governments, the firm, which maintains an office in New Braunfels, Texas, is helping to provide water for refugees and other people in drought-stricken regions such as Kenya, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

  7. Application of multispectral imaging to determine quality attributes and ripeness stage in strawberry fruit.

    PubMed

    Liu, Changhong; Liu, Wei; Lu, Xuzhong; Ma, Fei; Chen, Wei; Yang, Jianbo; Zheng, Lei

    2014-01-01

    Multispectral imaging with 19 wavelengths in the range of 405-970 nm has been evaluated for nondestructive determination of firmness, total soluble solids (TSS) content and ripeness stage in strawberry fruit. Several analysis approaches, including partial least squares (PLS), support vector machine (SVM) and back propagation neural network (BPNN), were applied to develop theoretical models for predicting the firmness and TSS of intact strawberry fruit. Compared with PLS and SVM, BPNN considerably improved the performance of multispectral imaging for predicting firmness and total soluble solids content with the correlation coefficient (r) of 0.94 and 0.83, SEP of 0.375 and 0.573, and bias of 0.035 and 0.056, respectively. Subsequently, the ability of multispectral imaging technology to classify fruit based on ripeness stage was tested using SVM and principal component analysis-back propagation neural network (PCA-BPNN) models. The higher classification accuracy of 100% was achieved using SVM model. Moreover, the results of all these models demonstrated that the VIS parts of the spectra were the main contributor to the determination of firmness, TSS content estimation and classification of ripeness stage in strawberry fruit. These results suggest that multispectral imaging, together with suitable analysis model, is a promising technology for rapid estimation of quality attributes and classification of ripeness stage in strawberry fruit.

  8. Licensing in an International Market

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferreira, Fernanda A.

    2008-09-01

    We study the effects of entry of a foreign firm on domestic welfare in the presence of licensing, when the entrant is technologically superior to the incumbent. We show that foreign entry increases domestic welfare for sufficiently large technological differences between the firms under both fixed-fee licensing and royalty licensing.

  9. Communication between United States-Based Firms and Mexican Production Facilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waldman, Lila

    A study examined the types of communication technologies being used by United States-based corporations with operations in Mexico to determine the challenges these companies face when communicating across the border. A total of 703 U.S. corporations doing business with Mexico (culled from lists in two professional directories) were chosen for the…

  10. Essays on Knowledge Management

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xiao, Wenli

    2012-01-01

    For many firms, particularly those operating in high technology and competitive markets, knowledge is cited as the most important strategic asset to the firm, which significantly drives its survival and success (Grant 1996, Webber 1993). Knowledge management (KM) impacts the firm's ability to develop process features that reduce manufacturing…

  11. Quantity Competition in a Differentiated Duopoly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Ferreira, Flávio; Ferreira, Miguel; Pinto, Alberto A.

    In this paper, we consider a Stackelberg duopoly competition with differentiated goods, linear and symmetric demand and with unknown costs. In our model, the two firms play a non-cooperative game with two stages: in a first stage, firm F 1 chooses the quantity, q 1, that is going to produce; in the second stage, firm F 2 observes the quantity q 1 produced by firm F 1 and chooses its own quantity q 2. Firms choose their output levels in order to maximise their profits. We suppose that each firm has two different technologies, and uses one of them following a certain probability distribution. The use of either one or the other technology affects the unitary production cost. We show that there is exactly one perfect Bayesian equilibrium for this game. We analyse the variations of the expected profits with the parameters of the model, namely with the parameters of the probability distributions, and with the parameters of the demand and differentiation.

  12. Technology Assessment Need: Review on Attractiveness and Competitiveness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salwa Sait, Siti; Merlinda Muharam, Farrah; Chin, Thoo Ai; Sulaiman, Zuraidah

    2017-06-01

    Technology assessment is crucial in managing technology for the purpose of technology exploitation. With business environment continuously changing, firms have to address this issue critically as technology is considered one of the important elements to evaluate performance and gain competitive advantage. Missteps in deciding the best technology to be developed, employed or maintained would cost the firm overall value. To fulfil the need of finding the appropriate scale to assess suitable technology, this paper summarizes that technology assessment (TA) should cover two main aspects, namely technology attractiveness and competitiveness. These components are seen capable to link the scale suggested towards evaluation of financial and non-financial performance towards competitive advantage.

  13. Determinants of R and D Compensation Strategies in the High Tech Industry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balkin, David B.; Gomez-Mejia, Luis R.

    1984-01-01

    Interviewed managers in high technology and traditional firms (N=105) to explore the determinants of research and development compensation practices and policies in high technology firms. Results indicated that sales volume, stage in the product life cycle, profitabilty, and turnover are predictors of the method and magnitude of financial rewards.…

  14. R&D Centres in Mexico in an Open Economy: Redefining Operating Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Gortari Rabiela, Rebeca; Corral, Maria Josefa Santos

    2004-01-01

    Structural changes in Mexico's economy and trade policies have influenced firms' efforts to achieve technological innovation and improve their learning processes. In this context, R&D centres face new challenges in responding to firms' technological needs. The authors analyse how this new environment is affecting the operating practices of R&D…

  15. Welfare Effects of Entry into International Markets with Licensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferreira, F. A.; Ferreira, Fl.

    2008-10-01

    We study the effects of entry of a foreign firm on domestic welfare in the presence of licensing, when the entrant is technologically inferior to the incumbent. We show that foreign entry increases domestic welfare for intermediate (respectively, sufficiently large) technological differences between the firms under licensing with fixed fee (respectively, output royalty).

  16. Subsidies for New Technologies and Knowledge Spillovers from Learning by Doing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nemet, Gregory F.

    2012-01-01

    This study empirically examines a prominent justification for public subsidies of emerging technologies: that stimulating demand for them provides opportunities for learning by doing. Even if firms learn from their experience, subsidies are still second best to pricing negative externalities if firms can appropriate the benefits of learning. I…

  17. Architectural Innovation: The Reconfiguration of Existing Product Technologies and the Failure of Established Firms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henderson, Rebecca M.; Clark, Kim B.

    1990-01-01

    Using an empirical study of the semiconductor photolithographic alignment equipment industry, this paper shows that architectural innovations destroy the usefulness of established firms' architectural knowledge. Because this knowledge is embedded in the firms' structure and information-processing procedures, the destruction is hard to detect.…

  18. Enhancing technological innovation in small firms: Role of collaboration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, D.; Khamba, J. S.; Nanda, T.

    2014-07-01

    Contribution of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is highly remarkable in the overall industrial economy of the country. In recent years, the MSME sector has consistently registered higher growth rate compared to the overall industrial sector. With its agility and dynamism, the sector has shown admirable innovativeness and adaptability to survive the recent economic downturn and recession. However, MSMEs growth rate is still at low level. Therefore, it becomes essential for organizations to adopt new technologies or upgrade existing setup to meet continuously changing global market and fulfill customer needs. This paper explores the relationships between different collaboration networks and technological innovation of small firms through an extensive review of literature. The study finds that collaboration with larger enterprises, R&D institutions, universities and government agencies play a significant role in enhancing technological innovation in small firms.

  19. Effects of enterprise technology on supply chain collaboration: analysis of China-linked supply chain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ling

    2012-02-01

    Supply chain collaboration has received increasing attention from scholars and practitioners in recent years. However, our understanding of how enterprise information technology facilitates supply chain collaboration is still very limited, especially with regard to Chinese enterprise ownerships such as state-owned firms, joint-venture firms and local village-owned firms. This paper extends the theory established in enterprise information technology (IT) and supply chain collaboration literature and relates it with coordination in China-linked supply chain. Drawing upon an empirical study from 177 Chinese companies, we provide three major findings: (i) uncovered the importance of leveraging enterprise IT through supply chain collaboration; (ii) identified the relationship between enterprise ownership and enterprise technology use and supply chain collaboration in China-linked supply chain and (iii) illustrated effects of supply chain collaborative activities on operational and market performance.

  20. Application of Multispectral Imaging to Determine Quality Attributes and Ripeness Stage in Strawberry Fruit

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Changhong; Liu, Wei; Lu, Xuzhong; Ma, Fei; Chen, Wei; Yang, Jianbo; Zheng, Lei

    2014-01-01

    Multispectral imaging with 19 wavelengths in the range of 405–970 nm has been evaluated for nondestructive determination of firmness, total soluble solids (TSS) content and ripeness stage in strawberry fruit. Several analysis approaches, including partial least squares (PLS), support vector machine (SVM) and back propagation neural network (BPNN), were applied to develop theoretical models for predicting the firmness and TSS of intact strawberry fruit. Compared with PLS and SVM, BPNN considerably improved the performance of multispectral imaging for predicting firmness and total soluble solids content with the correlation coefficient (r) of 0.94 and 0.83, SEP of 0.375 and 0.573, and bias of 0.035 and 0.056, respectively. Subsequently, the ability of multispectral imaging technology to classify fruit based on ripeness stage was tested using SVM and principal component analysis-back propagation neural network (PCA-BPNN) models. The higher classification accuracy of 100% was achieved using SVM model. Moreover, the results of all these models demonstrated that the VIS parts of the spectra were the main contributor to the determination of firmness, TSS content estimation and classification of ripeness stage in strawberry fruit. These results suggest that multispectral imaging, together with suitable analysis model, is a promising technology for rapid estimation of quality attributes and classification of ripeness stage in strawberry fruit. PMID:24505317

  1. Structural Models that Manage IT Portfolio Affecting Business Value of Enterprise Architecture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamogawa, Takaaki

    This paper examines the structural relationships between Information Technology (IT) governance and Enterprise Architecture (EA), with the objective of enhancing business value in the enterprise society. Structural models consisting of four related hypotheses reveal the relationship between IT governance and EA in the improvement of business values. We statistically examined the hypotheses by analyzing validated questionnaire items from respondents within firms listed on the Japanese stock exchange who were qualified to answer them. We concluded that firms which have organizational ability controlled by IT governance are more likely to deliver business value based on IT portfolio management.

  2. Organizational Learning as an Organization Development Intervention in Six High-Technology Firms in Taiwan: An Exploratory Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lien, Bella Ya-Hui; Hung, Richard Y.; McLean, Gary N.

    2007-01-01

    Organizational learning (OL) is about how individuals collect, absorb, and transform information into organizational memory and knowledge. This case study explored how six high-technology firms in Taiwan chose OL as an organization development intervention strategy. Issues included how best to implement OL; how individuals, teams, and…

  3. Double Stimulation in Strategic Concept Formation: An Activity-Theoretical Analysis of Business Planning in a Small Technology Firm

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Virkkunen, Jaakko; Ristimaki, Paivi

    2012-01-01

    In this article, we study the relationships between culturally existing general strategy concepts and a small information and communication technology firm's specific strategic challenge in its management team's search for a new strategy concept. We apply three theoretical ideas of cultural historical activity theory: (a) the idea of double…

  4. Gender differences on the job satisfaction in the phase of implementing advanced manufacturing technology in the Chinese manufacturing firms.

    PubMed

    Yu, Na; Shen, Li Ming; Lewark, Siegfried

    2012-01-01

    This research gave an effort to study on gender differences in the job satisfaction for technological innovation at Chinese manufacturing firm. The exploratory study was conducted in four Chinese furniture manufacturing firms, which are all in the phases of introducing advanced manufacturing system. The results of statistical analysis show that general satisfaction of female employees to their jobs is significantly higher than male employees. In addition, supervisory satisfaction of female employees is significantly higher than male employees. The findings of the study reveal that activities are suggested to be carried out to increase the job satisfaction of male employees, especially improve communication and relationship between the managerial and the non-managerial levels in the innovation process. In addition, the higher job satisfaction of female employees could be considered a positive factor for the successful implementation of AMT in the technological innovation, although male employees are still dominated work force in the case study firms.

  5. Making medicine a business in Japan: Shimadzu Co. and the diffusion of radiology (1900-1960).

    PubMed

    Donzé, Pierre-Yves

    2010-01-01

    This contribution focuses on the role of the firm Shimadzu in the marketing of X-ray machines in Japan during the first part of the 20th century, viewed from a business history perspective. It attempts to further understanding of the process of technology diffusion in medicine. In a global market controlled by American and German multinational enterprises, Japan appears to have been a particular country, where a domestic independent firm, Shimadzu, succeeded in establishing itself as a competitive company. This success is the result of a strategy based on both the internalisation of technological capabilities (recruitment of university graduate engineers, subcontracting of research and development activities) and an original communication policy towards the medical world. Finally, the specific structure of the Japanese medical market, composed of numerous and largely privatised small healthcare centres, facilitated the rapid diffusion of X-ray machines, a new technology which conferred a comparative advantage on its holders.

  6. Spaces of Innovation: Experiences from Two Small High-Tech Firms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heiskanen, Tuula; Heiskanen, Hannu

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: By comparing two small high-tech firms specialising in medical technology this article seeks to answer the following questions: What are the key characteristics of innovation processes in the case firms? How do the mutual relationships between mental, social and physical spaces explain the different pathways in the innovation processes in…

  7. The environmental actions of firms: examining the role of spillovers, networks and absorptive capacity.

    PubMed

    Albornoz, Facundo; Cole, Matthew A; Elliott, Robert J R; Ercolani, Marco G

    2014-12-15

    In the light of climate uncertainty and growing concern for the natural environment, an increasingly important aspect of global business is the environmental behaviour of firms. In this paper we consider the factors that influence firms' environmental actions (EAs). Our study of Argentinean firms concentrates on measures of environmental spillovers, informal and formal networks and absorptive capacity by testing four related hypotheses. We find that foreign-owned firms, large firms and those with a greater capacity to assimilate new environmental technologies are more likely to adopt EAs. We also show that formal and informal networks aid the adoption of EAs in the presence of traditional firm-level spillovers. Finally, we show that foreign-owned firms have different motives to domestic firms for undertaking EAs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. From technology transfer to local manufacturing: China's emergence in the global wind power industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewis, Joanna Ingram

    This dissertation examines the development of China's large wind turbine industry, including the players, the status of the technology, and the strategies used to develop turbines for the Chinese market. The primary goals of this research project are to identify the models of international technology transfer that have been used among firms in China's wind power industry; examine to what extent these technology transfers have contributed to China's ability to locally manufacture large wind turbine technology; and evaluate China's ability to become a major player in the global wind industry. China is a particularly important place to study the opportunities for and dynamics of clean energy development due to its role in global energy consumption. China is the largest coal consuming and producing nation in the world, and consequently the second largest national emitter of carbon dioxide after only the United States. Energy consumption and carbon emissions are growing rapidly, and China is expected to surpass the US and become the largest energy consuming nation and carbon dioxide emitter in coming decades. The central finding of this dissertation is that even though each firm involved in the large wind turbine manufacturing industry in China has followed a very different pathway of technology procurement for the Chinese market, all of the firms are increasing the utilization of locally-manufactured components, and many are doing so without transferring turbine technology or the associated intellectual property. Only one fully Chinese-owned firm, Goldwind, has succeeded in developing a commercially available large wind turbine for the Chinese market. No Chinese firms or foreign firms are manufacturing turbines in China for export overseas, though many have stated plans to do so. There already exists a possible niche market for the smaller turbines that are currently being made in China, particularly in less developed countries that are looking for less expensive, smaller turbines. These market opportunities, in conjunction with the continued implementation of Chinese government policies that differentially support locally-manufactured turbines, are likely to provide the necessary stimulus for China's domestic wind industry development, and its eventual emergence in the global wind industry.

  9. Network-based collaborative research environment LDRD final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Davies, B.R.; McDonald, M.J.

    1997-09-01

    The Virtual Collaborative Environment (VCE) and Distributed Collaborative Workbench (DCW) are new technologies that make it possible for diverse users to synthesize and share mechatronic, sensor, and information resources. Using these technologies, university researchers, manufacturers, design firms, and others can directly access and reconfigure systems located throughout the world. The architecture for implementing VCE and DCW has been developed based on the proposed National Information Infrastructure or Information Highway and a tool kit of Sandia-developed software. Further enhancements to the VCE and DCW technologies will facilitate access to other mechatronic resources. This report describes characteristics of VCE and DCW andmore » also includes background information about the evolution of these technologies.« less

  10. Development of a CFC Critical Area Response (CAR) package

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccain, J. Wayne

    1995-01-01

    During the past two years, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has studied means to improve the transfer of technology from a major federal lab to a significant portion of an industrial segment. In the past, technology transfers had taken place with individual firms, or small groups of firms. This method of 'customized' transfer is often time consuming and can reduce the effectiveness of a response. Thus, a method was achieved to develop a standardized package on replacement of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) that could be sent out to a large number of firms with minimum follow-up.

  11. Management Concerns for Optical Based Filing Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-03-01

    terminals, WORM Palo Alto, CA 94303 drives, optical jukeboxes, printers, scanners. Candi Technology Inc. Systems integrators providing 2354 Calle Del Mundo ...firms are using them to help design everything from parts to buildings. Auto makers use them to design new car moaels and even build the cars using

  12. The Mediating Effect of Innovation on the Relationship between Information Technology Investments and Firm Performance: An Empirical Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karanja, Erastus

    2011-01-01

    The last couple of decades has witnessed a plethora of research studies addressing the cause-and-effect relationship between Information Technology (IT) investments and performance at the firm level. These studies elicited mixed results between IT investments and performance which led to various points of view from IT Scholars and Practitioners.…

  13. Essays on price cap regulation and yardstick competition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noronha, Vernon Andrew

    This dissertation presents three papers on the regulation of monopoly firms in the same industry using yardstick competition to determine prices. In the first paper, "Yardstick Competition for Diversified Firms," we extend Shleifer's (1985) model to the case of diversified firms, and find that the social optimum, in which firms would need to produce at lower marginal cost than in Shleifer's model, is unlikely to be attained through profit maximization. In the second paper, "Cost Reduction under a Regression-Based Revenue Cap Regime," we identify certain hitherto unexplored and potentially undesirable properties for the form of yardstick competition that is widely applied. Allowed revenue totals for monopoly utility firms are determined by a regression of all firms' current costs on their cost drivers. It is shown that this mechanism induces firms to invest less in cost-reducing technology than if prices are determined purely exogenously, and that such cost-distorting behavior is not uniform across the industry. In particular, firms whose sizes are most different from the industry-mean elevate their costs proportionately much more than firms of similar size to the mean. However, this distortion vanishes as the number of firms grows large. In the third paper, "Predicted Cost-Distorting Conduct by UK Electricity Distribution Firms," by undertaking numerical examples using data on the UK electricity distribution industry, we discover that although the currently employed system of yardstick competition may have theoretical shortcomings, in practice, these are of slight consequence. There is found to be relatively little predicted distortion of costs for the majority of firms. In fact, this system is shown to generate greater social welfare than a similar system in which firms would not have any incentive to distort costs, unless consumer surplus enjoys a very high weight relative to industry profits. It is also shown that mergers within the industry could have an unexpected beneficial effect by reducing the extent of cost-distorting behavior by larger firms, although the industry-wide net effect has to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

  14. Essays on Information Technology (IT), Governance and Clouds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vithayathil, Joseph

    2013-01-01

    Why do some firms organize their IT departments as profit centers whereas other firms organize IT as a cost center? Due to information asymmetry regarding the cost and demand for IT, the firm is unable to achieve the first best outcome in terms of optimizing the value from IT services. Two commonly used organizational models for the IT department…

  15. Can Cross-Listing Mitigate the Impact of an Information Security Breach Announcement on a Firm's Values?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Yong; Dong, Feng; Chen, Hong; Xu, Li

    2016-08-01

    The increase in globalization in the markets has driven firms to adopt online technologies and to cross-list their stocks. Recent studies have consistently found that the announcements of information security breaches (ISBs) are negatively associated with the market values of the announcing firms during the days surrounding the breach announcements. Given the improvement in firms’ information environments and the better protection for investors generated by cross-listing, does cross-listing help firms to reduce the negative impacts caused by their announcements of ISBs? This paper conducts an event study of 120 publicly traded firms (among which 25 cross-list and 95 do not), in order to explore the answer. The results indicate that the impact of ISB announcements on a firm's stock prices shows no difference between cross-listing firms and non-cross-listing firms. Cross-listing does not mitigate the impact of ISBs announcement on a firm's market value.

  16. 10 CFR 603.210 - Recipients.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Investment Agreements § 603.210 Recipients. (a) A TIA requires one or more for-profit firms, not acting in... in the commercial application of the results. (b) A TIA may be particularly useful for awards to... technology base, a principal objective for the use of a TIA. (2) In addition, interactions among the...

  17. Innovative Software Tools Measure Behavioral Alertness

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2014-01-01

    To monitor astronaut behavioral alertness in space, Johnson Space Center awarded Philadelphia-based Pulsar Informatics Inc. SBIR funding to develop software to be used onboard the International Space Station. Now used by the government and private companies, the technology has increased revenues for the firm by an average of 75 percent every year.

  18. Risk Management for Enterprise Resource Planning System Implementations in Project-Based Firms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeng, Yajun

    2010-01-01

    Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have been regarded as one of the most important information technology developments in the past decades. While ERP systems provide the potential to bring substantial benefits, their implementations are characterized with large capital outlay, long duration, and high risks of failure including…

  19. Laser Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1979-01-01

    Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York is a broad-based firm which produces photographic apparatus and supplies, fibers, chemicals and vitamin concentrates. Much of the company's research and development effort is devoted to photographic science and imaging technology, including laser technology. Eastman Kodak is using a COSMIC computer program called LACOMA in the analysis of laser optical systems and camera design studies. The company reports that use of the program has provided development time savings and reduced computer service fees.

  20. SMR Forum: technological myopia - the need to think stategically about technology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wyman, J.

    Technological myopia - a form of business short-sightedness - is an affliction to be avoided. In its internal or external form, an industry or company fails to comprehend technological progress. In this paper, the author states that an inappropriate attitude toward technology is often the cause. He outlines a four-phase process - assessment, involvement, selection, and integration - that can be used to overcome technological myopia, a process that incorporates a change in perspective. The author draws on examples from several firms to illustrate his points regarding information technology and its level of priority within a firm. He maintains thatmore » the key to the successful implementation of technology lies in choosing a strategic approach. 6 references.« less

  1. Towards a new paradigm: Activity level balanced sustainability reporting.

    PubMed

    Samudhram, Ananda; Siew, Eu-Gene; Sinnakkannu, Jothee; Yeow, Paul H P

    2016-11-01

    Technoeconomic paradigms based economic growth theories suggest that waves of technological innovations drove the economic growth of advanced economies. Widespread economic degradation and pollution is an unintended consequence of such growth. Tackling environmental and social issues at firm levels would help us to overcome such issues at macro-levels. Consequently, the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) reporting approach promotes firm level economic, environmental and social performances. Incorporating Zink's (2014) 3-pillar presentation model, this paper indicates that economic, social and environmental performances tend to be reported at firm level. All three pillars are not covered evenly at the activity levels. Thus, a loophole is identified whereby excellent environmental performance at activity levels could potentially leave poor social performance undisclosed. A refinement of the TBL paradigm, whereby all three pillars are covered at the activity level, is suggested, to enhance sustainability reporting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Designing Technology for Children: Moving from the Computer into the Physical World with Electronic Blocks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyeth, Peta; Purchase, Helen

    2002-01-01

    Electronic Blocks are a new programming environment designed specifically for children between three and eight years of age. As such, the design of the Electronic Block environment is firmly based on principles of developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education. Electronic Blocks are the physical embodiment of computer…

  3. A Quantitative Investigation of Stakeholder Variation in Training Program Evaluation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Michalski, Greg V.

    A survey was conducted to investigate variation in stakeholder perceptions of training results and evaluation within the context of a high-technology product development firm (the case organization). A scannable questionnaire survey booklet was developed and scanned data were exported and analyzed. Based on an achieved sample of 280 (70% response…

  4. E-Learning in a Competitive Firm Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olafsen, Runar Normark; Cetindamar, Dilek

    2005-01-01

    This paper explores the use of e-learning technologies for organisational learning within a commercial environment. A model has been developed to represent those factors that determine organisational learning. This model has been embedded within a case study based on the use of an e-learning program that was developed in order to enhance…

  5. The Use of the Internet for Business: The Experience of Early Adopters in Singapore.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soh, Christina; Mah, Quee Yong; Gan, Fong Jek; Chew, Daniel; Reid, Edna

    1997-01-01

    A survey of Singapore-based firms in computer/information technology, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, travel, publishing, and banking/finance that use the Internet for business found that most of the respondents use the Internet for marketing and advertising, customer service and support, information gathering, and, to a lesser degree,…

  6. The Effectiveness of Knowledge Networks: An Investigation of Manufacturing SMEs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hughes, Tim; O'Regan, Nicholas; Sims, Martin A.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: Although considerable attention in the extant literature has been devoted to knowledge acquisition and transfer within firms, there is a dearth of research on the effectiveness of outside sources of knowledge for technology-based small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Furthermore, the majority of empirical studies in this area focus on…

  7. Implications of Technology Transfers for the USSR

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1977-01-01

    process is primarily a people-process. Technology is best transferred from firm to firm and from country to country by people (managers, engineers, sales ... sales engineers, etc.) rather than by publications (including blueprints) or products themselves. In the postwar period, the Soviets have concentrated on...determined as the residual category of end-use, and Soviet gold sales and imports of grain from the Developed West are exogenous rather than determined

  8. 76 FR 61746 - Western Digital Technologies, Inc.: Hard Drive Development Engineering Group Irvine (Formerly at...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-05

    ... worker group at the Lake Forest, California facility. The investigation revealed that the business model... Forest, California facility, the subject firm asserted that the firm's business model calls for the...

  9. A Study of Business Incubators: Models, Best Practices, and Recommendations for NASA and Florida

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    This study was conducted to provide NASA-Kennedy Space Center with information and recommendations to support establishing one or more technology-based business incubators In Florida. The study involved assembling information about incubators: why they succeed, why they fail, how they are organized, and what services they provide. Consequently, this study focuses on widely-recognized "best practices," needed to establish successful technology- based business incubators. The findings are used to optimize the design and implementation of one or more technology-based business incubators to be established in Florida. Recommendations reflect both the essential characteristics of successful incubators and the optimal business demographics in Florida. Appendix A provides a fuller description of the objectives of the study. Technology-based business incubators are an increasing catalyst of new business development across the USi Incubators focus on providing entrepreneurs and small start-up firms with a wide array of support services necessary to bring forth new products and processes based on technologies developed in the nation's federal and private laboratories and universities. Appendix B provides extensive discussion of findings relative to technology- based business incubators.

  10. The Space Industry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-01-01

    Bölkow-Blohm, Construcciones Aeronauticas Sociedad Aónima, and Aeronautica Industrial SA. This merger was significant because it crossed a number of...large firms. As the larger U.S. space firms move toward a lead systems integrator construct , technological innovation migrates to lower tier

  11. The social control of energy: A case for the promise of decentralized solar technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilmer, R. W.

    1980-05-01

    Decentralized solar technology and centralized electric utilities were contrasted in the ways they assign property rights in capital and energy output; in the assignment of operational control; and in the means of monitoring, policing, and enforcing property rights. An analogy was drawn between the decision of an energy consumer to use decentralized solar and the decision of a firm to vertically integrate, that is, to extend the boundary of a the firm to vertically integrate, that is, to extend the boundary of the firm by making inputs or further processing output. Decentralized solar energy production offers the small energy consumer the chance to cut ties to outside suppliers--to vertically integrate energy production into the home or business. The development of this analogy provides insight into important noneconomic aspects of solar energy, and it points clearly to the lighter burdens of social management offered by decentralized solar technology.

  12. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Granderson, G.D.

    The purpose of the dissertation is to examine the impact of rate-of-return regulation on the cost of transporting natural gas in interstate commerce. Of particular interest is the effect of the regulation on the input choice of a firm. Does regulation induce a regulated firm to produce its selected level of output at greater than minimum cost The theoretical model is based on the work of Rolf Faere and James Logan who investigate the duality relationship between the cost and production functions of a rate-of-return regulated firm. Faere and Logan derive the cost function for a regulated firm as themore » minimum cost of producing the firm's selected level of output, subject to the regulatory constraint. The regulated cost function is used to recover the unregulated cost function. A firm's unregulated cost function is the minimum cost of producing its selected level of output. Characteristics of the production technology are obtained from duality between the production and unregulated cost functions. Using data on 20 pipeline companies from 1977 to 1987, the author estimates a random effects model that consists of a regulated cost function and its associated input share equations. The model is estimated as a set of seemingly unrelated regressions. The empirical results are used to test the Faere and Logan theory and the traditional Averch-Johnson hypothesis of overcapitalization. Parameter estimates are used to recover the unregulated cost function and to calculate the amount by which transportation costs are increased by the regulation of the industry. Empirical results show that a firm's transportation cost decreases as the allowed rate of return increases and the regulatory constraint becomes less tight. Elimination of the regulatory constraint would lead to a reduction in costs on average of 5.278%. There is evidence that firms overcapitalize on pipeline capital. There is inconclusive evidence on whether firms overcapitalized on compressor station capital.« less

  13. Wiki Behavior in the Workplace: Emotional Aspects of Content Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gears, Deborah Ann

    2011-01-01

    Wikis have been found to be an easy-to-use, low-cost, and Internet-based technology useful in creating and mobilizing knowledge. Wikis hosted within firms (corporate wikis) have become a popular way for employees to share information and collaborate. Preliminary research suggested that as few as 6% of wiki consumers contributed to the…

  14. Capitalizing on Knowledge from Public Research Institutions: Indications from New Technology-Based Firms in Japan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lynskey, Michael J.

    2010-01-01

    Knowledge spillovers from universities and other public research institutions (PRIs) are viewed as essential for innovation. Previous studies examining the impact of such spillovers have been confined to the West, and there are no comparable studies using empirical data from Japan that explore the relationship between spillovers from PRIs and…

  15. Organizational Growth: Linking Founding Team, Strategy, Environment, and Growth among U.S. Semiconductor Ventures, 1978-1988.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eisenhardt, Kathleen M.; Schoonhoven, Claudia Bird

    1990-01-01

    Summarizes a study exploring organizational growth in technology-based ventures. Characteristics of the founding top-management team, strategy, and environment are matched to the sales growth of newly founded semiconductor firms. Results show that the effects of the founding team and environment grew instead of fading with time. Includes 54…

  16. Feasibility Study of the Department of the Navy Investing Research and Development Funds in Venture Capital Firms as a Means to Identify Technology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-12-01

    NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY INVESTING RESEARCH AND...DEVELOPMENT FUNDS IN VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS AS A MEANS TO IDENTIFY TECHNOLOGY by William C. Cox Todd M. McGee December 2005 Thesis Advisor...AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: Feasibility Study of the Department of the Navy Investing Research and Development Funds

  17. Agent-Based Model Approach to Complex Phenomena in Real Economy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iyetomi, H.; Aoyama, H.; Fujiwara, Y.; Ikeda, Y.; Souma, W.

    An agent-based model for firms' dynamics is developed. The model consists of firm agents with identical characteristic parameters and a bank agent. Dynamics of those agents are described by their balance sheets. Each firm tries to maximize its expected profit with possible risks in market. Infinite growth of a firm directed by the ``profit maximization" principle is suppressed by a concept of ``going concern". Possibility of bankruptcy of firms is also introduced by incorporating a retardation effect of information on firms' decision. The firms, mutually interacting through the monopolistic bank, become heterogeneous in the course of temporal evolution. Statistical properties of firms' dynamics obtained by simulations based on the model are discussed in light of observations in the real economy.

  18. Technology utilization in a non-urban region: Further impact and technique of the Technology Use Studies Center, 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gold, H. C. (Editor); Moore, A. M.; Dodd, B.; Dittmar, V.

    1971-01-01

    The clientele served by the Technology Use Studies Center (TUSC) is updated. Manufacturing leads the list of client firms. The standard industrial classification (SIC) range of these firms is broad. Substantial numbers of college and university faculties are using TUSC services. Field operations inherent in the functions of dissemination and assistance are reviewed. Increasing emphasis among clientele is on environmental concerns and management. A record is provided of the institutions contacted and the extent of TUSC involvement with them, as well as TUSC's cooperation with agencies and organizations. The impact of TUSC and the NASA-sponsored Technology Utilization Program on other public agencies is discussed.

  19. 10 CFR 603.1230 - Commercial firm.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Commercial firm. 603.1230 Section 603.1230 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Definitions of Terms...., a division or other business unit) that does a substantial portion of its business in the commercial...

  20. Japan Toughens Pollution Control Stance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chemical and Engineering News, 1973

    1973-01-01

    Special responsibility for chemical firms are delineated in three areas: (1) chemical processes that are toxic to man; (2) use best available technology to monitor the safety of effluents; (3) when any doubt of safety exists, the firm should halt operations at once and take preventive action. (DF)

  1. 75 FR 16527 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-01

    ... applies to all of the approximately 5,178 firms registered with the Commission that effect transactions on... confirmations than larger firms because they effect fewer transactions. The Commission staff estimates the costs... of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Consideration will be...

  2. 10 CFR 603.615 - Financial management standards for-profit firms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Financial management standards for-profit firms. 603.615 Section 603.615 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Award Terms Affecting Participants' Financial, Property, and Purchasing Systems Financial Matters...

  3. 37 CFR 401.13 - Administration of patent rights clauses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... TECHNOLOGY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS UNDER GOVERNMENT GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS § 401.13 Administration of... small business firms or nonprofit organizations, a reasonable time shall be the time during which an...

  4. Allocation of control rights in the PPP Project: a cooperative game model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yunhua; Feng, Jingchun; Yang, Shengtao

    2017-06-01

    Reasonable allocation of control rights is the key to the success of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. PPP are services or ventures which are financed and operated through cooperation between governmental and private sector actors and which involve reasonable control rights sharing between these two partners. After professional firm with capital and technology as a shareholder participating in PPP project firms, the PPP project is diversified in participants and input resources. Meanwhile the allocation of control rights of PPP project tends to be complicated. According to the diversification of participants and input resources of PPP projects, the key participants are divided into professional firms and pure investors. Based on the cost of repurchase of different input resources in markets, the cooperative game relationship between these two parties is analyzed, on the basis of which the allocation model of the cooperative game for control rights is constructed to ensure optimum allocation ration of control rights and verify the share of control rights in proportion to the cost of repurchase.

  5. Commercial printing and electronic color printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Webb, Joseph W.

    1995-04-01

    Technologies such as Xeikon, Indigo, and the Heidelberg/Presstek GTO-DI can change both the way print buyers may purchase printed material and the way printers and trade services respond to changing demands. Our recent study surveys the graphic arts industry for their current views of these new products and provides forecasts of installations and usage with breakdowns by market segment and size of firm. The acceptance of desktop publishing and electronic prepress have not only paved the way for a totally electronic printing process, but it has broadened the base of people who develop color originals for reproduction. Electronic printing adds the ability to customize jobs on the fly. How print providers will respond to the impact of electronic color printing depends on how each firm perceives the 'threat.' Most printing companies are run by entrepreneurial individuals who have, as their highest priority, their own economic survival. Service bureaus are already looking at electronic color printing as yet another way to differentiate their businesses. The study was based on a mail survey with 682 responses from graphic arts firms, interviews with printers, suppliers, associations and industry executives, and detailed secondary research. Results of a new survey in progress in January 1995 is also presented.

  6. The selection of the American-Polish joint venture projects for the Krakow program and results of the efforts to date

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gyorke, D.F.; Butcher, T.A.

    1995-12-31

    To implement the Krakow Clean Fossil Fuels and Energy Efficiency Program, eight U.S. firms were selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to market their technologies to reduce pollution from low emission sources in Krakow. The eight U.S. firms were selected by a competitive solicitation that required the proposing firms to themselves provide funding to match or exceed the funding provided by the Program. These U.S. firms and their Polish partner companies have begun sales and cooperative work efforts in Krakow, and some have already made initial equipment installations with measurable performance improvements. Following their efforts as part of themore » Program, these U.S.-Polish joint ventures will market their technologies and achieve the associated environmental benefits elsewhere in Poland and Eastern and Central Europe. As part of the Krakow Program a spreadsheet model was developed to compare technological options for supplying heat to the city by calculation and comparing the heating costs and associated emissions reduction for each option. Comparison of options is made on the basis of the user cost-per-metric ton of equivalent emissions reduction. For all options considered in the Krakow Program, this cost parameter has ranged from -$1469 (best) to $2650 (worst). The costs for technologies associated with the eight projects in the Krakow Program are at the lower end of this range placing these technologies among the most cost effective solutions to the pollution problems from the low emission sources.« less

  7. 37 CFR 401.10 - Government assignment to contractor of rights in invention of government employee.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Copyrights ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR TECHNOLOGY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS UNDER GOVERNMENT GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND COOPERATIVE... small business firm or nonprofit organization and the Federal agency employing such co-inventor...

  8. Education of Advanced Biotechnologists of Kitakyushu National College of Technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kawahara, Hiroharu

    The Cell Engineering Center was established in October, 2003 to research and develop manufacturing technologies and cell engineering technologies with human cell lines, which boost their uniqueness. The center serves as a base for advancing industrial development and creating new industries in Kitakyushu City area. One of the features in this center's activities is to promote technology exchanges between the students and researchers in private firms and to facilitate developed biotechnologies transferred to the private sectors. The Cell Engineering Center aims to train the advanced biotechnologists who have abilities for applying for patents, international communications, and leaderships. In this work, the educational and research activities in the Cell Engineering Center will be reported.

  9. Impact of Competency-Based and Target-Oriented Training on Employee Performance: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arslan, Ridvan; Uzaslan, N. Tufan

    2017-01-01

    Some firms have applied different in-house training models to keep up with new technological innovations in their specific fields. This study investigated how a target-oriented in-house training programme should be developed and how it should be evaluated for effectiveness. The aim of the study was to develop, implement and evaluate a…

  10. Understanding Turnover Intentions and Behavior of Indian Information Systems Professionals: A Study of Organizational Justice, Job Satisfaction and Social Norms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iyer, Vidya V.

    2011-01-01

    Despite the phenomenal growth projected for the Indian information technology (IT) industry, one of the biggest challenges it faces is the high rate of turnover in offshore supplier firms based in India (Everest Research Group 2011). According to recent estimates, turnover rates among Indian information systems (IS) professionals have been…

  11. Image quality metrics for volumetric laser displays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Rodney D.; Donohoo, Daniel

    1991-08-01

    This paper addresses the extensions to the image quality metrics and related human factors research that are needed to establish the baseline standards for emerging volume display technologies. The existing and recently developed technologies for multiplanar volume displays are reviewed with an emphasis on basic human visual issues. Human factors image quality metrics and guidelines are needed to firmly establish this technology in the marketplace. The human visual requirements and the display design tradeoffs for these prototype laser-based volume displays are addressed and several critical image quality issues identified for further research. The American National Standard for Human Factors Engineering of Visual Display Terminal Workstations (ANSIHFS-100) and other international standards (ISO, DIN) can serve as a starting point, but this research base must be extended to provide new image quality metrics for this new technology for volume displays.

  12. Making magnetic recording commercial: 1920-1955

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, Mark H.

    1999-03-01

    Although magnetic recording had been invented in 1898, it was not until the late 1920s that the technology was successfully marketed to the public. Firms in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States developed and sold magnetic recorders for specialized markets in broadcasting and telephone systems through the 1930s. The demands of World War II considerably expanded the use of magnetic recording, and with the end of the war, firms in the United States sought to bring magnetic recording to home and professional music recording. Using a combination of captured German technology and American wartime research, American companies such as Ampex, Magnecord, 3M, the Brush Development Company, and others created a vast new industry. By the mid-1950s, magnetic recording was firmly established as a method for recording both sound and data.

  13. A Framework to Move Forward on the Path to Eco-innovation in the Construction Industry: Implications to Improve Firms' Sustainable Orientation.

    PubMed

    Segarra-Oña, María-del-Val; Peiró-Signes, Angel; Cervelló-Royo, Roberto

    2015-12-01

    This paper examines key aspects in the innovative behavior of the construction firms that determine their environmental orientation while innovating. Structural equation modeling was used and data of 222 firms retrieved from the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for 2010 to analyse the drivers of environmental orientation of the construction firms during the innovation process. The results show that the environmental orientation is positively affected by the product and process orientation of construction firms during the innovation process. Furthermore, the positive relation between the importance of market information sources and environmental orientation, mediated by process and product orientation, is discussed. Finally, a model that explains these relations is proposed and validated. Results have important managerial implications for those companies worried about their eco-innovative focus as the types of actions and relations within firms most suitable for improving their eco-innovative orientation are highlighted.

  14. Genalogical approaches to ethical implications of informational assimilative integrated discovery systems (AIDS) in business

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pharhizgar, K.D.; Lunce, S.E.

    1994-12-31

    Development of knowledge-based technological acquisition techniques and customers` information profiles are known as assimilative integrated discovery systems (AIDS) in modern organizations. These systems have access through processing to both deep and broad domains of information in modern societies. Through these systems organizations and individuals can predict future trend probabilities and events concerning their customers. AIDSs are new techniques which produce new information which informants can use without the help of the knowledge sources because of the existence of highly sophisticated computerized networks. This paper has analyzed the danger and side effects of misuse of information through the illegal, unethical andmore » immoral access to the data-base in an integrated and assimilative information system as described above. Cognivistic mapping, pragmatistic informational design gathering, and holistic classifiable and distributive techniques are potentially abusive systems whose outputs can be easily misused by businesses when researching the firm`s customers.« less

  15. Design Of Measurements For Evaluating Readiness Of Technoware Components To Meet The Required Standard Of Products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fauzi, Ilham; Muharram Hasby, Fariz; Irianto, Dradjad

    2018-03-01

    Although government is able to make mandatory standards that must be obeyed by the industry, the respective industries themselves often have difficulties to fulfil the requirements described in those standards. This is especially true in many small and medium sized enterprises that lack the required capital to invest in standard-compliant equipment and machineries. This study aims to develop a set of measurement tools for evaluating the level of readiness of production technology with respect to the requirements of a product standard based on the quality function deployment (QFD) method. By combining the QFD methodology, UNESCAP Technometric model [9] and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), this model is used to measure a firm’s capability to fulfill government standard in the toy making industry. Expert opinions from both the governmental officers responsible for setting and implementing standards and the industry practitioners responsible for managing manufacturing processes are collected and processed to find out the technological capabilities that should be improved by the firm to fulfill the existing standard. This study showed that the proposed model can be used successfully to measure the gap between the requirements of the standard and the readiness of technoware technological component in a particular firm.

  16. IMPACT OF OFFICE AUTOMATION IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    FREEDMAN, AUDREY; AND OTHERS

    THE EXTENT AND PACE OF THE ADOPTION OF ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY AMONG INSURANCE CARRIERS AND ITS EFFECTS ON INSURANCE OFFICE EMPLOYEES WERE STUDIED. QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES FROM 410 FIRMS, REPRESENTING ABOUT 89 PERCENT OF ALL INSURANCE CARRIER EMPLOYMENT, IDENTIFIED 305 FIRMS WITH ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING. OF THESE, 81 PERCENT…

  17. HWSTD High Water Speed Technology Demonstrator - Power Pack - Conceptual Design Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-04-22

    splitter box with mounting equipment to be developed and built in collaboration with the German firm, "Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen " (ZF). This...collaboration with the German firm,"Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen " (ZF). This is a proposed option with regard to saving interface problems and additional

  18. 37 CFR 401.12 - Licensing of background patent rights to third parties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... SECRETARY FOR TECHNOLOGY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS UNDER GOVERNMENT GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS § 401.12 Licensing of background patent rights to third parties. (a) A funding agreement with a small business firm...

  19. 10 CFR 603.1325 - Recipient.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recipient. 603.1325 Section 603.1325 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Definitions of Terms Used in... a for-profit recipient may be a firm or a segment of a firm (e.g., a division or other business unit). ...

  20. 37 CFR 401.9 - Retention of rights by contractor employee inventor.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... TECHNOLOGY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS UNDER GOVERNMENT GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS § 401.9 Retention of rights... retain rights to a subject invention made under a funding agreement with a small business firm or...

  1. The R&D Boundaries of the Firm: An Empirical Analysis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pisano, Gary P.

    1990-01-01

    Examines how two sources of transaction costs, small-numbers bargaining hazards and appropriability concerns, may affect established firms' choices between inhouse and external sources of research and development when technological change shifts the locus of R & D expertise from established enterprises to new entrants, and established…

  2. Efficiency and Productivity Analysis of Multidivisional Firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gong, Binlei

    Multidivisional firms are those who have footprints in multiple segments and hence using multiple technologies to convert inputs to outputs, which makes it difficult to estimate the resource allocations, aggregated production functions, and technical efficiencies of this type of companies. This dissertation aims to explore and reveal such unobserved information by several parametric and semiparametric stochastic frontier analyses and some other structural models. In the empirical study, this dissertation analyzes the productivity and efficiency for firms in the global oilfield market.

  3. Work and Learning in Micro Car-Repair Enterprises. A Comparative Study on the Relationship between Technological and Organisational Developments and Training Activities in Micro Car-Repair Enterprises in Four European Countries. Synthesis Report. CEDEFOP Panorama.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van den Tillaart, Harry; van den Berg, Sjaak; Warmerdam, John

    Work and learning in microenterprises in the car repair industries of four European Community (EC) countries were examined through 21 case studies of firms with 10 or fewer employees (6 firms in Ireland and 5 each in Greece, the Netherlands, and Spain). Structured interviews were conducted with each firm's owner and 60 motor vehicle mechanics at…

  4. Financing the health care Internet.

    PubMed

    Robinson, J C

    2000-01-01

    Internet-related health care firms have accelerated through the life cycle of capital finance and organizational destiny, including venture capital funding, public stock offerings, and consolidation, in the wake of heightened competition and earnings disappointments. Venture capital flooded into the e-health sector, rising from $3 million in the first quarter of 1998 to $335 million two years later. Twenty-six e-health firms went public in eighteen months, raising $1.53 billion at initial public offering (IPO) and with post-IPO share price appreciation greater than 100 percent for eighteen firms. The technology-sector crash hit the e-health sector especially hard, driving share prices down by more than 80 percent for twenty-one firms. The industry now faces an extended period of consolidation between e-health and conventional firms.

  5. Scale-free models for the structure of business firm networks.

    PubMed

    Kitsak, Maksim; Riccaboni, Massimo; Havlin, Shlomo; Pammolli, Fabio; Stanley, H Eugene

    2010-03-01

    We study firm collaborations in the life sciences and the information and communication technology sectors. We propose an approach to characterize industrial leadership using k -shell decomposition, with top-ranking firms in terms of market value in higher k -shell layers. We find that the life sciences industry network consists of three distinct components: a "nucleus," which is a small well-connected subgraph, "tendrils," which are small subgraphs consisting of small degree nodes connected exclusively to the nucleus, and a "bulk body," which consists of the majority of nodes. Industrial leaders, i.e., the largest companies in terms of market value, are in the highest k -shells of both networks. The nucleus of the life sciences sector is very stable: once a firm enters the nucleus, it is likely to stay there for a long time. At the same time we do not observe the above three components in the information and communication technology sector. We also conduct a systematic study of these three components in random scale-free networks. Our results suggest that the sizes of the nucleus and the tendrils in scale-free networks decrease as the exponent of the power-law degree distribution lambda increases, and disappear for lambda>or=3 . We compare the k -shell structure of random scale-free model networks with two real-world business firm networks in the life sciences and in the information and communication technology sectors. We argue that the observed behavior of the k -shell structure in the two industries is consistent with the coexistence of both preferential and random agreements in the evolution of industrial networks.

  6. Towards a Pragmatic Model for Group-Based, Technology-Mediated, Project-Oriented Learning - An Overview of the B2C Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lawlor, John; Conneely, Claire; Tangney, Brendan

    The poor assimilation of ICT in formal education is firmly rooted in models of learning prevalent in the classroom which are largely teacher-led, individualistic and reproductive, with little connection between theory and practice and poor linkages across the curriculum. A new model of classroom practice is required to allow for creativity, peer-learning, thematic learning, collaboration and problem solving, i.e. the skills commonly deemed necessary for the knowledge-based society of the 21st century. This paper describes the B2C model for group-based, technology-mediated, project-oriented learning which, while being developed as part of an out of school programme, offers a pragmatic alternative to traditional classroom pedagogy.

  7. Comparative analysis between academic and patent publications based on Fenton Technologies among China, Brazil, and the rest of the world.

    PubMed

    de Luna, Airton José; Santos, Douglas Alves

    2017-03-01

    Worldwide, year by year, Fenton's Technologies have been highlighted in both academic and patent scopes, in part due to their proven efficiency as environment-friendly technologies destined to the abatement of organic pollutants, and also by their growing interest to produce industrial applications. Thus, aiming to understand the effective dynamic between two worlds, academy vs patents, the present study performs a comparative analysis about publications on Fenton-based Technologies (FbT). Therefore, in this work, technological foresight techniques were adopted focusing on patent and non-patent databases, employing for this, the Web of Science (WoS) database as a prospecting tool. The main results for the last decade point out to a strong increment of the Fenton's Technologies, as much in R&D as in patent applications in the world. Chinese Universities and firms command the scenario. There is an expressive gap between the academic and patent issues.

  8. Three Essays on Chinese IT Service Industry: Capability Development, Internationalization Strategy, and Cultural Templates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Su, Ning

    2011-01-01

    Leading Chinese technology firms, from automobile manufacturer to information service provider, are evolving into some of the world's most innovative and competitive players, and dramatically changing the global business landscape. What underlies the rise of these firms is China's national strategy of transforming itself from a low-cost…

  9. 75 FR 34426 - Notice of Petitions by Firms for Determination of Eligibility To Apply for Trade Adjustment...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-17

    ... The company designs and manufactures Company. City, MO 64108. custom tents and awnings. A. Rifkin... Engineering & 750 Broad Street, 5/17/2010 Electro Chemical manufactures steel tanks Manufacturing. Emmaus, PA.... TLX Technologies, LLC......... Saratoga Drive, 5/17/2010 The firm designs and manufactures Waukesha...

  10. Cloud Computing in the Curricula of Schools of Computer Science and Information Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawler, James P.

    2011-01-01

    The cloud continues to be a developing area of information systems. Evangelistic literature in the practitioner field indicates benefit for business firms but disruption for technology departments of the firms. Though the cloud currently is immature in methodology, this study defines a model program by which computer science and information…

  11. 37 CFR 401.3 - Use of the standard clauses at § 401.14.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... TECHNOLOGY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS UNDER GOVERNMENT GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS § 401.3 Use of the standard clauses at § 401.14. (a) Each funding agreement awarded to a small business firm or nonprofit organization...

  12. 78 FR 25307 - Investigations Regarding Eligibility To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-30

    ... begin and the subdivision of the firm involved. The petitioners or any other persons showing a... Date of Date of TA-W Subject firm (petitioners) Location institution petition 82618 Covidien, Formerly..., WA 04/05/13 04/03/13 Technology Infrastructure (State/One-Stop). 82630 Astromed, Inc. Grass Rockland...

  13. Analysis of hyperspectral scattering profiles using a generalized Gaussian distribution function for prediction of apple firmness and soluble solids content

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Hyperspectral scattering provides an effective means for characterizing light scattering in the fruit and is thus promising for noninvasive assessment of apple firmness and soluble solids content (SSC). A critical problem encountered in application of hyperspectral scattering technology is analyzing...

  14. Strategic Sourcing of R&D: The Determinants of Success

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brook, Jacques W.; Plugge, Albert

    The outsourcing of the R&D function is an emerging practice of corporate firms. In their attempt to reduce the increasing cost of research and technology development, firms are strategically outsourcing the R&D function or repositioning their internal R&D organisation. By doing so, they are able to benefit from other technology sources around the world. So far, there is only limited research on how firms develop their R&D sourcing strategies and how these strategies are implemented. This study aims to identify which determinants contribute to the success of R&D sourcing strategies. The results of our empirical research indicate that a clear vision of how to manage innovation strategically on a corporate level is a determinant of an effective R&D strategy. Moreover, our findings revealed that the R&D sourcing strategy influences a firm's sourcing capabilities. These sourcing capabilities need to be developed to manage the demand as well as the supply of R&D services. The alignment between the demand capabilities and the supply capabilities contributes to the success of R&D sourcing.

  15. Optimizing Outcome in the University-Industry Technology Transfer Projects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alavi, Hamed; Hąbek, Patrycja

    2016-06-01

    Transferring inventions of academic scientists to private enterprises for the purpose of commercialization is long known as University-Industry (firm) Technology Transfer While the importance of this phenomenon is simultaneously raising in public and private sector, only a part of patented academic inventions succeed in passing the process of commercialization. Despite the fact that formal Technology Transfer process and licencing of patented innovations to third party is the main legal tool for safeguarding rights of academic inventors in commercialization of their inventions, it is not sufficient for transmitting tacit knowledge which is necessary in exploitation of transferred technology. Existence of reciprocal and complementary relations between formal and informal technology transfer process has resulted in formation of different models for university-industry organizational collaboration or even integration where licensee firms keep contact with academic inventors after gaining legal right for commercialization of their patented invention. Current paper argues that despite necessity for patents to legally pass the right of commercialization of an invention, they are not sufficient for complete knowledge transmission in the process of technology transfer. Lack of efficiency of formal mechanism to end the Technology Transfer loop makes an opportunity to create innovative interpersonal and organizational connections among patentee and licensee company. With emphasize on need for further elaboration of informal mechanisms as critical and underappreciated aspect of technology transfer process, article will try to answer the questions of how to optimize knowledge transmission process in the framework of University-Industry Technology Transfer Projects? What is the theoretical basis for university-industry technology transfer process? What are organization collaborative models which can enhance overall performance by improving transmission of knowledge in University- Firm Technology Transfer process?

  16. Technological Discontinuities and Organizational Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tushman, Michael L.; Anderson, Philip

    1986-01-01

    Technological effects on environmental conditions are analyzed using longitudinal data from the minicomputer, cement, and airline industries. Technology evolves through periods of incremental change punctuated by breakthroughs that enhance or destroy the competence of firms. Competence-destroying discontinuities increase environmental turbulence;…

  17. Space station trace contaminant control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olcutt, T.

    1985-01-01

    Different systems for the control of space station trace contaminants are outlined. The issues discussed include: spacecabin contaminant sources, technology base, contaminant control system elements and configuration, approach to contaminant control, contaminant load model definition, spacecraft maximum allowable concentrations, charcoal bed sizing and performance characteristics, catalytic oxidizer sizing and performance characteristics, special sorbent bed sizing, animal and plant research payload problems, and emergency upset contaminant removal. It is concluded that the trace contaminant control technology base is firm, the necessary hardware tools are available, and the previous design philosophy is still applicable. Some concerns are the need as opposed to danger of the catalytic oxidizer, contaminants with very low allowable concentrations, and the impact of relaxing materials requirements.

  18. 40 CFR 745.238 - Fees for accreditation and certification of lead-based paint activities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN...-based Paint Activities Firm Application $550 $550 Combined Renovation and Lead-based Paint Activities Tribal Firm Application $20 $20 Tribal Firm $20 $20 (2) Certification examination fee. Individuals...

  19. Bringing the Firms into Globalization Research: The Effects of Foreign Investment and Exports on Wages in Mexican Manufacturing Firms

    PubMed Central

    Villarreal, Andrés; Sakamoto, Arthur

    2011-01-01

    Researchers specializing in organizations and labor markets have paid insufficient attention to the effects that foreign ownership of a firm and its orientation towards export production may have on the wages it pays to its workers. Using information from a nationally-representative sample of manufacturing firms in Mexico, a paradigmatic case of a developing country that is highly integrated into world markets, we find that foreign-owned and export-oriented firms pay considerably more than nationally-owned firms engaged in the production of goods for sale in the domestic market. Second, beyond paying higher wages to their workers, foreign-owned firms also raise the wages paid by domestic firms operating in the same regional labor markets. The wage premium in foreign and export-oriented firms cannot be explained by their size, industry, geographical location, productivity, use of advanced technology, or the sociodemographic composition of their workforce. We find evidence that wages in foreign-owned companies in Mexico are dependent on the country of origin of the capital investment. A greater difference between the industry-specific wages paid in the country of ownership and Mexico is associated with a higher wage premium in Mexican affiliates. Future work should strive to link information from foreign-owned affiliates with their parent companies abroad. PMID:21566699

  20. Technology Management within Product Lines in High Technology Markets

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sarangee, Kumar R.

    2009-01-01

    Understanding the nuances of product line management has been of great interest to business scholars and practitioners. This assumes greater significance for firms conducting business in technologically dynamic industries, where they face certain challenges regarding the management of multiple, overlapping technologies within their product lines.…

  1. Work and Learning in Micro-enterprises in the Printing Industry. A Comparative Research Study into the Relationship between Technological and Organisational Developments and Training Activities in Micro-enterprises in the Printing Industry in Four European Countries. Synthesis Report. CEDEFOP Panorama.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van den Tillaart, Harry; van den Berg, Sjaak; Warmerdam, John

    Work and learning in microenterprises in the printing industries of four European Community (EC) countries were examined through 17 case studies of firms with 10 or fewer employees (5 firms in Finland and 4 each in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain). Structured interviews were conducted with each firm's owner and a total of 90 staff at the 17…

  2. Beefing up operations in service firms.

    PubMed

    Chase, R B; Hayes, R H

    1991-01-01

    Many articles exhort service firm managers to empower workers and first-line supervisors, exploit technology, focus on the customer, and, above all, provide outstanding service. This article proposes a framework to help you evaluate your company's competitive standing in each of these areas. It discusses four types of companies on a continuum, from the company that is simply "available for service" to the firm that delivers world class service. The authors focus on operations, the function that controls the service encounter, and apply the manufacturing strategy paradigm to services as a means of implementing change.

  3. The impact of innovation intermediary on knowledge transfer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Min; Wei, Jun

    2018-07-01

    Many firms have opened up their innovation process and actively transfer knowledge with external partners in the market of technology. To reduce some of the market inefficiencies, more and more firms collaborate with innovation intermediaries. In light of the increasing importance of intermediary in the context of open innovation, we in this paper systematically investigate the effect of innovation intermediary on knowledge transfer and innovation process in networked systems. We find that the existence of innovation intermediary is conducive to the knowledge diffusion and facilitate the knowledge growth at system level. Interestingly, the scale of the innovation intermediary has little effect on the growth of knowledge. We further investigate the selection of intermediary members by comparing four selection strategies: random selection, initial knowledge level based selection, absorptive capability based selection, and innovative ability based selection. It is found that the selection strategy based on innovative ability outperforms all the other strategies in promoting the system knowledge growth. Our study provides a theoretical understanding of the impact of innovation intermediary on knowledge transfer and sheds light on the design and selection of innovation intermediary in open innovation.

  4. 37 CFR 401.17 - Submissions and inquiries.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    .... 401.17 Section 401.17 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR TECHNOLOGY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS UNDER... or inquiries should be directed to Director, Technology Competitiveness Staff, Office of Technology...

  5. 15 CFR 1160.23 - Assistance in establishing Strategic Partnerships.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Trade (Continued) TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PRODUCTIVITY, TECHNOLOGY AND... the requester, Commerce will determine which industries have a stake in the technology, invite the firms from those industries, and design the meeting agenda and background materials. Anyone wishing to...

  6. Technology utilization in a non-urban region: Further impact and technique of the technology use studies center (3)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gold, H. C.; Moore, A. M.; Dodd, B. (Compiler); Dittmar, V. (Compiler)

    1972-01-01

    The activities of the Technology Utilization Center are reported. Data concerning the searches, and the types of firms requesting information are presented along with the dissemination and assistance by TUSC.

  7. NASA'S Changing Role in Technology Development and Transfer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Griner, Carolyn S.; Craft, Harry G., Jr.

    1997-01-01

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA has historically had to develop new technology to meet its mission objectives. The newly developed technologies have then been transferred to the private sector to assist US industry's worldwide competitiveness and thereby spur the US economy. The renewed emphasis by the US Government on a proactive technology transfer approach has produced a number of contractual vehicles that assist technology transfer to industrial, aerospace and research firms. NASA's focus has also been on leveraging the shrinking space budget to accomplish "more with less." NASA's cooperative agreements and resource sharing agreements are measures taken to achieve this goal, and typify the changing role of government technology development and transfer with industry. Large commercial partnerships with aerospace firms, as typified by the X-33 and X-34 Programs, are evolving. A new emphasis on commercialization in the Small Business Innovative Research and Dual Use programs paves the way for more rapid commercial application of new technologies developed for NASA.

  8. The effect of environmental regulation on firms' competitive performance: the case of the building & construction sector in some EU regions.

    PubMed

    Testa, Francesco; Iraldo, Fabio; Frey, Marco

    2011-09-01

    There is a considerable debate on the effects of environmental regulation on competitive performance. Based on survey data, this paper analyzes the two main research questions, derived from literature, on the links between environmental regulation and competitiveness, by focusing on firms operating in the building and construction sector, i.e.: 1) whether environmental policy stringency affects the competitive performance of firms in the building and construction sector 2) and how a specific form of environmental regulation (direct regulation, economic instruments and soft instruments) affects this performance? By applying a regression analysis, we find that a more stringent environmental regulation, measured by inspection frequency, provides a positive impulse for increasing investments in advanced technological equipment and innovative products and on business performance. Moreover, a well-designed "direct regulation" appears to be the most effective policy instrument for prompting the positive impact of environmental policies on innovation and intangible performance while economic instruments do negatively affect business performance. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The adoption of Firm-Hosted Online Communities: an empirical investigation into the role of service quality and social interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Corkindale, David; Ram, Jiwat; Chen, Howard

    2018-02-01

    Online communities are a powerful device for collaborative creativity and innovation. Developments in Web 2.0 technologies have given rise to such interactions through firm-hosted online communities (FHOCs) - firm-run online information services that also provide self-help to a community. We devise a model that seeks to explain the factors that encourage people to become members of a FHOC and test the model using structural equation modelling based on data collected from 511 users of a FHOC. The study finds that: (a) an understanding of Perceived Usefulness (PU) plays a mediating role between Behavioural Intention (BI) to adopt FHOC and Trust, as well as Interface design; b) Networking among users has an indirect effect on BI; and c) design of the Interface has a direct influence on BI. A managerial implication is that Networking plays a role in the way supplementary services, including blogs and discussion forums, are perceived. Theoretically, when service quality is decomposed into components such as core services and supplementary services, it also positively influences PU.

  10. Business model configuration and dynamics for technology commercialization in mature markets.

    PubMed

    Flammini, Serena; Arcese, Gabriella; Lucchetti, Maria Claudia; Mortara, Letizia

    2017-01-01

    The food industry is a well-established and complex industry. New entrants attempting to penetrate it via the commercialization of a new technological innovation could face high uncertainty and constraints. The capability to innovate through collaboration and to identify suitable strategies and innovative business models (BMs) can be particularly important for bringing a technological innovation to this market. However, although the potential for these capabilities has been advocated, we still lack a complete understanding of how new ventures could support the technology commercialization process via the development of BMs. The paper aims to discuss these issues. To address this gap, this paper builds a conceptual framework that knits together the different bodies of extant literature (i.e. entrepreneurship, strategy and innovation) to analyze the BM innovation processes associated with the exploitation of emerging technologies; determines the suitability of the framework using data from the exploratory case study of IT IS 3D - a firm which has started to exploit 3D printing in the food industry; and improves the initial conceptual framework with the findings that emerged in the case study. From this analysis it emerged that: companies could use more than one BM at a time; hence, BM innovation processes could co-exist and be run in parallel; the facing of high uncertainty might lead firms to choose a closed and/or a familiar BM, while explorative strategies could be pursued with open BMs; significant changes in strategies during the technology commercialization process are not necessarily reflected in a radical change in the BM; and firms could deliberately adopt interim strategies and BMs as means to identify the more suitable ones to reach the market. This case study illustrates how firms could innovate the processes of their BM development to face the uncertainties linked with the entry into a mature and highly conservative industry (food).

  11. In-Q-Tel, the strategic investment firm for the U.S. Intelligence Community

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ulvick, S. J.; Tighe, D. W.

    2008-04-01

    In-Q-Tel is a strategic investment firm that works to identify, adapt, and deliver innovative technology solutions to support the missions of the Central Intelligence Agency and the broader U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). Launched by the CIA in 1999 as a private, independent, not-for-profit organization, IQT's mission is to identify and partner with companies developing cutting-edge technologies that serve the national security interests of the United States. Working from an evolving strategic blueprint defining the Intelligence Community's critical technology needs, IQT engages with entrepreneurs, growth companies, researchers, and venture capitalists to deliver technologies that provide superior capabilities for the CIA and the broader IC. To date, IQT has reviewed more than 6,300 business proposals, invested in more than 100 companies, and delivered more than 140 technology solutions to the U.S. Intelligence Community.

  12. Creative design inspired by biological knowledge: Technologies and methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Runhua; Liu, Wei; Cao, Guozhong; Shi, Yuan

    2018-05-01

    Biological knowledge is becoming an important source of inspiration for developing creative solutions to engineering design problems and even has a huge potential in formulating ideas that can help firms compete successfully in a dynamic market. To identify the technologies and methods that can facilitate the development of biologically inspired creative designs, this research briefly reviews the existing biological-knowledge-based theories and methods and examines the application of biological-knowledge-inspired designs in various fields. Afterward, this research thoroughly examines the four dimensions of key technologies that underlie the biologically inspired design (BID) process. This research then discusses the future development trends of the BID process before presenting the conclusions.

  13. Small and Medium-Sized Information Technology Firms: Assessment of Non-Local Partnership Facilitators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Findikoglu, Melike Nur

    2012-01-01

    A two-phased qualitative study was conducted to explore the facilitators of non-local (i.e. domestic or international) partnerships formed by small- and medium-sized firms (SME). Rooted in trust, proximity and dynamic capabilities lenses, the study focused on behaviors of SMEs performing in dynamic, competitive and highly interlinked industry, the…

  14. Organizational Attributes and Learning beyond the Boundaries: Comparative Case Studies of Two High-Tech Firms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhong, Jing; Wu, Sizong; Li, Jun

    2008-01-01

    This study compares two high-tech firms in terms of their differences in organizational characteristics and learning activities beyond the boundaries. It finds that the larger company continuously develops new technology to achieve long-term survival through a balance between exploration and exploitation while the smaller enterprise grows quickly…

  15. Gap Analysis of Zalora Online Application: Indonesian Users' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pradna, Mahir; Novitasari, Fransiska

    2017-01-01

    In a time where firms tend to transform themselves to become the most innovative, information and communication technologies (ICT) have the ability to help firms expanding to new markets and trigger their customer's loyalty. Online application has been proven to be the key for companies in marketing their products. One e-commerce that follows this…

  16. Economic impact of stimulated technological activity. Part 2: Case study, technological progress and commercialization of communications satellites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1971-01-01

    The economic impact of technological progress in communications satellites is considered, as well as how these impacts affect the firms involved. Influences, if any, on the three major inputs of a nation's economic output (capital, labor, and technology) is discussed.

  17. Scale-free models for the structure of business firm networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitsak, Maksim; Riccaboni, Massimo; Havlin, Shlomo; Pammolli, Fabio; Stanley, H. Eugene

    2010-03-01

    We study firm collaborations in the life sciences and the information and communication technology sectors. We propose an approach to characterize industrial leadership using k -shell decomposition, with top-ranking firms in terms of market value in higher k -shell layers. We find that the life sciences industry network consists of three distinct components: a “nucleus,” which is a small well-connected subgraph, “tendrils,” which are small subgraphs consisting of small degree nodes connected exclusively to the nucleus, and a “bulk body,” which consists of the majority of nodes. Industrial leaders, i.e., the largest companies in terms of market value, are in the highest k -shells of both networks. The nucleus of the life sciences sector is very stable: once a firm enters the nucleus, it is likely to stay there for a long time. At the same time we do not observe the above three components in the information and communication technology sector. We also conduct a systematic study of these three components in random scale-free networks. Our results suggest that the sizes of the nucleus and the tendrils in scale-free networks decrease as the exponent of the power-law degree distribution λ increases, and disappear for λ≥3 . We compare the k -shell structure of random scale-free model networks with two real-world business firm networks in the life sciences and in the information and communication technology sectors. We argue that the observed behavior of the k -shell structure in the two industries is consistent with the coexistence of both preferential and random agreements in the evolution of industrial networks.

  18. ARC-2009-ACD09-0150-003

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2009-07-22

    Timothy Collins, President and Chairman, KleenSpeed Technologies, Inc. and Captain Andrew Butte, rescue helicopter pilot and former Army Aviator, with Butte's 1999 SWIFT. ChampCar Butte has given his racecar to KleenSpeed for conversion to electric. KleenSpeed is an advanced R&D firm focusing on scalable electric propulsion systems for transportation. The company is based at the NASA Research Park (NRP) Moffett Field, California as a lease holder.

  19. U.S. advanced launch vehicle technology programs : Quarterly Launch Report : special report

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1996-01-01

    U.S. firms and U.S. government agencies are jointly investing in advanced launch vehicle technology. This Special Report summarizes U.S. launch vehicle technology programs and highlights the changing : roles of government and industry players in pick...

  20. Using integrated information systems in supply chain management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gonzálvez-Gallego, Nicolás; Molina-Castillo, Francisco-Jose; Soto-Acosta, Pedro; Varajao, Joao; Trigo, Antonio

    2015-02-01

    The aim of this paper is to empirically test not only the direct effects of information and communication technology (ICT) capabilities and integrated information systems (IS) on firm performance, but also the moderating role of IS integration along the supply chain in the relationship between ICT external and capabilities and business performance. Data collected from 102 large Iberian firms from Spain and Portugal are used to test the research model. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis is employed to test the direct effects and the moderating relationships proposed. Results show that external and internal ICT capabilities are important drivers of firm performance, while merely having integrated IS do not lead to better firm performance. In addition, a moderating effect of IS integration in the relationship between ICT capabilities and business performance is found, although this integration only contributes to firm performance when it is directed to connect with suppliers or customers rather than when integrating the whole supply chain.

  1. 40 CFR 745.89 - Firm certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Residential Property Renovation... submit to EPA a completed “Application for Firms,” signed by an authorized agent of the firm, and pay at... reimburse the firm for the excess amount. (2) After EPA receives a firm's application, EPA will take one of...

  2. University Technology Transfer Factors as Predictors of Entrepreneurial Orientation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirkman, Dorothy M.

    2011-01-01

    University technology transfer is a collaborative effort between academia and industry involving knowledge sharing and learning. Working closely with their university partners affords biotechnology firms the opportunity to successfully develop licensed inventions and gain access to novel scientific and technological discoveries. These factors may…

  3. Customer Satisfaction Survey of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Technical Assistance Partners -- FY 2011

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Conger, Robin L.; Spanner, Gary E.

    2011-11-02

    The businesses that have utilized PNNL's Technology Assistance Program were sent a survey to solicit feedback about the program and to determine what, if any, outcomes resulted from the assistance provided. As part of its small business outreach, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) offers technology assistance to businesses with fewer than 500 employees throughout the nation and to businesses of any size in the 2 counties that contain the Hanford site. Upon request, up to 40 staff-hours of a researcher's time can be provided to address technology issues at no charge to the requesting firm. During FY 2011, PNNL completedmore » assistance for 54 firms. Topics of the technology assistance covered a broad range, including environment, energy, industrial processes, medical, materials, computers and software, and sensors. In FY 2011, PNNL's Technology Assistance Program (TAP) was funded by PNNL Overheads. Over the past 16 years, the Technology Assistance Program has received total funding of nearly $2.8 million from several federal and private sources.« less

  4. New Technologies and Training in Metalworking.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belitsky, A. Harvey

    This report reviews the role of technological factors in metalworking and the training required to adapt to new metalworking technologies. Focus is on whether firms that have adopted the new technologies have encountered obstacles in training and developing the skills of their work forces. The report is organized in three parts. Parts I and II…

  5. Using Technology to Create and Administer Accessible Tests

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salend, Spencer

    2009-01-01

    Technology is transforming many aspects of society including the ways teachers teach and students learn. Although technology has been firmly established as a teaching tool across a range of content areas, educators are realizing that technology also offers innovative ways to help their students take standardized tests that comply with the mandates…

  6. Technology Education; Engineering Technology and Industrial Technology in California Community Colleges: A Curriculum Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schon, James F.

    In order to identify the distinguishing characteristics of technical education programs in engineering and industrial technology currently offered by post-secondary institutions in California, a body of data was collected by visiting 25 community colleges, 5 state universities, and 8 industrial firms; by a questionnaire sampling of 72 California…

  7. 40 CFR 745.92 - Fees for the accreditation of renovation and dust sampling technician training and the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Residential Property...-based Paint Activities Firm Application $550 $550 Combined Renovation and Lead-based Paint Activities Tribal Firm Application $20 $20 Tribal Firm $20 $20 (2) Lost certificate. A $15 fee will be charged for...

  8. The development of coal-based technologies for Department of Defense facilities. Volume 1, Technical report. Semiannual technical progress report, September 28, 1994--March 27, 1995

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, B.G.; Bartley, D.A.; Hatcher, P.

    1996-10-15

    This program is being conducted as a cooperative agreement between the Consortium for Coal Water Mixture Technology and the U.S. Department of Energy. Activities this reporting period are summarized by phase. Phase I is nearly completed. During this reporting period, coal beneficiation/preparation studies, engineering designs and economics for retrofitting the Crane, Indiana boiler to fire coal-based fuels, and a 1,000-hour demonstration of dry, micronized coal were completed. In addition, a demonstration-scale micronized-coal water mixture (MCWM) preparation circuit was constructed and a 1,000-hour demonstration firing MCWM began. Work in Phase II focused on emissions reductions, coal beneficiation/preparation studies, and economic analysesmore » of coal use. Emissions reductions investigations involved literature surveys of NO{sub x}, SO{sub 2}, trace metals, volatile organic compounds, and fine particulate matter capture. In addition, vendors and engineering firms were contacted to identify the appropriate emissions technologies for the installation of commercial NO{sub x} and SO{sub 2} removal systems on the demonstration boiler. Information from the literature surveys and engineering firms will be used to identify, design, and install a control system(s). Work continued on the refinement and optimization of coal grinding and MCWM preparation procedures, and on the development of advanced processes for beneficiating high ash, high sulfur coals. Work also continued on determining the basic cost estimation of boiler retrofits, and evaluating environmental, regulatory, and regional economic impacts. In addition, the feasibility of technology adoption, and the public`s perception of the benefits and costs of coal usage was studied. A coal market analysis was completed. Work in Phase III focused on coal preparation studies, emissions reductions and economic analyses of coal use.« less

  9. EDITORIAL: Commercial opportunities for neural engineers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cavuoto, James

    2008-03-01

    Research and academic professionals in neural engineering know well the promise the field offers for advancing our understanding of basic neuroscience and devising new therapies for treating neurological diseases and disorders. But there is also considerable commercial opportunity for new start-up companies in several areas of neural engineering. The neurotechnology industry, which includes firms that manufacture neuromodulation devices, neural prostheses, neurorehabilitation systems, and neurosensing devices, is forecast to grow to grow from 3.6 billion this year to 8.8 billion in 2012, according to a recently published market research study from Neurotech Reports. In recent years, there have been several successful spinoffs of neurotechnology startup firms that originated with research at universities and clinical institutions. In many cases, the academic researchers who invented the new technology or product innovation have stayed on with their startup firms after receiving funding from venture capital firms, or after going public. Among the most successful neurotechnology industry spinoffs in recent years were: Cyberkinetics Inc., Foxborough, MA, a manufacturer of brain-computer interface devices based on research at Brown University. John Donoghue, a professor and chairman of the department of neuroscience at Brown University and executive director of the brain science program at Brown, founded the company in 2001 and remains on board as the chief scientific officer. Synapse Biomedical, Inc., Oberlin, OH, a manufacturer of diaphragm pacing systems, based on research at Case Western Reserve University. Raymond Onders, director of minimal invasive surgery and associate professor at University Hospital Case Medical Center in Cleveland, was the primary researcher. He was helped by J. Thomas Mortimer, professor emeritus of biomedical engineering at Case, and it was Mortimer who came up with the name NeuRx for the device. Onders performed his first surgical implant of the device in 2000. Anthony Ignagni, who worked with Mortimer and Onders as project director and chief biomedical engineer, became a co-founder of Synapse and is currently president and CEO. Afferent Corp., Providence, RI, a manufacturer of sensory stimulation systems based on research at Boston University, Afferent's technology is based on work by James Collins, professor of biomedical engineering at Boston University, who showed that low-level stochastic, or random, vibrations improved sense of touch. Collins went on to demonstrate that generating a subthreshold noise in the sensory pathways with a random electrical stimulation improves detectability of weak mechanical stimuli. In 1999 entrepreneur Jason Harry licensed the stochastic resonance technology from Boston University and received help from the Community Technology Fund-the university's technology transfer incubator. NeuroNexus Technologies, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI, a manufacturer of implanted neural probes, based on a program at the University of Michigan. NeuroNexus was spun out of UM's Center for Neural Communications Technology. Daryl Kipke, head of the Neural Engineering Laboratory at the university, started up NeuroNexus with several colleagues and currently serves as president and CEO. Commercialization issues were discussed recently at a preconference workshop at the 2007 meeting of the International Neuromodulation Society in Acapulco, Mexico. In the session, which was chaired by Chris Coburn of the Cleveland Clinic, neurotech entrepreneurs John Bowers from Northstar Neuroscience and Ben Pless, formerly of NeuroPace, shared their experiences bringing neuromodulation therapies to market. Coburn related his observations from the Cleveland Clinic, which has spun off 22 companies over the last five years. He cited several factors that would influence a neurotech startup's market potential, such as identifying the regulatory pathway, any predicate devices that exist, and the revenue potential for potential investors. Bowers cited several factors that would be critical for the growth of the industry, including reaching out to the 'influential implanters' and pushing reimbursement based on quality of life improvements, rather than mortality. Pless provided an overview of patent-related issues affecting neuromodulation devices. He noted that there have been 2000 issued patents for neuromodulation devices, most of them involving the peripheral nervous system. The example set by these companies and other startups in the neurotechnology industry should remind neural engineering researchers that there are plenty of opportunities for commercial success based on promising research at university and clinical research laboratories. Given the wide range of help and information that is available to potential entrepreneurs in this field, we expect to see many more examples of neurotechnology spinoffs in the years ahead.

  10. The NASA SBIR product catalog

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gilman, J. A.; Paige, J. B.; Schwenk, F. Carl

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of this catalog is to assist small business firms in making the community aware of products emerging from their efforts in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. It contains descriptions of some products that have advanced into Phase 3 and others that are identified as prospective products. Both lists of products in this catalog are based on information supplied by NASA SBIR contractors in responding to an invitation to be represented in this document. Generally, all products suggested by the small firms were included in order to meet the goals of information exchange for SBIR results. Of the 444 SBIR contractors NASA queried, 137 provided information on 219 products. The catalog presents the product information in the technology areas listed in the table of contents. Within each area, the products are listed in alphabetical order by product name and are given identifying numbers. Also included is an alphabetical listing of the companies that have products described. This listing cross-references the product list and provides information on the business activity of each firm. In addition, there are three indexes: one a list of firms by states, one that lists the products according to NASA Centers that managed the SBIR projects, and one that lists the products by the relevant Technical Topics utilized in NASA's annual program solicitation under which each SBIR project was selected.

  11. Defense Science Board 2006 Summer Study on Information Management for Net-Centric Operations. Volume 1: Main Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-04-01

    industrial and commercial companies have been very successful at developing this type of organization and management structure, beginning with a... companies like large management consulting firms depends on being extremely proficient at this kind of knowledge and information management. The...technology services company , recognizes that their information base and experience is their most valued corporate asset and they treat it as such. They

  12. 40 CFR 745.226 - Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing and child-occupied facilities. 745.226 Section 745... § 745.226 Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing...

  13. 40 CFR 745.226 - Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing and child-occupied facilities. 745.226 Section 745... § 745.226 Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing...

  14. The Resource-Based View and Value: The Customer-Based View of the Firm

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clulow, Val; Barry, Carol; Gerstman, Julie

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The resource-based view (RBV) explores the role of key resources, identified as intangible assets and capabilities, in creating competitive advantage and superior performance. To a great extent the conceptual analysis and empirical research within the RBV has focused on the firm's perspective of key resources and the value to the firm of…

  15. 48 CFR 1019.202-70-10 - Application process for mentor firms to participate in the program.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... mentor firms to participate in the program. 1019.202-70-10 Section 1019.202-70-10 Federal Acquisition...-70-10 Application process for mentor firms to participate in the program. (a) Firm interested in becoming a mentor firm may apply in writing to Treasury's OSBD. The application will be evaluated based...

  16. Firm performance model in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) based on learning orientation and innovation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lestari, E. R.; Ardianti, F. L.; Rachmawati, L.

    2018-03-01

    This study investigated the relationship between learning orientation, innovation, and firm performance. A conceptual model and hypothesis were empirically examined using structural equation modelling. The study involved a questionnaire-based survey of owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in Batu City, Indonesia. The results showed that both variables of learning orientation and innovation effect positively on firm performance. Additionally, learning orientation has positive effect innovation. This study has implication for SMEs aiming at increasing their firm performance based on learning orientation and innovation capability.

  17. Australian University Technology Transfer Managers: Backgrounds, Work Roles, Specialist Skills and Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harman, Grant; Stone, Christopher

    2006-01-01

    Technology transfer managers are a new group of specialist professionals engaged in facilitating transfer of university research discoveries and inventions to business firms and other research users. With relatively high academic qualifications and enjoying higher salaries than many other comparable university staff, technology transfer managers…

  18. 48 CFR 970.5227-10 - Patent rights-management and operating contracts, nonprofit organization or small business firm...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ...-level nuclear waste and spent fuel technology; and (C) National security technologies classified or... Energy (DOE) Patent Counsel assisting the DOE contracting activity. (7) Practical application means to... inventions. (i) Inventions within or relating to the following fields of technology are exceptional...

  19. 48 CFR 970.5227-10 - Patent rights-management and operating contracts, nonprofit organization or small business firm...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...-level nuclear waste and spent fuel technology; and (C) National security technologies classified or... Energy (DOE) Patent Counsel assisting the DOE contracting activity. (7) Practical application means to... inventions. (i) Inventions within or relating to the following fields of technology are exceptional...

  20. Business Value of Information Sharing and the Role of Emerging Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kumar, Sanjeev

    2009-01-01

    Information Technology has brought significant benefits to organizations by allowing greater information sharing within and across firm boundaries leading to performance improvements. Emerging technologies such as Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web2.0 have transformed the volume and process of information sharing. However, a comprehensive…

  1. Information Security in a World of Global Connectivity: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawrence, Cameron; Olson, Garrett; Douma, Bambi

    2015-01-01

    The widespread use of digital technologies such as smartphones, tablets, and notebook computers expose firms engaged in international business to risks that far exceed what most corporate technology users understand. This case study examines some of the technology-specific vulnerabilities managers face when engaged in international travel and…

  2. Measuring Profitability Impacts of Information Technology: Use of Risk Adjusted Measures.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Anil; Harmon, Glynn

    2003-01-01

    Focuses on understanding how investments in information technology are reflected in the income statements and balance sheets of firms. Shows that the relationship between information technology investments and corporate profitability is much better explained by using risk-adjusted measures of corporate profitability than using the same measures…

  3. 76 FR 35026 - Hutchinson Technology, Inc., Including On-Site Workers Leased From Doherty, Including Workers...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-15

    ... Technology, Inc., Including On-Site Workers Leased From Doherty, Including Workers Whose Unemployment... Technology, Inc., Including On-Site Workers Leased From Doherty, Including Workers Whose Unemployment..., Minnesota locations of the subject firm had their wages reported under a separate unemployment insurance (UI...

  4. A Structural Equation Model of the Factors Associated with Influence and Power of IT Departments and Their Relationship to Firm's IT Orientation and Business Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kowshik, Raghu V.

    2010-01-01

    Although few firms can function without an information technology (IT) department, senior executives often consider IT as secondary. Historically, studies have found IT departments to have low influence and power status compared to other departments. Few, if any, studies have investigated what factors contribute to this subservient position. Three…

  5. Exploratory Study of the Role and Activities of "Centres of Excellence" in the Textile Industry in Four EEC Member States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Berlin (West Germany).

    The nine centers of excellence described in this document are institutions and geographic areas in the European Economic Community (EEC) that, in addition to providing training and maintaining their links with the labor market, carry out research and disseminate technology with individual firms, groups of firms, and the textile industry as a…

  6. Outcome-Focused Market Intelligence: Extracting Better Value and Effectiveness from Strategic Sourcing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-04-01

    disseminating information are not systematically taught or developed in the government’s acquisition workforce. However, a study of 30 large firms ...to keep themselves abreast of changes in the marketplace, such as technological advances, process improvements, and available sources of supply. The...and performance measurement (Monczka & Petersen, 2008). Firms that develop supply management strategic plans typically set three-to-five year

  7. NASA cash boost for space firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gwynne, Peter

    2012-09-01

    NASA has awarded 1.1bn to three US firms to design and develop the "next generation of human spaceflight capabilities". Boeing, Sierra Nevada and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), who will receive 460m, 212.5m and 440m respectively, will use the money to improve and test their systems intended to fly astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) within the next five years.

  8. Economic Globalization and a Nuclear Renaissance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wood, Thomas W; Johnson, Wayne L; Parker, Brian M

    2001-10-22

    The phenomenon of globalization has become increasingly well recognized, documented, and analyzed in the last several years. Globalization, the integration of markets and intra-firm competition on a worldwide basis, involves complex behavioral and mindset changes within a firm that facilitate global competition. The changes revolve around efficient information flow and rapid deployment of technology. The objective of this report is to examine the probable characteristics of a global nuclear renaissance and its broad implications for industry structure and export control relative to nuclear technology. The question of how a modern renaissance would affect the trend toward globalization of the nuclearmore » industry is addressed.« less

  9. Technology for America's Economic Growth, a New Direction To Build Economic Strength.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clinton, William J.; Gore, Albert, Jr.

    Investing in technology is investing in America's future. U.S. technology must move in a new direction to build economic strength and spur economic growth. The traditional roles of support of basic science and mission-oriented technological research must be expanded, so that the federal government plays a key role in helping private firms develop…

  10. An Examination of the Disruptive Innovation Paradox: The Application of the Innovators Dilemma to SME's

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagle, Tadhg; Golden, William

    Managing strategic contradiction and paradoxical situations has been gaining importance in technological, innovation and management domains. As a result, more and more paradoxical instances and types have been documented in literature. The innovators dilemma is such an instance that gives a detailed description of how disruptive innovations affect firms. However, the innovators dilemma has only been applied to large organisations and more specifically industry incumbents. Through a multiple case study of six eLearning SME’s, this paper investigates the applicability of the innovators dilemma as well as the disruptive effects of Web 2.0 on the organisations. Analysing the data collected over 18 months, it was found that the innovators dilemma did indeed apply to SME’s. However, inline with the original thesis the dilemma only applied to the SME’s established (pre-2002) before the development of Web 2.0 technologies began. Furthermore, the study highlights that the post-2002 firms were also partly vulnerable to the dilemma but were able to avoid any negative effects though technological visionary leadership. In contrast, the pre-2002 firms were lacking this visionary ability and were also constrained by low risk profiles.

  11. Construction of a microscopic agent-based model for firms' dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iyetomi, Hiroshi; Aoyama, Hideaki; Fujiwara, Yoshi; Ikeda, Yuichi; Kaizoji, Taisei; Soma, Wataru

    2005-07-01

    A workable microscopic model for firms' dynamics has been constructed. The model consists of firm agents and a bank agent dynamics of which are described by balance sheets. The size distribution of firms and the temporal evolution of the bank show critical dependence on whether or not firms use perfect information on their financial conditions to draw up next production plans.

  12. Regulation of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in Indian coal-based thermal power plants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sengupta, Ishita

    Air borne particulate matter, in major Indian cities is at least three times the standard prescribed by the WHO. Coal-based thermal power plants are the major emitters of particulate matter in India. The lack of severe penalty for non-compliance with the standards has worsened the situation and thus calls for an immediate need for investment in technologies to regulate particulate emissions. My dissertation studies the optimal investment decisions in a dynamic framework, for a random sample of forty Indian coal-based power plants to abate particulate emissions. I used Linear Programming to solve the double cost minimization problem for the optimal choices of coal, boiler and pollution-control equipment. A policy analysis is done to choose over various tax policies, which would induce the firms to adopt the energy efficient as well as cost efficient technology. The aim here is to reach the WHO standards. Using the optimal switching point model I show that in a dynamic set up, switching the boiler immediately is always the cost effective option for all the power plants even if there is no policy restriction. The switch to a baghouse depends upon the policy in place. Theoretically, even though an emission tax is considered the most efficient tax, an ash tax or a coal tax can also be considered to be a good substitute especially in countries like India where monitoring costs are very high. As SPM is a local pollutant the analysis here is mainly firm specific.

  13. 14 CFR 1274.915 - Restrictions on sale or transfer of technology to foreign firms or institutions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... licensing of the technology. Transfers include: (1) Sales of products or components, (2) Licenses of software or documentation related to sales of products or components, or (3) Transfers to foreign...

  14. 14 CFR § 1274.915 - Restrictions on sale or transfer of technology to foreign firms or institutions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... licensing of the technology. Transfers include: (1) Sales of products or components, (2) Licenses of software or documentation related to sales of products or components, or (3) Transfers to foreign...

  15. 14 CFR 1274.915 - Restrictions on sale or transfer of technology to foreign firms or institutions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... licensing of the technology. Transfers include: (1) Sales of products or components, (2) Licenses of software or documentation related to sales of products or components, or (3) Transfers to foreign...

  16. Thermodynamics of firms' growth

    PubMed Central

    Zambrano, Eduardo; Hernando, Alberto; Hernando, Ricardo; Plastino, Angelo

    2015-01-01

    The distribution of firms' growth and firms' sizes is a topic under intense scrutiny. In this paper, we show that a thermodynamic model based on the maximum entropy principle, with dynamical prior information, can be constructed that adequately describes the dynamics and distribution of firms' growth. Our theoretical framework is tested against a comprehensive database of Spanish firms, which covers, to a very large extent, Spain's economic activity, with a total of 1 155 142 firms evolving along a full decade. We show that the empirical exponent of Pareto's law, a rule often observed in the rank distribution of large-size firms, is explained by the capacity of economic system for creating/destroying firms, and that can be used to measure the health of a capitalist-based economy. Indeed, our model predicts that when the exponent is larger than 1, creation of firms is favoured; when it is smaller than 1, destruction of firms is favoured instead; and when it equals 1 (matching Zipf's law), the system is in a full macroeconomic equilibrium, entailing ‘free’ creation and/or destruction of firms. For medium and smaller firm sizes, the dynamical regime changes, the whole distribution can no longer be fitted to a single simple analytical form and numerical prediction is required. Our model constitutes the basis for a full predictive framework regarding the economic evolution of an ensemble of firms. Such a structure can be potentially used to develop simulations and test hypothetical scenarios, such as economic crisis or the response to specific policy measures. PMID:26510828

  17. Thermodynamics of firms' growth.

    PubMed

    Zambrano, Eduardo; Hernando, Alberto; Fernández Bariviera, Aurelio; Hernando, Ricardo; Plastino, Angelo

    2015-11-06

    The distribution of firms' growth and firms' sizes is a topic under intense scrutiny. In this paper, we show that a thermodynamic model based on the maximum entropy principle, with dynamical prior information, can be constructed that adequately describes the dynamics and distribution of firms' growth. Our theoretical framework is tested against a comprehensive database of Spanish firms, which covers, to a very large extent, Spain's economic activity, with a total of 1,155,142 firms evolving along a full decade. We show that the empirical exponent of Pareto's law, a rule often observed in the rank distribution of large-size firms, is explained by the capacity of economic system for creating/destroying firms, and that can be used to measure the health of a capitalist-based economy. Indeed, our model predicts that when the exponent is larger than 1, creation of firms is favoured; when it is smaller than 1, destruction of firms is favoured instead; and when it equals 1 (matching Zipf's law), the system is in a full macroeconomic equilibrium, entailing 'free' creation and/or destruction of firms. For medium and smaller firm sizes, the dynamical regime changes, the whole distribution can no longer be fitted to a single simple analytical form and numerical prediction is required. Our model constitutes the basis for a full predictive framework regarding the economic evolution of an ensemble of firms. Such a structure can be potentially used to develop simulations and test hypothetical scenarios, such as economic crisis or the response to specific policy measures. © 2015 The Authors.

  18. Explain the Behavior Intention to Use e-Learning Technologies: A Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaqrah, Amin A.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to explain the behavior intention to use e-learning technologies. In order to achieve a better view and validate the study, researcher attempts to give details of how technology acceptance models help Jordanian trainees firms in accepting e-learning technology, and how if applied will result more attention to usage…

  19. Final report. Technology innovation for global change: The role of assessment, R and D, and regulation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clark, William C.; Holdren, John P.; Norberg-Bohm, Vicki

    2001-11-29

    Through the research carried out under this grant, we have made considerable progress in addressing our fundamental research question: How and under what conditions can government stimulate radical technological innovation? More specifically, we have analyzed three pathways through which government may influence the decisions by firms to invest in radical technological innovation: technological opportunism (supply-push policies), regulatory responsiveness (demand-pull policies) and anticipatory action (assessments and information policy). We have produced several written documents, as well as made several presentations of our work. We are now working on a book based on this research, which we will have to a publishermore » in 2002. We are also pursuing other opportunities for dissemination of the results, including both presentations and articles in the academic and policy press.« less

  20. Material availability and the supply chain: risks, effects, and responses.

    PubMed

    Alonso, Elisa; Gregory, Jeremy; Field, Frank; Kirchain, Randolph

    2007-10-01

    Many authors suggest that market forces are inadequate to successfully manage the problems of resource availability and use. The fundamental question is whether these inadequacies are intrinsic to the market or if they arise from a failure of firms to detect and respond to subtle market signals. This paper explores the latter by describing (1) mechanisms that can limit materials availability, (2) effects of such limits on the firm, (3) preliminary metrics to diagnose these risks, and (4) strategies to reduce a firm's risk exposure. Case analyses of two materials systems are used to suggestthat private firm interests, when properly informed, can motivate strategies that drive toward sustainable materials use. These strategies include (1) improving production efficiency, (2) developing technology to use more sustainable substitute materials, and (3) facilitating a more effective materials recycling infrastructure.

  1. JPRS Report, Science & Technology, Europe & Latin America

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-09-23

    one cannot misuse them. But in this case we have made the real practical utility of the language impossible. As for whether the tools of Ada—in...Fiat’s Financial Performance for 1986 ( INDUSTRIA OGGI, Mar 87) ,. ,, BIOTECHNOLOGY FRG Funds R&D for Genetic Engineering Safety (FRANKFURTER...ELECTRONIQUE ACTUALITES, 20 Mar 87) 11 Italy’s Olivetti Acquires New Firms ( INDUSTRIA OGGI, Apr 87) 12 Fiat/IBM Form Data Processing Firm

  2. 32 CFR 37.675 - Must I report when I enter into a TIA allowing a for-profit firm to use an IPA?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Must I report when I enter into a TIA allowing a for-profit firm to use an IPA? 37.675 Section 37.675 National Defense Department of Defense OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DoD GRANT AND AGREEMENT REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Award...

  3. Determinants of environmental audit frequency: the role of firm organizational structure.

    PubMed

    Earnhart, Dietrich; Leonard, J Mark

    2013-10-15

    This study empirically examines the extent of environmental management practiced by US chemical manufacturing facilities, as reflected in the number of environmental internal audits conducted annually. As its focus, this study analyzes the effects of firm-level organizational structure on facility-level environmental management practices. For this empirical analysis, the study exploits unique data from a survey distributed to all U.S. chemical manufacturing permitted to discharge wastewater in 2001; the data reflect internal audits conducted during the years 1999-2001. Empirical results reveal differences in auditing behavior based on whether facilities are owned by publicly held or non-publicly held firms, owned by U.S.-based or non-U.S.-based firms, and owned by larger or smaller firms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. The development and deployment of electronic personal health records records: a strategic positioning perspective.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Mark; Baxter, Ryan; Pouder, Richard

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of strategic position on the ability of an entrepreneurial firm to successfully develop and deploy electronic personal health records technology within the US healthcare industry. This study uses an in-depth longitudinal case study methodology. The study contributes by juxtaposing a longitudinal view of how the focal firm proposed and acted on different strategic positions in an attempt to achieve development and deployment success. In doing so, the study also elaborates on Porter's recognition that firms need to make trade-offs when choosing a strategic position, as the purposeful limitation of service offerings can protect against the degradation of existing value creating activities. The authors' study highlights the enormous challenge of facilitating the adoption and diffusion of technology enabled interventions in the US healthcare ecosystem. Future research that combines both interdisciplinary and multi-level investigation and analysis is sorely needed to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the phenomenon and to encourage the development and deployment of useful technology enabled interventions within the US healthcare industry. While the fragmented nature of the healthcare industry provides opportunities for entrepreneurial firms, such complexity within the ecosystem should not be underestimated as a reason for concern for small firms. Total economic burden due to chronic diseases and other healthcare-related expenses is massive for the USA. Consequently, prevention and early detection of future disease states has become a core component of the current healthcare reform debate. EPHRs are considered one core component of a broader healthcare strategy to improve health outcomes and lower costs. By deepening our understanding of how best to develop and deploy such interventions, society will surely benefit. The longitudinal nature of the authors' study provides a unique opportunity to understand the dynamic interrelationships between context, position, and performance within the US healthcare industry.

  5. Best Practices of Leadership in Educational Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Loren

    2014-01-01

    Leadership in Educational Technology is a relatively new field that is changing as fast as technology itself. Success for an educational leader includes maintaining a firm grasp of how to diagnose the needs of a district, a school, or a classroom while aligning policies, procedures, and protocols into a format that will empower the individual…

  6. Technology and Employment. Innovation and Growth in the U.S. Economy. Executive Summary.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cyert, Richard M., Ed.; Mowery, David C., Ed.

    Technological change will contribute significantly to growth in employment opportunities and wages. However, workers in specific occupations and industries may have to move among jobs and careers. Slow adoption by U.S. firms of productivity-increasing technologies is likely to cause more job displacement than their rapid adoption. New technologies…

  7. Information Technology Adoption for Service Innovation Practices and Competitive Advantage: The Case of Financial Firms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, J. S.; Tsou, H. T.

    2007-01-01

    Background: The importance of information technology to current business practices has long drawn the attention of practitioners and academicians. Aim: This paper aims to broaden understanding about service innovation as a critical organizational capability through which information technology adoption influences the competitive advantage of a…

  8. Essays on Adoption and Diffusion of New Technology in Supply Chains

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choi, Daeheon

    2012-01-01

    Over the past decades, network technologies across supply chains have been introduced and promoted with the premised benefits for all participants. However industry experience with an adoption process of some technology suggests that some firms have a great amount of uncertainty in estimating the benefits of its adoption. This uncertainty will…

  9. Emerging Technologies in the Workplace.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ammon, Adelaide; Robertson, Lyle

    1985-01-01

    Presents survey responses of 100 Michigan firms regarding the use of advanced technologies, employment growth projections in skilled occupations, and views about community college education. Examines the impact of the introduction of office automation, telecommunications, computer-aided design, laser, quality control, materials management, and…

  10. A resource-based view of partnership strategies in health care organizations.

    PubMed

    Yarbrough, Amy K; Powers, Thomas L

    2006-01-01

    The distribution of management structures in health care has been shifting from independent ownership to interorganizational relationships with other firms. A shortage of resources has been cited as one cause for such collaboration among health care entities. The resource- based view of the firm suggests that organizations differentiate between strategic alliances and acquisition strategies based on a firm's internal resources and the types of resources a potential partner organization possesses. This paper provides a review of the literature using the resource-based theory of the firm to understand what conditions foster different types of health care partnerships. A model of partnership alliances using the resource-based view is presented, strategic linkages are presented, managerial implications are outlined, and directions for future research are given.

  11. Prediction of bovine milk technological traits from mid-infrared spectroscopy analysis in dairy cows.

    PubMed

    Visentin, G; McDermott, A; McParland, S; Berry, D P; Kenny, O A; Brodkorb, A; Fenelon, M A; De Marchi, M

    2015-09-01

    Rapid, cost-effective monitoring of milk technological traits is a significant challenge for dairy industries specialized in cheese manufacturing. The objective of the present study was to investigate the ability of mid-infrared spectroscopy to predict rennet coagulation time, curd-firming time, curd firmness at 30 and 60min after rennet addition, heat coagulation time, casein micelle size, and pH in cow milk samples, and to quantify associations between these milk technological traits and conventional milk quality traits. Samples (n=713) were collected from 605 cows from multiple herds; the samples represented multiple breeds, stages of lactation, parities, and milking times. Reference analyses were undertaken in accordance with standardized methods, and mid-infrared spectra in the range of 900 to 5,000cm(-1) were available for all samples. Prediction models were developed using partial least squares regression, and prediction accuracy was based on both cross and external validation. The proportion of variance explained by the prediction models in external validation was greatest for pH (71%), followed by rennet coagulation time (55%) and milk heat coagulation time (46%). Models to predict curd firmness 60min from rennet addition and casein micelle size, however, were poor, explaining only 25 and 13%, respectively, of the total variance in each trait within external validation. On average, all prediction models tended to be unbiased. The linear regression coefficient of the reference value on the predicted value varied from 0.17 (casein micelle size regression model) to 0.83 (pH regression model) but all differed from 1. The ratio performance deviation of 1.07 (casein micelle size prediction model) to 1.79 (pH prediction model) for all prediction models in the external validation was <2, suggesting that none of the prediction models could be used for analytical purposes. With the exception of casein micelle size and curd firmness at 60min after rennet addition, the developed prediction models may be useful as a screening method, because the concordance correlation coefficient ranged from 0.63 (heat coagulation time prediction model) to 0.84 (pH prediction model) in the external validation. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Impact of Technologies on Learning in the Workplace. Final Report = L'effet des technologies d'apprentissage sur l'apprentissage a vie en milieu de travail.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dugas, Tim; Green, Lyndsay; Leckie, Norm

    The use of learning technologies in the workplace and their impact on lifelong learning were examined. Data were collected from three sources: the literature on learning technologies and labor market trends affecting the adoption, implementation, and success of learning technologies in the workplace; case studies of 8 Canadian firms with 100 or…

  13. Diversity of the lactic acid bacterium and yeast microbiota in the switch from firm- to liquid-sourdough fermentation.

    PubMed

    Di Cagno, Raffaella; Pontonio, Erica; Buchin, Solange; De Angelis, Maria; Lattanzi, Anna; Valerio, Francesca; Gobbetti, Marco; Calasso, Maria

    2014-05-01

    Four traditional type I sourdoughs were comparatively propagated (28 days) under firm (dough yield, 160) and liquid (dough yield, 280) conditions to mimic the alternative technology options frequently used for making baked goods. After 28 days of propagation, liquid sourdoughs had the lowest pH and total titratable acidity (TTA), the lowest concentrations of lactic and acetic acids and free amino acids, and the most stable density of presumptive lactic acid bacteria. The cell density of yeasts was the highest in liquid sourdoughs. Liquid sourdoughs showed simplified microbial diversity and harbored a low number of strains, which were persistent. Lactobacillus plantarum dominated firm sourdoughs over time. Leuconostoc lactis and Lactobacillus brevis dominated only some firm sourdoughs, and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis persisted for some time only in some firm sourdoughs. Leuconostoc citreum persisted in all firm and liquid sourdoughs, and it was the only species detected in liquid sourdoughs at all times; it was flanked by Leuconostoc mesenteroides in some sourdoughs. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida humilis, Saccharomyces servazzii, Saccharomyces bayanus-Kazachstania sp., and Torulaspora delbrueckii were variously identified in firm and liquid sourdoughs. A total of 197 volatile components were identified through purge and trap-/solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PT-/SPME-GC-MS). Aldehydes, several alcohols, and some esters were at the highest levels in liquid sourdoughs. Firm sourdoughs mainly contained ethyl acetate, acetic acid, some sulfur compounds, and terpenes. The use of liquid fermentation would change the main microbial and biochemical features of traditional baked goods, which have been manufactured under firm conditions for a long time.

  14. Diversity of the Lactic Acid Bacterium and Yeast Microbiota in the Switch from Firm- to Liquid-Sourdough Fermentation

    PubMed Central

    Di Cagno, Raffaella; Pontonio, Erica; Buchin, Solange; De Angelis, Maria; Lattanzi, Anna; Valerio, Francesca; Calasso, Maria

    2014-01-01

    Four traditional type I sourdoughs were comparatively propagated (28 days) under firm (dough yield, 160) and liquid (dough yield, 280) conditions to mimic the alternative technology options frequently used for making baked goods. After 28 days of propagation, liquid sourdoughs had the lowest pH and total titratable acidity (TTA), the lowest concentrations of lactic and acetic acids and free amino acids, and the most stable density of presumptive lactic acid bacteria. The cell density of yeasts was the highest in liquid sourdoughs. Liquid sourdoughs showed simplified microbial diversity and harbored a low number of strains, which were persistent. Lactobacillus plantarum dominated firm sourdoughs over time. Leuconostoc lactis and Lactobacillus brevis dominated only some firm sourdoughs, and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis persisted for some time only in some firm sourdoughs. Leuconostoc citreum persisted in all firm and liquid sourdoughs, and it was the only species detected in liquid sourdoughs at all times; it was flanked by Leuconostoc mesenteroides in some sourdoughs. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida humilis, Saccharomyces servazzii, Saccharomyces bayanus-Kazachstania sp., and Torulaspora delbrueckii were variously identified in firm and liquid sourdoughs. A total of 197 volatile components were identified through purge and trap–/solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PT–/SPME–GC-MS). Aldehydes, several alcohols, and some esters were at the highest levels in liquid sourdoughs. Firm sourdoughs mainly contained ethyl acetate, acetic acid, some sulfur compounds, and terpenes. The use of liquid fermentation would change the main microbial and biochemical features of traditional baked goods, which have been manufactured under firm conditions for a long time. PMID:24632249

  15. Firm-Specific Marketing Capital and Job Satisfaction of Marketers: Evidence from Vietnam

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nguyen, Tho D.; Nguyen, Trang T. M.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Based on the resource-based view of the firm, this study aims to examine antecedents and outcomes of firm-specific marketing capital pool invested by marketers in a transition market, Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 528 marketers in Ho Chi Minh City was surveyed to test the theoretical model. Structural equation…

  16. Toward Agent-Based Models of the Development And Evolution of Business Relations and Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilkinson, Ian F.; Marks, Robert E.; Young, Louise

    Firms achieve competitive advantage in part through the development of cooperative relations with other firms and organisations. We describe a program of research designed to map and model the development of cooperative inter-firm relations, including the processes and paths by which firms may evolve from adversarial to more cooperative relations. Narrative-event-history methods will be used to develop stylised histories of the emergence of business relations in various contexts and to identify relevant causal mechanisms to be included in the agent-based models of relationship and network evolution. The relationship histories will provide the means of assuring the agent-based models developed.

  17. A model for technology assessment and commercialization for innovative disruptive technologies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    KASSICIEH, SULEIMAN K.; WALSH, STEVE; MCWHORTER,PAUL J.

    2000-05-17

    Disruptive technologies are scientific discoveries that break through the usual product technology capabilities and provide a basis for a new competitive paradigm as described by Anderson and Tushman [1990], Tushman and Rosenkopf [1992], and Bower and Christensen [1995]. Discontinuous innovations are products/processes/services that provide exponential improvements in the value received by the customer much in the same vein as Walsh [1996], Lynn, Morone and Paulson [1996], and Veryzer [1998]. For more on definitions of disruptive technologies and discontinuous innovations, see Walsh and Linton [1999] who provide a number of definitions for disruptive technologies and discontinuous innovations. Disruptive technologies and discontinuousmore » innovations present a unique challenge and opportunity for R and D organizations seeking to build their commercialization efforts and to reinvent the corporation. These technologies do not have a proven path from scientific discovery to mass production and therefore require novel approaches. These critically important technologies are the wellspring of wealth creation and new competency generation but are not readily accepted by the corporate community. They are alternatively embraced and eschewed by the commercial community. They are finally accepted when the technology has already affected the industry or when the technological horse has already flown out of the hanger. Many firms, especially larger firms, seem reluctant to familiarize themselves with these technologies quickly. The trend seems to be that these firms prefer to react to a proven disruptive technology that has changed the product market paradigm. If true, then there is cause for concern. This paper will review the literature on disruptive technologies presenting a model of the progression from scientific idea to mass production for disruptive technologies contrasted to the more copious incremental technologies. The paper will then describe Sandia National Laboratories' involvement in one of the disruptive technology areas, namely micro-electromechanical systems (sometimes referred to as Microsystems or MEMS) and will survey a number of companies that have investigated Sandia's technological discoveries for potential use in an industrial capacity. The survey will focus on the movement of the research findings from the laboratory into the marketplace and all of the problem areas that disruptive technologies face in this arena. The paper will then state several hypotheses that will be tested. The data will be described with results and conclusions reported.« less

  18. Analysis Influence of Managerial Competence, Technical Competence, and Strategic Competence on Firm Performance in Electrical Engineering Company in Bandung

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wijaya, E. R.; Irianto, D.

    2018-03-01

    The industry sectors that have an important role in the era of globalization is the electro engineering sector. The era of globalization led to intense competition. One of the negative effects of the intense competition is declining profits. Drop in profits caused many firms reduces their employees without seeking the root cause of declining profits in detail. Whereas, employee is the important resources to maintain competitive advantage. Competitive advantage can be measured by the performance of which is owned by the firm. The firm's performance can be formed of competencies that is unique, rare, irreplaceable, and difficult to imitate within the firm, one of them is the competence of the individual. According to a competency-based approach and the resource- based approach, individual competence that affect the performance of the firm is managerial competence, technical competence, and strategic competence. Questionnaire is built based on the dimensions of the firm's performance, managerial competence, technical competence, and strategic competence, are processed using partial least squares application. The results indicate that managerial competence negatively impact firm’s performance with weak ties. The technical competence and strategic competence positively affect firm’s performance with moderate ties.

  19. The Making of a CIO: A Grounded Theory Study of Professional Development of Information Technology Executives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leahy, Kevin B.

    2013-01-01

    The CIO fulfills an important role for most business organizations by leading the information technology department and by aligning the firm's information technology assets with its corporate strategy. There is little research regarding the important components of CIO development and the relationships among these elements. This study examines…

  20. How Magnets Attract and Repel: Interessement in a Technology Commercialization Competition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spinuzzi, Clay; Nelson, Scott; Thomson, Keela S.; Lorenzini, Francesca; French, Rosemary A.; Pogue, Gregory; London, Noelle

    2016-01-01

    K6015, a South Korean firm seeking to commercialize its magnet technology in the US market, entered a technology commercialization training program structured as a competition. Through this program, K6015 (and others in the program) used several genres to progressively interest different sets of stakeholders. To understand how K6015 applied these…

  1. The Effects of Risk and Size of Company on Business Performance in Information Technology Outsourcing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balogun, Shereef Adewale

    2013-01-01

    Information technology (IT) outsourcing is a practical way to transfer information technology by industries of different firms. The problem occurs when companies outsource services to domestic and international data centers as network security issues arise. This leads to competition between companies causing the size of the company to become more…

  2. Will Green CSR Enhance Innovation? A Perspective of Public Visibility and Firm Transparency

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Weiwei; Liu, Yexin; Chin, Tachia; Zhu, Wenzhong

    2018-01-01

    In response to the asking and requiring of stakeholders to be more environmentally responsible, firms must commit to green corporate social responsibility (CSR). Firms being green and responsible always can acquire intangible resources that are important for firm innovation. Given the scarcity of existing research addressing relevant issues in depth, this paper expands our understanding of green CSR by revealing its antecedent effects on firm innovation performance. We also include public visibility and firm transparency as contingency factors to explore the relationship between green CSR and firm innovation performance. Using data collected from publicly listed firms in China, we find that greater innovation performance is associated with an increase in firm green CSR, and the positive relationship between green CSR and innovation performance is moderated by public visibility and firm transparency. Based on the results, theoretical contributions and practical implications are outlined. PMID:29401714

  3. Will Green CSR Enhance Innovation? A Perspective of Public Visibility and Firm Transparency.

    PubMed

    Wu, Weiwei; Liu, Yexin; Chin, Tachia; Zhu, Wenzhong

    2018-02-04

    In response to the asking and requiring of stakeholders to be more environmentally responsible, firms must commit to green corporate social responsibility (CSR). Firms being green and responsible always can acquire intangible resources that are important for firm innovation. Given the scarcity of existing research addressing relevant issues in depth, this paper expands our understanding of green CSR by revealing its antecedent effects on firm innovation performance. We also include public visibility and firm transparency as contingency factors to explore the relationship between green CSR and firm innovation performance. Using data collected from publicly listed firms in China, we find that greater innovation performance is associated with an increase in firm green CSR, and the positive relationship between green CSR and innovation performance is moderated by public visibility and firm transparency. Based on the results, theoretical contributions and practical implications are outlined.

  4. NASA Tech House: An early evaluation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1977-01-01

    An architect-engineering firm, as well as university participants, performed system studies, evaluated construction methods, performed cost effectiveness studies, and prepared construction drawings which incorporated the selected technology features into a final design. A Technology Utilization House (Tech House) based on this design was constructed at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Tech House is instrumented so that the performance of the design features and energy systems can be evaluated during a planned family live-in period. As such, the house is both a demonstration unit and a research laboratory. The Tech House is to demonstrate the kind of single-family residence that will probably be available within the next five years.

  5. NASA New England Outreach Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    The NASA New England Outreach Center in Nashua, New Hampshire was established to serve as a catalyst for heightening regional business awareness of NASA procurement, technology and commercialization opportunities. Emphasis is placed on small business participation, with the highest priority given to small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses, HUBZone businesses, service disabled veteran owned businesses, and historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions. The Center assists firms and organizations to understand NASA requirements and to develop strategies to capture NASA related procurement and technology opportunities. The establishment of the NASA Outreach Center serves to stimulate business in a historically underserved area. NASA direct business awards have traditionally been highly present in the West, Midwest, South, and Southeast areas of the United States. The Center guides and assists businesses and organizations in the northeast to target opportunities within NASA and its prime contractors and capture business and technology opportunities. The Center employs an array of technology access, one-on-one meetings, seminars, site visits, and targeted conferences to acquaint Northeast firms and organizations with representatives from NASA and its prime contractors to learn about and discuss opportunities to do business and access the inventory of NASA technology. This stimulus of interaction also provides firms and organizations the opportunity to propose the use of their developed technology and ideas for current and future requirements at NASA. The Center provides a complement to the NASA Northeast Regional Technology Transfer Center in developing prospects for commercialization of NASA technology. In addition, the Center responds to local requests for assistance and NASA material and documents, and is available to address immediate concerns and needs in assessing opportunities, timely support to interact with NASA Centers on a local level, and develop easy access to information. The Center acts in the manner of a "NASA Center or Field Office" with direction from NASA Headquarters, Code K.

  6. Selection of infectious medical waste disposal firms by using the analytic hierarchy process and sensitivity analysis.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Pi-Fang; Wu, Cheng-Ru; Li, Ya-Ting

    2008-01-01

    While Taiwanese hospitals dispose of large amounts of medical waste to ensure sanitation and personal hygiene, doing so inefficiently creates potential environmental hazards and increases operational expenses. However, hospitals lack objective criteria to select the most appropriate waste disposal firm and evaluate its performance, instead relying on their own subjective judgment and previous experiences. Therefore, this work presents an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method to objectively select medical waste disposal firms based on the results of interviews with experts in the field, thus reducing overhead costs and enhancing medical waste management. An appropriate weight criterion based on AHP is derived to assess the effectiveness of medical waste disposal firms. The proposed AHP-based method offers a more efficient and precise means of selecting medical waste firms than subjective assessment methods do, thus reducing the potential risks for hospitals. Analysis results indicate that the medical sector selects the most appropriate infectious medical waste disposal firm based on the following rank: matching degree, contractor's qualifications, contractor's service capability, contractor's equipment and economic factors. By providing hospitals with an effective means of evaluating medical waste disposal firms, the proposed AHP method can reduce overhead costs and enable medical waste management to understand the market demand in the health sector. Moreover, performed through use of Expert Choice software, sensitivity analysis can survey the criterion weight of the degree of influence with an alternative hierarchy.

  7. Inter-organizational design: exploring the relationship between formal architecture and ICT investments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iubatti, Daniela; Masciarelli, Francesca; Simboli, Alberto

    This chapter aims to explore how the information-processing capabilities that emerge from a network structure affect the diffusion of innovation in a multidivisional organization. In particular, this study analyzes the role of firm investments in ICT to facilitate communication and knowledge diffusion. Using a qualitative approach, we investigate the behavior of an Italian multinational firm, Engineering S.p.A., analyzing our data using a content analysis procedure. Our results show the limited role of ICT in favoring knowledge exchange both inside and outside the firm's divisions: traditional communication patterns are generally preferred over the use of technologies for information sharing. Additionally, we find that key individuals who play a central role in the firm's communication network are unable to use ICTs for knowledge transfer. We conclude that this is the result of a strategic decision to keep top management practically unchanged since the firm was established. Therefore, key individuals act as filters to knowledge flows. Knowledge, in particular tacit knowledge, is transferred from key individuals to other actors through face-to-face contacts, thereby creating a diseconomy for the organization.

  8. Innovation flow through social networks: productivity distribution in France and Italy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    di Matteo, T.; Aste, T.; Gallegati, M.

    2005-10-01

    From a detailed empirical analysis of the productivity of non financial firms across several countries and years we show that productivity follows a non-Gaussian distribution with `fat tails' in the large productivity region which are well mimicked by power law behaviors. We discuss how these empirical findings can be linked to a mechanism of exchanges in a social network where firms improve their productivity by direct innovation and/or by imitation of other firm's technological and organizational solutions. The type of network-connectivity determines how fast and how efficiently information can diffuse and how quickly innovation will permeate or behaviors will be imitated. From a model for innovation flow through a complex network we show that the expectation values of the productivity of each firm are proportional to its connectivity in the network of links between firms. The comparison with the empirical distributions in France and Italy reveals that in this model, such a network must be of a scale-free type with a power-law degree distribution in the large connectivity range.

  9. Technological response to economic disruption: The role of new technologies in mitigating exogenous economic shocks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spencer, Aron Scott

    2003-07-01

    The three essays in this dissertation deal with the role of technology in mitigating economic disruption. Much research has been done on the disruptive effects of technology; in contrast, these essays look at how technology can be used to reduce the effects of exogenous disruptions. Each essay looks at the issue at a different level; the first at the firm level, the second at the industry level and the final essay at the level of the national economy. The first essay examines the options and possible strategies for firms faced with increased instability in their electricity supply, as recently occurred in California. This paper develops response strategies for companies affected by an electrical crisis. These responses fall into three categories: Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the State. The technologies available to companies choosing to lead are reviewed, along with constraints to their adoption. From these strategies, it can be shown that areas with unstable electrical markets can expect a loss of firms to locales with less risk and uncertainty, unless governments adopt policies promoting distributed generation. The second essay projects the economic impacts of the adoption of high-temperature superconductor (FITS) technologies in electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems. Three technologies utilizing high-temperature superconductors are analyzed for their potential impact on the electrical utility industry. Distributed superconducting magnetic energy storage systems (D-SMES), superconducting cable, and HTS generators are each described along with their possible uses in the electrical utility industry. The economic impact of these technologies is then projected, along with a comparison between them and conventional technologies. The third essay deals with the role of technology in mitigating the economic effects of the reaction to terrorist attacks. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, public and private investments are being diverted from productive to protective uses. This essay examines the possible economic effects of such a reallocation of resources, and shows how this shift in investment is likely to dampen long-term economic growth. Whether one uses Solow growth model derivatives or Austrian school methods, the diversion of resources has negative implications for economic growth.

  10. Innovation under Regulatory Uncertainty: Evidence from Medical Technology

    PubMed Central

    Stern, Ariel Dora

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores how the regulatory approval process affects innovation incentives in medical technologies. Prior studies have found early mover regulatory advantages for drugs. I find the opposite for medical devices, where pioneer entrants spend 34 percent (7.2 months) longer than follow-on entrants in regulatory approval. Back-of-the- envelope calculations suggest that the cost of a delay of this length is upwards of 7 percent of the total cost of bringing a new high-risk device to market. Considering potential explanations, I find that approval times are largely unrelated to technological novelty, but are meaningfully reduced by the publication of objective regulatory guidelines. Finally, I consider how the regulatory process affects small firms’ market entry patterns and find that small firms are less likely to be pioneers in new device markets, a fact consistent with relatively higher costs of doing so for more financially constrained firms. PMID:28652646

  11. Exploring Best Practice Skills to Predict Uncertainties in Venture Capital Investment Decision-Making

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blum, David Arthur

    Algae biodiesel is the sole sustainable and abundant transportation fuel source that can replace petrol diesel use; however, high competition and economic uncertainties exist, influencing independent venture capital decision making. Technology, market, management, and government action uncertainties influence competition and economic uncertainties in the venture capital industry. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the best practice skills at IVC firms to predict uncertainty between early and late funding stages. The basis of the study was real options theory, a framework used to evaluate and understand the economic and competition uncertainties inherent in natural resource investment and energy derived from plant-based oils. Data were collected from interviews of 24 venture capital partners based in the United States who invest in algae and other renewable energy solutions. Data were analyzed by coding and theme development interwoven with the conceptual framework. Eight themes emerged: (a) expected returns model, (b) due diligence, (c) invest in specific sectors, (d) reduced uncertainty-late stage, (e) coopetition, (f) portfolio firm relationships, (g) differentiation strategy, and (h) modeling uncertainty and best practice. The most noteworthy finding was that predicting uncertainty at the early stage was impractical; at the expansion and late funding stages, however, predicting uncertainty was possible. The implications of these findings will affect social change by providing independent venture capitalists with best practice skills to increase successful exits, lessen uncertainty, and encourage increased funding of renewable energy firms, contributing to cleaner and healthier communities throughout the United States..

  12. Commercializing Defense Technologies and Helping Defense Firms Succeed in Commercial Markets: A Report on the Objectives, Activities, and Accomplishments of the TAP-IN Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    Technology Access for Product Innovation (TAP-IN), the largest technology deployment project funded by TRP, was competitively selected through a national solicitation for proposals. TAP-IN was created to help companies access and apply defense technologies and help defense-dependent companies enter new commercial markets. Defense technologies included technologies developed by DoD, DOE, NASA, and their contractors. TAP-IN was structured to provide region-based technology access services that were able to draw on technology resources nationwide. TAP-IN provided expert assistance in all stages of the commercialization process from concept through prototype design to capital sourcing and marketing strategy. TAP-IN helped companies locate new technology, identify business partners, secure financing, develop ideas for new products, identify new markets, license technology, solve technical problems, and develop company-specific applications of federal technology. TAP-IN leveraged NASA's existing commercial technology network to create an integrated national network of organizations that assisted companies in every state. In addition to NASA's six regional technology transfer centers (RTTCs), TAP-IN included business and technology development organizations in every state, the Industrial Designers Society of America, and the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC).

  13. Production, depreciation and the size distribution of firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Qi; Chen, Yongwang; Tong, Hui; Di, Zengru

    2008-05-01

    Many empirical researches indicate that firm size distributions in different industries or countries exhibit some similar characters. Among them the fact that many firm size distributions obey power-law especially for the upper end has been mostly discussed. Here we present an agent-based model to describe the evolution of manufacturing firms. Some basic economic behaviors are taken into account, which are production with decreasing marginal returns, preferential allocation of investments, and stochastic depreciation. The model gives a steady size distribution of firms which obey power-law. The effect of parameters on the power exponent is analyzed. The theoretical results are given based on both the Fokker-Planck equation and the Kesten process. They are well consistent with the numerical results.

  14. Enterprise 2.0: An Extended Technology Acceptance Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kurz, James M.

    2012-01-01

    The amount of information that people produce is changing, especially as social networking becomes more commonplace and globalization inefficiencies continue to swamp enterprise. Companies are rising to the challenge to create a collaborative approach for information management, but according to many leading technology advisory firms, they have…

  15. 14 CFR 1274.906 - Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative. 1274.906 Section 1274.906 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH COMMERCIAL FIRMS Other Provisions and Special...

  16. 14 CFR 1274.906 - Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative. 1274.906 Section 1274.906 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH COMMERCIAL FIRMS Other Provisions and Special...

  17. 75 FR 69469 - Health Net, Inc., Claims Processing Group and Systems Configuration Organization, Including On...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-12

    ... Organization and provided application support and information technology services supporting the subject firm..., including on-site leased workers from Kelly Services and Cognizant Technology Solutions, Shelton... Processing Group and Systems Configuration Organization, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Kelly Services...

  18. 76 FR 38614 - Transportation Infrastructure/Multimodal Products and Services Trade Mission to Doha, Qatar, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-01

    ...- modal freight and intelligent supply chain management, provides significant business opportunities in... technologies, supply chain systems and strategies; mass transportation systems; advanced vehicle technologies... opportunities for U.S. engineers, program management firms, and manufacturers to contribute to the creation of...

  19. 76 FR 32953 - Transportation Infrastructure/Multimodal Products and Services Trade Mission to Doha, Qatar, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-07

    ... new systems, particularly those related to multimodal freight and intelligent supply chain management... technologies, supply chain systems and strategies; mass transportation systems; advanced vehicle technologies... country. There are excellent opportunities for U.S. engineers, program management firms, and manufacturers...

  20. 76 FR 59166 - Navistar Truck Development and Technology Center, a Subsidiary of Navistar International...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-23

    ... Development and Technology Center, a Subsidiary of Navistar International Corporation Truck Division, Fort... International Corporation, Truck Division, Fort Wayne, Indiana (subject firm). The negative determination was... is a headcount reduction across the nation, made possible by the Global Outsourcing. * * * '' The...

  1. Smart Learning: Are We Ready for It?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poulova, Petra; Klimova, Blanka

    2015-01-01

    Nowadays learning, particularly the university learning, is supported with modern information and communication technologies. These technologies also enable electronic learning, known as eLearning, which is now firmly established at almost all institutions of higher learning in developed and developing countries. Moreover, at present eLearning is…

  2. Corporate environmentalism and environmental innovation.

    PubMed

    Chang, Ching-Hsing; Sam, Abdoul G

    2015-04-15

    Several papers have explored the effect of tighter environmental standards on environmental innovation. While mandatory regulation remains the central tenet of US environmental policy, the regulatory landscape has changed since the early 1990s with the increased recourse by federal and state agencies to corporate environmentalism--voluntary pollution prevention (P2) by firms--to achieve environmental improvements. We therefore estimate the effects of voluntary P2 activities on the patenting of environmental technologies by a sample of manufacturing firms. With our panel data of 352 firms over the 1991-2000 period, we adopt an instrumental variable Poisson framework to account for the count nature of patents and the endogeneity of the P2 adoption decision. Our results indicate that the adoption of voluntary P2 activities in the manufacturing sector has led to a statistically and economically significant increase in the number of environmental patents, suggesting that corporate environmentalism can act as a catalyst for investments in cleaner technologies. Our findings are internationally relevant given the increasing ubiquity of corporate environmentalism in both developed and developing economies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Definition of price in circular raw materials from the process of incineration of hazardous industrial waste in sicilian a high risk area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matarazzo, Agata; Baglio, Lorenzo; Bonanno, Sandro; Fichera, Andrea; Leanza, Andrea; Russo, Gabriele; Amara, Giovanni; Amara, Giuseppe; Gigli, Carlo; Lombardo, Enrico

    2018-05-01

    Waste is classified (art.184, sub. 1, L.D. n.152/2006) as urban or special depending on its origin and whether it is dangerous or not, as well as the degree of danger. The reuse and recycling of materials are two of the main features that characterize the concept of the circular economy. Every firm operating in the field of the circular economy should adopt an industrial approach based on resource efficiency and the use and supply of sustainable raw materials, which can be achieved through innovative technologies, innovative methodologies and new business models. GE.S.P.I, has become a leading firm in the sector of hazardous industrial waste disposal, adding value to waste through a groundbreaking technology. The result of the process is the production of energy, as well as the creation of ash; this ash is then treated in order to separate dangerous heavy metals from the ash through the technique of eddy currents. Metals and purified ash are then put on the market. The aim of this paper is the price definition of this special waste thanks to the analysis of the specific second raw materials market. In this firm, incineration is a process where emissions are strongly controlled by innovative instruments in order to excel in the social and environmental respect. Through SWOT analysis we moreover describe how a company can turn the weaknesses of a high risk area into opportunities and value becomes a useful problem solving instrument to analyze logistic, marketing, and social responsibility, in the perspective of the optimization of eco-management material flows.

  4. 12 CFR 517.1 - Purpose and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ..., customized training, relocation services, information systems technology (computer systems, database... Businesses Outreach Program (Outreach Program) is to ensure that firms owned and operated by minorities...

  5. 12 CFR 517.1 - Purpose and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ..., customized training, relocation services, information systems technology (computer systems, database... Businesses Outreach Program (Outreach Program) is to ensure that firms owned and operated by minorities...

  6. Mirror Technology Development for The International X-Ray Observatory Mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhang, Will

    2010-01-01

    Presentation slides include: International X-ray Observatory (IXO), Lightweight and High Resolution X-ray Optics is Needed; Modular Design of Mirror Assembly, IXO Mirror Technology Development Objectives, Focus of Technology Development, Slumping - Status, Mirror Fabrication Progress, Temporary Bonding - Status, Alignment - Status, Permanent Bonding - Status, Mirror Housing Simulator (MHS) - TRL-4, Mini-Module (TRL-5), Flight-Like Module (TRL-6), Mirror Technology Development Team, Outlook, and Small Technology Firms that Have Made Direct Contributions to IXO Mirror Technology Development.

  7. Technology transfer and international development: Materials and manufacturing technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    Policy oriented studies on technological development in several relatively advanced developing countries were conducted. Priority sectors defined in terms of technological sophistication, capital intensity, value added, and export potential were studied in Brazil, Venezuela, Israel, and Korea. The development of technological policy alternatives for the sponsoring country is assessed. Much emphasis is placed on understanding the dynamics of the sectors through structured interviews with a large sample of firms in the leading manufacturing and materials processing sectors.

  8. 40 CFR 745.229 - Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: public and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Lead-Based Paint Activities § 745.229 Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based... engaged in lead-based paint activities: public and commercial buildings, bridges and superstructures...

  9. 40 CFR 745.229 - Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: public and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Lead-Based Paint Activities § 745.229 Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based... engaged in lead-based paint activities: public and commercial buildings, bridges and superstructures...

  10. 40 CFR 745.229 - Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: public and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Lead-Based Paint Activities § 745.229 Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based... engaged in lead-based paint activities: public and commercial buildings, bridges and superstructures...

  11. 14 CFR § 1274.933 - Summary of recipient reporting responsibilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Summary of recipient reporting responsibilities. § 1274.933 Section § 1274.933 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE... Transfer of Technology Prior to transferring technology to foreign firm or institution 1274.915...

  12. 14 CFR § 1274.906 - Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative. § 1274.906 Section § 1274.906 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH COMMERCIAL FIRMS Other Provisions and Special...

  13. Corporate Energy Conservation Program for Alcoa North American Extrusions: Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) Aluminum BestPractices Management Case Study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    U.S. Department of Energy

    2001-08-06

    This case study is the latest in a series on industrial firms who are implementing energy efficient technologies and system improvements into their manufacturing processes. The case studies document the activities, savings, and lessons learned on these projects.

  14. The Training Needs of Michigan Automobile Suppliers: Initial Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacobs, James

    In June 1985, a survey was sent by the Industrial Technology Institute to 397 Michigan automobile supplier firms concerning their industrial training in modern manufacturing technologies. The purposes of this survey were to investigate the training needs of Michigan automobile suppliers, with particular emphasis on how they met their training…

  15. Teaching Technology-Structure Contingencies by "Harnessing the Wind"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Lynn E.

    2007-01-01

    This article describes a role-playing simulation that demonstrates how organizational structure is influenced by organizational and departmental technologies. Students act as employees of firms that must manufacture either a range of innovative products or a large number of standardized products. The simulation can be used in organizational…

  16. Speeding Products to Market: Waiting Time to First Product Introduction in New Firms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schoonhoven, Claudia Bird; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Using event-history analysis techniques, a longitudinal study of the semiconductor industry found that substantial technological innovation lengthens development times and reduces the speed with which first products reach the marketplace. Organizations that undertook lower levels of technological innovation had relatively lower monthly…

  17. 3 CFR - Flexible Implementation of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Rule

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Americans—including children, older Americans, and other vulnerable populations. Consistent with Executive... pollution control technologies. The United States is a global market leader in the design and manufacture of these technologies, and it is anticipated that U.S. firms and workers will provide much of the equipment...

  18. Technological Change in Regulated Industries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Capron, William M., Ed.

    The articles in this volume discuss how well industries operating under government regulation respond to technical innovation: do the effects of regulations vary among industries, and if so, does this result from variations in the regulatory approach, the organization of the firms, or the nature of the technology? Industries considered include…

  19. Education in a High Technology World: The Case of Route 128.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Useem, Elizabeth

    The relationship between high technology firms and educational institutions in the Boston metropolitan area was studied. Attention was focused on the responsiveness of public schools, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities to the demands of the industry for technically trained personnel. The influence of companies on…

  20. 76 FR 29274 - Interstate Electronics Corp., a Subsidiary of L-3 Communications Including On-Site Leased Workers...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-20

    ... Resources, Systems Pros, Total Tech Services, Triple Crown Consulting, and Ingenium Technology, Inc... Resources, PDS Technical Service, Superior Technical Resources, Systems Pros, Total Tech Services, and... subject firm. The company reports that workers leased from Ingenium Technology, Inc. were employed on-site...

  1. The Economics of Private Sector R and D Decisionmaking in Aeronautics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1984-01-01

    Information which can be used in planning to insure commercial research and technology programs which are complementary to internally financed private sector activities are presented. The main concern is to identify the characteristics of productive projects in which firms are unlikely to invest. It is shown that: (1) if it is difficult to assess the commercial relevance of an R&D project or it it is characterized by high technical risk, or a relatively long payback period, private funding will be unlikely; and (2) if a project is large relative to the size of the firm, it is unlikely to be funded in the early stages of the R&D process. Firms tend to underinvest in projects with these characteristics.

  2. Selection of infectious medical waste disposal firms by using the analytic hierarchy process and sensitivity analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hsu, P.-F.; Wu, C.-R.; Li, Y.-T.

    2008-07-01

    While Taiwanese hospitals dispose of large amounts of medical waste to ensure sanitation and personal hygiene, doing so inefficiently creates potential environmental hazards and increases operational expenses. However, hospitals lack objective criteria to select the most appropriate waste disposal firm and evaluate its performance, instead relying on their own subjective judgment and previous experiences. Therefore, this work presents an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method to objectively select medical waste disposal firms based on the results of interviews with experts in the field, thus reducing overhead costs and enhancing medical waste management. An appropriate weight criterion based on AHP is derivedmore » to assess the effectiveness of medical waste disposal firms. The proposed AHP-based method offers a more efficient and precise means of selecting medical waste firms than subjective assessment methods do, thus reducing the potential risks for hospitals. Analysis results indicate that the medical sector selects the most appropriate infectious medical waste disposal firm based on the following rank: matching degree, contractor's qualifications, contractor's service capability, contractor's equipment and economic factors. By providing hospitals with an effective means of evaluating medical waste disposal firms, the proposed AHP method can reduce overhead costs and enable medical waste management to understand the market demand in the health sector. Moreover, performed through use of Expert Choice software, sensitivity analysis can survey the criterion weight of the degree of influence with an alternative hierarchy.« less

  3. How an Organization's Environmental Orientation Impacts Environmental Performance and Its Resultant Financial Performance through Green Computing Hiring Practices: An Empirical Investigation of the Natural Resource-Based View of the Firm

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aken, Andrew Joseph

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation uses the logic embodied in Strategic Fit Theory, the Natural Resource- Based View of the Firm (NRBV), strategic human resource management, and other relevant literature streams to empirically demonstrate how the environmental orientation of a firm's strategy impacts their environmental performance and resultant financial…

  4. When Project Commitment Leads to Learning from Failure: The Roles of Perceived Shame and Personal Control

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Wenzhou; Wang, Bin; Yang, Ke; Yang, Chong; Yuan, Wenlong; Song, Shanghao

    2018-01-01

    Facing a remarkably changing world, researchers have gradually shifted emphasis from successful experiences to failures. In the current study, we build a model to explore the relationship between project commitment and learning from failure, and test how emotion (i.e., perceived shame after failure) and cognition (i.e., attribution for failure) affect this process. After randomly selecting 400 firms from the list of high-tech firms reported by the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, we use a two-wave investigation of the employees, and the final sample consists of 140 teams from 58 companies in the technology industry in mainland China. The results provide evidence for the positive role of personal control attribution in the relationship between project commitment and learning from failure. However, in contrast to previous studies, perceived shame, as the negative emotion after failed events, could bring desirable outcomes during this process. Based on the results, we further expand a model to explain the behavioral responses after failure, and the implications of our findings for research and practice are discussed. The failures and reverses which await men - and one after another sadden the brow of youth - add a dignity to the prospect of human life, which no Arcadian success would do. —Henry David Thoreau PMID:29467699

  5. When Project Commitment Leads to Learning from Failure: The Roles of Perceived Shame and Personal Control.

    PubMed

    Wang, Wenzhou; Wang, Bin; Yang, Ke; Yang, Chong; Yuan, Wenlong; Song, Shanghao

    2018-01-01

    Facing a remarkably changing world, researchers have gradually shifted emphasis from successful experiences to failures. In the current study, we build a model to explore the relationship between project commitment and learning from failure, and test how emotion (i.e., perceived shame after failure) and cognition (i.e., attribution for failure) affect this process. After randomly selecting 400 firms from the list of high-tech firms reported by the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, we use a two-wave investigation of the employees, and the final sample consists of 140 teams from 58 companies in the technology industry in mainland China. The results provide evidence for the positive role of personal control attribution in the relationship between project commitment and learning from failure. However, in contrast to previous studies, perceived shame, as the negative emotion after failed events, could bring desirable outcomes during this process. Based on the results, we further expand a model to explain the behavioral responses after failure, and the implications of our findings for research and practice are discussed. The failures and reverses which await men - and one after another sadden the brow of youth - add a dignity to the prospect of human life, which no Arcadian success would do. -Henry David Thoreau.

  6. Where Gibrat meets Zipf: Scale and scope of French firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bee, Marco; Riccaboni, Massimo; Schiavo, Stefano

    2017-09-01

    The proper characterization of the size distribution and growth of firms represents an important issue in economics and business. We use the Maximum Entropy approach to assess the plausibility of the assumption that firm size follows Lognormal or Pareto distributions, which underlies most recent works on the subject. A comprehensive dataset covering the universe of French firms allows us to draw two major conclusions. First, the Pareto hypothesis for the whole distribution should be rejected. Second, by discriminating across firms based on the number of products sold and markets served, we find that, within the class of multi-product companies active in multiple markets, the distribution converges to a Zipf's law. Conversely, Lognormal distribution is a good benchmark for small single-product firms. The size distribution of firms largely depends on firms' diversification patterns.

  7. Globalization in the pharmaceutical industry, Part II.

    PubMed

    Casadio Tarabusi, C; Vickery, G

    1998-01-01

    This is the second of a two-part report on the pharmaceutical industry. Part II begins with a discussion of foreign direct investment and inter-firm networks, which covers international mergers, acquisitions, and minority participation; market shares of foreign-controlled firms; international collaboration agreements (with a special note on agreements in biotechnology); and licensing agreements. The final section of the report covers governmental policies on health and safety regulation, price regulation, industry and technology, trade, foreign investment, protection of intellectual property, and competition.

  8. Becoming allies: Combining social science and technological perspectives to improve energy research and policy making

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Diamond, Rick; Moezzi, Mithra

    Within the energy research community, social sciences tends to be viewed fairly narrowly, often as simply a marketing tool to change the behavior of consumers and decision makers, and to ''attack market barriers''. As we see it, social sciences, which draws on sociology, psychology, political science, business administration, and other academic disciplines, is capable of far more. A social science perspective can re-align questions in ways that can lead to the development of technologies and technology policy that are much stronger and potentially more successful than they would be otherwise. In most energy policies governing commercial buildings, the prevailing Rmore » and D directives are firmly rooted in a technology framework, one that is generally more quantitative and evaluative than that fostered by the social sciences. To illustrate how social science thinking would approach the goal of achieving high energy performance in the commercial building sector, they focus on the US Department of Energy's Roadmap for commercial buildings (DOE 2000) as a starting point. By ''deconstructing'' the four strategies provided by the Roadmap, they set the stage for proposing a closer partnership between advocates of technology-based and social science-based approaches.« less

  9. 40 CFR 745.226 - Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Lead-Based Paint Activities § 745.226 Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing... engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing and child-occupied facilities. 745.226 Section 745...

  10. 40 CFR 745.226 - Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Lead-Based Paint Activities § 745.226 Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing... engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing and child-occupied facilities. 745.226 Section 745...

  11. 40 CFR 745.226 - Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Lead-Based Paint Activities § 745.226 Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing... engaged in lead-based paint activities: target housing and child-occupied facilities. 745.226 Section 745...

  12. 48 CFR 719.273-5 - Selection of Protégé firms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... (USAID) Mentor-Protégé Program 719.273-5 Selection of Protégé firms. (a) Mentor firms will be solely responsible for selecting Protégé firms. Mentors are encouraged to select from a broad base of small business.... (b) Mentors may have multiple Protégés. However, to preserve the integrity of the Program and assure...

  13. Proposals to Subsidize Health Insurance for the Unemployed

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-01-01

    firms with 20 or more employees to continue offering health coverage to workers who separate from the firm. However, firms may charge former employees ...employment-based health plans must make continuation coverage available to former employees and covered family members. Sepated workers may continue COBRA... workers in firms of 20 or more employees who participate in an existing employer-sponsored health plan are eligible to continue coverage under COBRA

  14. Technology transfer from NASA to targeted industries, volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccain, Wayne; Schroer, Bernard J.; Souder, William E.; Spann, Mary S.; Watters, Harry; Ziemke, M. Carl

    1993-01-01

    This volume contains the following materials to support Volume 1: (1) Survey of Metal Fabrication Industry in Alabama; (2) Survey of Electronics Manufacturing/Assembly Industry in Alabama; (3) Apparel Modular Manufacturing Simulators; (4) Synopsis of a Stereolithography Project; (5) Transferring Modular Manufacturing Technology to an Apparel Firm; (6) Letters of Support; (7) Fact Sheets; (8) Publications; and (9) One Stop Access to NASA Technology Brochure.

  15. Ussr Report, International Affairs.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-05-08

    correspond- ing ’ technologies , but also promotes cooperation in that promising field. With its participation, the West German firms Man and Kanis produce...WEST RELATIONS Discussion of Technology Transfer, East-West Economic Ties (A. Bykov; INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, No 1, Jan 86) 2 THIRD WORLD ISSUES...COPYRIGHT: Izdatelstvo "Pravda", "Zhurnalist", 1986. CSO: 1807/240 EAST-WEST RELATIONS DISCUSSION OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, EAST-WEST ECONOMIC TIES Moscow

  16. A taxonomy of green supply chain management capability among electronics-related manufacturing firms in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Shang, Kuo-Chung; Lu, Chin-Shan; Li, Shaorui

    2010-05-01

    This study investigated crucial green supply chain management (GSCM) capability dimensions and firm performance based on electronics-related manufacturing firms in Taiwan. On the basis of a factor analysis, six green supply chain management dimensions were identified: green manufacturing and packaging, environmental participation, green marketing, green suppliers, green stock, and green eco-design. According to their factor scores in the GSCM dimensions, a cluster analysis subsequently assigned responding firms into four groups, namely, the weak GSCM oriented group, the green marketing oriented group, the green supplier oriented group, and the green stock oriented group. Differences in firm performance and GSCM dimensions among groups were examined. Results indicated that the green marketing oriented group performed best. Based on the resource-based view (RBV), the capability of the green marketing oriented group was considered to be the deployment of a collection of resources that enables it to successfully compete against rivals. The importance of green marketing as a GSCM capability and strategic asset/critical resources for electronics-related manufacturing firms to obtain a competitive edge is therefore highlighted in this study. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Technology Access from the FS-X Radar Program. Lessons for Technology Transfer and U.S. Acquisition Policy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-01-01

    and subsequent bilateral negotiations entitle the United States to the "free and automatic flowback " of all Japanese "derived technology," defined as...White Paper, US. Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Air Force, May 1991. 3Pree and automatic flowback of derived technology has precedent in licensed...By receiving indigenous Japanese FS-X technology, US. firms may be obligating themselves to provide free flowback to Japan of any modifications they

  18. Online purchasing creates opportunities to lower the life cycle carbon footprints of consumer products

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Isley, Steven C.; Stern, Paul C.; Carmichael, Scott P.

    A major barrier to transitions to environmental sustainability is that consumers lack information about the full environmental footprints of their purchases. Sellers' incentives do not support reducing the footprints unless customers have such information and are willing to act on it. We explore the potential of modern information technology to lower this barrier by enabling firms to inform customers of products' environmental footprints at the point of purchase and easily offset consumers' contributions through bundled purchases of carbon offsets. Using online stated choice experiments, we evaluated the effectiveness of several inexpensive features that firms in four industries could implement withmore » existing online user interfaces for consumers. These examples illustrate the potential for firms to lower their overall carbon footprints while improving customer satisfaction by lowering the 'soft costs' to consumers of pro-environmental choices. Lastly, opportunities such as these likely exist wherever firms possess environmentally relevant data not accessible to consumers or when transaction costs make pro-environmental action difficult.« less

  19. Online purchasing creates opportunities to lower the life cycle carbon footprints of consumer products

    DOE PAGES

    Isley, Steven C.; Stern, Paul C.; Carmichael, Scott P.; ...

    2016-08-30

    A major barrier to transitions to environmental sustainability is that consumers lack information about the full environmental footprints of their purchases. Sellers' incentives do not support reducing the footprints unless customers have such information and are willing to act on it. We explore the potential of modern information technology to lower this barrier by enabling firms to inform customers of products' environmental footprints at the point of purchase and easily offset consumers' contributions through bundled purchases of carbon offsets. Using online stated choice experiments, we evaluated the effectiveness of several inexpensive features that firms in four industries could implement withmore » existing online user interfaces for consumers. These examples illustrate the potential for firms to lower their overall carbon footprints while improving customer satisfaction by lowering the 'soft costs' to consumers of pro-environmental choices. Lastly, opportunities such as these likely exist wherever firms possess environmentally relevant data not accessible to consumers or when transaction costs make pro-environmental action difficult.« less

  20. Online purchasing creates opportunities to lower the life cycle carbon footprints of consumer products

    PubMed Central

    Isley, Steven C.; Stern, Paul C.; Carmichael, Scott P.; Joseph, Karun M.; Arent, Douglas J.

    2016-01-01

    A major barrier to transitions to environmental sustainability is that consumers lack information about the full environmental footprints of their purchases. Sellers’ incentives do not support reducing the footprints unless customers have such information and are willing to act on it. We explore the potential of modern information technology to lower this barrier by enabling firms to inform customers of products’ environmental footprints at the point of purchase and easily offset consumers’ contributions through bundled purchases of carbon offsets. Using online stated choice experiments, we evaluated the effectiveness of several inexpensive features that firms in four industries could implement with existing online user interfaces for consumers. These examples illustrate the potential for firms to lower their overall carbon footprints while improving customer satisfaction by lowering the “soft costs” to consumers of proenvironmental choices. Opportunities such as these likely exist wherever firms possess environmentally relevant data not accessible to consumers or when transaction costs make proenvironmental action difficult. PMID:27528670

  1. Online purchasing creates opportunities to lower the life cycle carbon footprints of consumer products.

    PubMed

    Isley, Steven C; Stern, Paul C; Carmichael, Scott P; Joseph, Karun M; Arent, Douglas J

    2016-08-30

    A major barrier to transitions to environmental sustainability is that consumers lack information about the full environmental footprints of their purchases. Sellers' incentives do not support reducing the footprints unless customers have such information and are willing to act on it. We explore the potential of modern information technology to lower this barrier by enabling firms to inform customers of products' environmental footprints at the point of purchase and easily offset consumers' contributions through bundled purchases of carbon offsets. Using online stated choice experiments, we evaluated the effectiveness of several inexpensive features that firms in four industries could implement with existing online user interfaces for consumers. These examples illustrate the potential for firms to lower their overall carbon footprints while improving customer satisfaction by lowering the "soft costs" to consumers of proenvironmental choices. Opportunities such as these likely exist wherever firms possess environmentally relevant data not accessible to consumers or when transaction costs make proenvironmental action difficult.

  2. Fbis report. Science and technology: Economic review, September 19, 1995

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1995-09-19

    ;Partial Contents: Germany: Braunschweig University Tests Organic Semiconductors; France: Ariane-5 Tests Suspended; First Tests in Euro-Russian RECORD Rocket Engine Program; France: Renault`s Multi-Model Assembly Line Presented; Germany: New High Speed Trains Under Development; France: Matra Test Drone, Missile Systems; France: Experimental Project for Automobile Recycling; Germany: Survey of Flexible Manufacturing Developments; Germany: Heinrich Hertz Institute Produces Polymer-Based Circuit; French Firms Introduce Computerized Control Room for Nuclear Plants; German Machine Tool Industry Calls for Information Technology Projects; Germany: R&D Achievements in Digital HDTV Reported; Hungary: Secondary Telecommunications Networks Described; EU: Mergers in Pharmaceutical Industry Reported; SGS-Thomson Business Performance Analyzed; Germany`s Siemensmore » Invest Heavily in UK Semiconductor Plant.« less

  3. Information as Resoures ; A View toward the 2lst Century - Let's Construct Databases by Ourselves -

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ohmi, Akira

    A highly-developed information-oriented society based on “Information Network Technology” will be realized in the 21st century. In enterprises, fundamental research will be regarded as important more and more, and the effective use of information as resources will be indispensable. From the viewpoint of international distribution of information there is a criticism that Japan has been offering the information on science and technology insufficiently to the overseas countries, but, for example, in the steel industry lots of house-organ technical journals in English version has been offered overseas. And recently several information firms have started translating Japanese information into English and providing overseas. However, there are some problems to be taken into consideration; 1. The information is not integrated, 2. there is not any co-ordination among the firms, 3. others. Then the author proposes communal use of machine translation system and construction of database for overseas that integrate such firms” work preserving each individuality.

  4. An Extended N-Player Network Game and Simulation of Four Investment Strategies on a Complex Innovation Network

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Wen; Koptyug, Nikita; Ye, Shutao; Jia, Yifan; Lu, Xiaolong

    2016-01-01

    As computer science and complex network theory develop, non-cooperative games and their formation and application on complex networks have been important research topics. In the inter-firm innovation network, it is a typical game behavior for firms to invest in their alliance partners. Accounting for the possibility that firms can be resource constrained, this paper analyzes a coordination game using the Nash bargaining solution as allocation rules between firms in an inter-firm innovation network. We build an extended inter-firm n-player game based on nonidealized conditions, describe four investment strategies and simulate the strategies on an inter-firm innovation network in order to compare their performance. By analyzing the results of our experiments, we find that our proposed greedy strategy is the best-performing in most situations. We hope this study provides a theoretical insight into how firms make investment decisions. PMID:26745375

  5. Financial Constrains for Innovative Firms: The Role of Size, Industry and ICT Uses as Determinants of Firms' Financial Structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Castillo-Merino, David; Vilaseca-Requena, Jordi; Plana-Erta, Dolors

    This paper uses a large and original data set of Catalan firms in all the economic branches to analyse the effects of size, industry and degree of ICT uses on financial constraints for innovative firms. We have conducted a micro econometric analysis following Henry et al. (1999) investment model to empirically contrast the relationship between firms' investment spread over time and their financial structure, and we have used von Kalckreuth (2004) methodology, based on an original survey with data on financial issues. Our results show that it exits a positive and significant relationship between investment shift and financial structure, emerging financial constraints for more innovative firms. Furthermore, these constraints are higher for micro companies and firms within the knowledge-advanced services' industry. Finally, we have also found that advanced ICT uses by more innovative firms allow them to reduce constraints of access to sources of finance.

  6. An Extended N-Player Network Game and Simulation of Four Investment Strategies on a Complex Innovation Network.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Wen; Koptyug, Nikita; Ye, Shutao; Jia, Yifan; Lu, Xiaolong

    2016-01-01

    As computer science and complex network theory develop, non-cooperative games and their formation and application on complex networks have been important research topics. In the inter-firm innovation network, it is a typical game behavior for firms to invest in their alliance partners. Accounting for the possibility that firms can be resource constrained, this paper analyzes a coordination game using the Nash bargaining solution as allocation rules between firms in an inter-firm innovation network. We build an extended inter-firm n-player game based on nonidealized conditions, describe four investment strategies and simulate the strategies on an inter-firm innovation network in order to compare their performance. By analyzing the results of our experiments, we find that our proposed greedy strategy is the best-performing in most situations. We hope this study provides a theoretical insight into how firms make investment decisions.

  7. Exploring Duopoly Markets with Conjectural Variations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Julien, Ludovic A.; Musy, Olivier; Saïdi, Aurélien W.

    2014-01-01

    In this article, the authors investigate competitive firm behaviors in a two-firm environment assuming linear cost and demand functions. By introducing conjectural variations, they capture the different market structures as specific configurations of a more general model. Conjectural variations are based on the assumption that each firm believes…

  8. The Educational and Instructional Responsibilities of Employers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suchy, Stanislaw

    1977-01-01

    Discusses the responsibilities of employers in Poland toward the continuing education of their employers. Major topics included are responsibilities of firms based on socioeconomic needs, main features of worker education within firms, continuing education programs for workers, and factors determining the development of the firms' educational and…

  9. A simpler way to pay.

    PubMed

    Zehnder, E

    2001-04-01

    There have been many changes in professional services since Egon Zehnder founded his executive search firm nearly four decades ago--not the least of which has been a shift in the way professionals pay themselves. When he started, compensation everywhere was strongly tied to seniority. Today, partners at most professional services firms are paid according to the size of their client billings and their ability to bring in new clients. But Egon Zehnder International, which now has 57 offices worldwide, has stuck with the old-fashioned way to pay. In addition to giving partners base salaries and equal shares in a percentage of the profit, the firm apportions another fraction of the profit based only on length of tenure as partner. Yet the firm attracts outstanding consultants, and its turnover rate is low. The reasons, the author says, are simple: the firm's approach to compensation forces it to hire team players--consultants who get more pleasure from the group's success than from their own advancement. And the seniority-based system requires the firm to find people who want to stay for the long haul. Call the system a relic, says Zehnder, but don't call it nonsense. It works. In this article, the author describes the extremely intensive interview process used to hire the right kind of people. By the time the interviews are over, he says, potential hires know that people in the firm's Boston office think and act the same way as people in its Brazil offices--and that they themselves must think and act that way if they are to succeed at the firm.

  10. 78 FR 48467 - CompuCom Systems, Inc., Tewksbury, Massachusetts; CompuCom Systems, Inc. Houston, Texas; Amended...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-08

    ... information technology outsourcing services. Specifically, the workers are subcontractors working in a call... workers of the subject firm. New information shows that the Houston, Texas and Tewksbury, Massachusetts locations of CompuCom Systems are engaged in activities related to the supply of information technology...

  11. Alcoa North American Extrusions Implements Energy Use Assessments at Multiple Facilities: Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) BestPractices Aluminum Assessment Case Study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    U.S. Department of Energy

    2001-08-05

    This case study is the latest in a series on industrial firms who are implementing energy efficient technologies and system improvements into their manufacturing processes. The case studies document the activities, savings, and lessons learned on these projects.

  12. Technology, Gender Attitude, and Software, among Middle School Math Instructors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okeke, Godwin N.

    2014-01-01

    Technology has gained a firm stronghold in society as well as modern classroom. Students are assumed to have a natural aptitude for computers. Over the past decades, educational websites have appeared to be "interactive" and "to make learning fun". This study employed quantitative method of research using 8th grade instructors…

  13. 48 CFR 970.2703-2 - Patent rights clause provisions for management and operating contractors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...-exempted areas of technology or in operation of DOE facilities primarily dedicated to naval nuclear... for-profit, large business firm and the contract does not have a technology transfer mission or if... dedicated to naval nuclear propulsion or weapons related programs. That clause provides for DOE's statutory...

  14. 48 CFR 970.2703-2 - Patent rights clause provisions for management and operating contractors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ...-exempted areas of technology or in operation of DOE facilities primarily dedicated to naval nuclear... for-profit, large business firm and the contract does not have a technology transfer mission or if... dedicated to naval nuclear propulsion or weapons related programs. That clause provides for DOE's statutory...

  15. Digital Examination in Higher Education--Experiences from Three Different Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berggren, Björn; Fili, Andreas; Nordberg, Olle

    2015-01-01

    Assessment through new technology has gained a firm foothold within the university system in the last decade. This paper summarizes the experiences that have been made during the introduction of digital examination over the past two years at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. The experiences are divided between three different…

  16. Value Disciplines: A Lens for Successful Decision Making in IT

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eichen, Marc

    2006-01-01

    To succeed professionally, a technology manager in higher education must align institutional goals with the skill set of campus technologists and the resources available for information technology (IT) support. Getting a firm grasp on any of these parameters is not easy. Resources are often committed to multiyear projects or hidden by opaque…

  17. Leadership Style and Learning Organization: A Survey of Information Technology Professionals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Jeffrey E.

    2013-01-01

    Leadership in information technology (IT) firms remains a topic for study. Understanding how IT professionals react to leadership styles creates an opportunity for IT leaders to better lead by matching expectation to leadership style. Previous research has linked transformation leadership to the learning organization in the pharmaceutical sector,…

  18. Business Value of Information Technology in Network Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Yucong

    2012-01-01

    Information Technology (IT) business value research is suggested as fundamental to the contribution of the IS discipline. The IS research community has accumulated a critical mass of IT business value studies, but only limited or mixed results have been found on the direct relationship between IT and firm performance. Extant studies mostly focus…

  19. Essays on Information Technology and Value Creation: Corporate Governance, Software Firm Acquisitions, and Entrepreneurial Signaling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bandodkar, Nikhil Ramkrishna

    2017-01-01

    Value creation is often at the core of many organizational activities and is often reflected in the exploration and exploitation of opportunities to foster organizational growth. In modern organizations, information technology (IT) plays a significant role in creating business value and building substantial competitive advantage. While in the…

  20. The Rise and Fall of Swedish Educational Technology 1960-1980

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wallin, Erik

    2005-01-01

    In Sweden educational technology (EdTech) prospered during the 1960s and 1970s inspired by US experiences from primarily programmed instruction. The Departments of Education at the universities started different activities of research and other bodies developed EdTech products for commercial use. In some business firms in-service training of staff…

  1. Blurring Boundaries? Linking Technology Use, Spillover, Individual Distress, and Family Satisfaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chesley, Noelle

    2005-01-01

    Information technology is entrenched in everyday life; yet, scholars have not firmly established whether this use blesses or vexes individuals and their families. This study analyzes longitudinal data (N = 1,367) from the Cornell Couples and Careers Study to assess whether increases in spillover explain changes in distress and family satisfaction…

  2. Solar Energy Directory: A Directory of Domestic and International Firms Involved in Solar Energy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Centerline Co., Phoenix, AZ.

    This directory is intended to provide a link between suppliers of solar energy technology and information and potential users of these products. Included are over 1400 national and international entries. These listings include architects, associations, education sources, wind power technology and information sources, solar research organizations,…

  3. Industry Speaks to Two-Year Colleges about High Technology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Long, James P.

    A summary is presented of the major conclusions of seven regional conferences on high technology and the two-year college conducted by the National Postsecondary Alliance. The conclusions were drawn from the addresses of representatives from more than 40 firms, who responded to questions concerning their companies' involvement with high technology…

  4. An Economic Analysis of Acquisition Opportunities for the United States Department of Defense Within the Japanese Defense Industrial Base

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-12-01

    defense firms would be required to automatically provide any Japanese developments to the U.S. at no cost. This process was labeled as " flowback " of...Furthermore, Japan had to pay for everything it got (and had to provide " flowback " of derived technologies at no cost). And to add insult to injury, the...program that the Japanese had wanted to conduct indigenously and U.S. demands for free flowback further eroded any potential Japanese proprietary

  5. 10 CFR 603.615 - Financial management standards for-profit firms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Financial management standards for-profit firms. 603.615... § 603.615 Financial management standards for-profit firms. (a) To avoid causing needless changes in participants' financial management systems, an expenditure-based TIA will make for-profit participants that...

  6. A Knowledge Management Model for Firms in the Financial Services Industry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Held, Carsten; Duncan, Glen; Yanamandram, Venkat

    2013-01-01

    The financial services industry faces many demanding challenges. Firms within this industry are predominantly knowledge-based, as are most of the industry's products, processes and services. The application of knowledge management represents a clear opportunity for financial services firms to confront challenges. However, no industry specific…

  7. Neuroscience Evidence for Economic Humanism in Management Science: Organizational Implications and Strategy.

    PubMed

    Lattanzi, Nicola; Menicagli, Dario; Dal Maso, Lorenzo

    2016-04-01

    Globalization phenomena and Information Communication Technology (ICT) are producing deep changes worldwide. The economic environment and society where firms both cooperate and compete with each other are rapidly changing leading firms towards recognizing the role of intangible resources as a source of fresh competitive advantage. Experience, innovation and the ability to create new knowledge completely arise from the act of human resources inviting firms to focus on how to generate and shape knowledge. Therefore, the future of firms depends greatly on how managers are able to explore and exploit human resources. However, without a clear understanding of the nature of human beings and the complexity behind human interactions, we cannot understand the theory of organizational knowledge creation. Thus, how can firms discover, manage and valorize this "human advantage"? Neuroscience can increase the understanding of how cognitive and emotional processes work; in doing so, we may be able to better understand how individuals involved in a business organization make decisions and how external factors influence their behavior, especially in terms of commitment activation and engagement level. In this respect, a neuroscientific approach to business can support managers in decision-making processes. In a scenario where economic humanism plays a central role in the process of fostering firms' competitiveness and emerging strategies, we believe that a neuroscience approach in a business organization could be a valid source of value and inspiration for manager decision-making processes.

  8. Impact of sodium chloride on wheat flour dough for yeast-leavened products. II. Baking quality parameters and their relationship.

    PubMed

    Beck, Margit; Jekle, Mario; Becker, Thomas

    2012-01-30

    The traditional use of sodium chloride (NaCl) fulfills various important rheological, technological and sensory properties in the manufacturing of yeast-leavened products. However, the use of NaCl in food production has been discussed controversially since a high intake of sodium seems to be associated with hypertension. This study investigates the baking quality parameters of wheat breads containing various levels of NaCl (0-40 g NaCl kg(-1) flour). Crumb firmness and rate of bread staling decreased with decreasing NaCl levels. A slight increase in loaf volume was observed based on the increased yeast leavening ability resulting from additional NaCl. Higher crumb retrogradation (measured by differential scanning calorimetry) was observed with low NaCl levels. The retrogradation effect is based on the theory that NaCl probably leads to Na(+) inclusion in starch molecules during storage and thus reduces retrogradation. Further, significant (P⩽0.05) linear relationships (r ≥ 0.829) between Rheofermentometer results, bread volume and crumb firmness were found, suggesting a predictability of bread quality by measurement of gas release. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

  9. JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China: Energy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-06-26

    certain areas such as modular HTGR technology. In nuclear power develop - ment we currently face both challenges and opportunities, both risks and...22161 JmC QUALITY EJSPSÜSED 3 Science & Technology China: Energy JPRS-CEN-89-006 CONTENTS 26 June 1989 NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS No Easy Solution Seen...Be Developed [XINHUA, 16 May 89] 21 National Oil Firm Sets 5-Year Goals [CEI Database, 9 May 89] , 21 Zhongyuan Oil Field Is Among Fastest

  10. Annual Science and Engineering Technology Conference Presentations (8th)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-04-19

    Technology 11:30 am Wrap Up & Adjourn 12:00 pm BUFFET LUNCHEON Session III: Army Future Combat System (Brigade Combat Team) (FCS(BCT)) Program The Future...acquisitions by firms from other nations. Non UK/Canada transactions accounted for 58% of all CFIUS filings. 19 Outline • Industrial Policy • Emerging...requirements are accounted for Document and model the component Minimize inter-component dependencies Support rapid, affordable technology

  11. Southeast Asia Report, No. 1317

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-07-25

    Indonesian soil is an economical way very much depends on the technology which we possess. With the technology which we have now only about one...Students Association at Bandung Technological Institute. Touching on Indonesia’s needs for energy, Minister Subroto said that con- sumption goes up...not yet been signed and which might possibly be carried out by private firms will be fully turned over to pri- vate companies without the

  12. Web-Based Self-Service Systems for Managed IT Support: Service Provider Perspectives of Stakeholder-Based Issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooper, Vanessa A.; Lichtenstein, Sharman; Smith, Ross

    This chapter explores the provision of after-sales information technology (IT) support services using Web-based self-service systems (WSSs) in a business-to-business (B2B) context. A recent study conducted at six large multi-national IT support organisations revealed a number of critical success factors (CSFs) and stakeholder-based issues. To better identify and understand these important enablers and barriers, we explain how WSSs should be considered within a complex network of service providers, business partners and customer firms. The CSFs and stakeholder-based issues are discussed. The chapter highlights that for more successful service provision using WSSs, IT service providers should collaborate more effectively with enterprise customers and business partners and should better integrate their WSSs.

  13. 37 CFR 401.8 - Reporting on utilization of subject inventions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... TECHNOLOGY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS UNDER GOVERNMENT GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS § 401.8 Reporting on...

  14. The United States Department Of Agriculture Northeast Area-wide Tick Control Project: history and protocol.

    PubMed

    Pound, Joe Mathews; Miller, John Allen; George, John E; Fish, Durland

    2009-08-01

    The Northeast Area-wide Tick Control Project (NEATCP) was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a large-scale cooperative demonstration project of the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-patented 4-Poster tick control technology (Pound et al. 1994) involving the USDA-ARS and a consortium of universities, state agencies, and a consulting firm at research locations in the five states of Connecticut (CT), Maryland (MD), New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), and Rhode Island (RI). The stated objective of the project was "A community-based field trial of ARS-patented tick control technology designed to reduce the risk of Lyme disease in northeastern states." Here we relate the rationale and history of the technology, a chronological listing of events leading to implementation of the project, the original protocol for selecting treatment, and control sites, and protocols for deployment of treatments, sampling, assays, data analyses, and estimates of efficacy.

  15. The biotech equipment and supplies sector in Europe-is it European?

    PubMed

    Reiss, Thomas; Woerner, Stefan

    2002-09-11

    Socio-economic research on biotechnology is dealing mainly with the sectors of biopharmaceuticals, agro-food or environmental technologies. In contrast, the equipment and supplies sector seems to be largely ignored. This is surprising because this sector provides important input in terms of technology and material for the development of biotechnology in general. Our comparative analysis of the sector in eight countries indicates that there exists no specific science base for the sector and that it is largely neglected by public research funding. Commercial activities are concentrated in countries with a large general science base in biotechnology and strong multinational pharmaceutical or chemical companies. There is a rather broad diversity in the way the sector has developed in the eight countries. Our data support the notion that national peculiarities seem dominant for explaining this picture. We anticipate growing business opportunities for European firms to step into large markets of equipment and supplies for functional genomics and protein analyses where Europe maintains a strong science base.

  16. X-ray micro-computer tomographic method to visualize the microstructure of different apple cultivars.

    PubMed

    Ting, Valentina J L; Silcock, Patrick; Bremer, Phil J; Biasioli, Franco

    2013-11-01

    Apples are appreciated for their texture with firmness acting as an indicator of quality. During prolonged storage, apples can soften and their texture can become undesirably mealy. Using an X-ray microcomputer tomography (μ-CT) scanner, the porosity (ratio of intercellular space [IS] to total volume) and the structural arrangement of the parenchyma tissue of 4 apple cultivars (Braeburn, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Jazz) stored under similar conditions for 100 d were visualized via the development of 2D and 3D images. The texture of the apples was also measured using a puncture test. The morphometric and textural measurements revealed that firm Jazz apples (flesh firmness: 29.84N) had a lower porosity (17%) compared to soft Golden Delicious apples (flesh firmness: 14.16N; porosity: 29.8%). In general, firm apples had a higher dry matter (%) and a lower porosity (%), while the reverse was true for softer apples. However, this was not an absolute trend as cultivar specific differences in the microstructural organization and consequent mechanical strength of the parenchyma tissue also influenced firmness. For example, although Fuji apples were firm (28.42N), they had a high porosity (29.3%) due to the presence of numerous small and compact IS. In comparison, soft Golden Delicious apples had a high porosity (29.8%) due to the presence of large, interconnected IS. Imaging technologies have the potential to provide a pictorial or graphical database showing the size range distribution of IS corresponding to different parenchyma tissue types and how they relate to apple texture and eating quality. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

  17. Examining the scope of multibusiness health care firms: implications for strategy and financial performance.

    PubMed

    Noorein Inamdar, S

    2007-08-01

    Use theory and data to examine the scope of corporate strategies for multibusiness health care firms, also known as organized or integrated health care delivery systems. Data are from the 2000 HIMSS Analytics Annual Survey of integrated health care delivery systems (IHDS), which provides complete information on businesses owned by IHDS. Scope defined as the breadth and type of businesses in which a firm chooses to compete is measured across seven separate business areas: (1) health plans, (2) ambulatory, (3) acute, (4) subacute, (5) home health, (6) other related nonpatient care businesses, and (7) external collaborations. Theories on strategy and organizational configurations along with measures of scope and a novel dataset were used to classify 796 firms into five mutually exclusive groups. The bases for classification were two competitive dimensions of scope: (1) breadth of businesses and (2) mix of existing core businesses versus new noncore businesses. Unit of analysis is the multibusiness health care firm. Sample consists of 796 firms, defined as nonprofit organizations that own two or more direct patient care businesses in two or more separate areas across the health care value chain. Firms were clustered into five mutually exclusive organizational configurations with unique scope characteristics revealing a new taxonomy of corporate strategies. Analysis of the scope variables revealed five strategic types (along with the number of firms and distinguishing features of each strategy) defined as follows: (1) Core Service Provider (340 firms with the smallest scope providing core set of patient care services), (2) Mission Based (52 firms with the next smallest scope offering core set of services to underserved populations), (3) Contractor (266 firms with medium scope and contracting with physician groups), (4) Health Plan Focus (83 firms with large scope and providing health plans), and (5) Entrepreneur (55 firms with the largest scope offering both a core set of services and investing in a variety of new noncore business opportunities including many for-profit ventures). Significant differences in financial performance among the strategies were found when controlling for payer reimbursement conditions. Specifically, in an unfavorable condition with high Medicaid and low commercial insurance, the Mission Based strategy performs significantly worse while the Entrepreneur strategy performs surprisingly well, in comparison with the other strategies. Findings suggest: (a) scope can be used to classify a large number of multibusiness health care firms into a taxonomy representing a small group of distinct corporate strategies, which are recognizable by senior management in the health care industry, (b) no single strategy dominates in performance across different payer profiles, instead there appears to be complementarities or fit between strategy and payer profiles that determines which firms perform well and which do not under different conditions, and (c) senior management of nonprofit health care firms are cross-subsidizing unprofitable patient care through ownership of nonpatient care businesses including for-profit ventures.

  18. Examining the Scope of Multibusiness Health Care Firms: Implications for Strategy and Financial Performance

    PubMed Central

    Noorein Inamdar, S

    2007-01-01

    Objective Use theory and data to examine the scope of corporate strategies for multibusiness health care firms, also known as organized or integrated health care delivery systems. Data Sources Data are from the 2000 HIMSS Analytics Annual Survey of integrated health care delivery systems (IHDS), which provides complete information on businesses owned by IHDS. Study Design Scope defined as the breadth and type of businesses in which a firm chooses to compete is measured across seven separate business areas: (1) health plans, (2) ambulatory, (3) acute, (4) subacute, (5) home health, (6) other related nonpatient care businesses, and (7) external collaborations. Theories on strategy and organizational configurations along with measures of scope and a novel dataset were used to classify 796 firms into five mutually exclusive groups. The bases for classification were two competitive dimensions of scope: (1) breadth of businesses and (2) mix of existing core businesses versus new noncore businesses. Data Extraction Methods Unit of analysis is the multibusiness health care firm. Sample consists of 796 firms, defined as nonprofit organizations that own two or more direct patient care businesses in two or more separate areas across the health care value chain. Firms were clustered into five mutually exclusive organizational configurations with unique scope characteristics revealing a new taxonomy of corporate strategies. Principal Findings Analysis of the scope variables revealed five strategic types (along with the number of firms and distinguishing features of each strategy) defined as follows: (1) Core Service Provider (340 firms with the smallest scope providing core set of patient care services), (2) Mission Based (52 firms with the next smallest scope offering core set of services to underserved populations), (3) Contractor (266 firms with medium scope and contracting with physician groups), (4) Health Plan Focus (83 firms with large scope and providing health plans), and (5) Entrepreneur (55 firms with the largest scope offering both a core set of services and investing in a variety of new noncore business opportunities including many for-profit ventures). Significant differences in financial performance among the strategies were found when controlling for payer reimbursement conditions. Specifically, in an unfavorable condition with high Medicaid and low commercial insurance, the Mission Based strategy performs significantly worse while the Entrepreneur strategy performs surprisingly well, in comparison with the other strategies. Conclusions Findings suggest: (a) scope can be used to classify a large number of multibusiness health care firms into a taxonomy representing a small group of distinct corporate strategies, which are recognizable by senior management in the health care industry, (b) no single strategy dominates in performance across different payer profiles, instead there appears to be complementarities or fit between strategy and payer profiles that determines which firms perform well and which do not under different conditions, and (c) senior management of nonprofit health care firms are cross-subsidizing unprofitable patient care through ownership of nonpatient care businesses including for-profit ventures. PMID:17610444

  19. Air Quality Co-benefits of Energy Policy in China: Evidence from Iron & Steel and Cement Industries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qiu, M.; Weng, Y.; Selin, N. E.; Karplus, V. J.; Cao, J.

    2017-12-01

    Previous literature has calculated large air quality co-benefits from policies that reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy efficiency. These (often prospective) studies rely on assumptions about how air pollutant emissions respond to energy use changes. Using a unique firm-level data set from China, we examine how a real-world energy efficiency policy affected SO2 emissions, estimate its actual effects on atmospheric PM2.5, and compare to ex ante theoretical estimates. During the 11th Five-year plan (2006-2010), the Chinese government implemented policies directing large energy-consuming firms to reduce their energy consumption per unit of economic output. The Top 1000 Enterprises Program (T1000P) set binding energy intensity targets for China's 1000 highest energy-consuming firms. This program is widely considered a policy success, as 92% of firms met their energy intensity target. Focusing on the cement and iron and steel industry, we examine how T1000P (and related provincial policies) affected firms' SO2 emissions and coal consumption from 2005 to 2008. By comparing T1000P firms with similar firms not subject to the policy, we find that T1000P had a very limited incremental effect on energy use or on air quality co-benefits. Compared to firms not subject to the policy, T1000P firms had 14.7% (cement) and 24.0% (iron & steel) lower reductions in SO2 emission per unit energy use. We also observe large, heterogeneous changes in emission factors (defined as SO2 emissions per unit of coal consumption) among all firms during this period. In comparison to co-benefits estimates that assume constant emission factors, SO2 emissions from T1000P firms in the post-policy period are 23.2% (iron and steel) and 40.2% (cement) lower, but spatially heterogeneous, with some regions experiencing increases. Using the GEOS-Chem model, we estimate the air quality co-benefits of the T1000P policy with realized SO2 emissions changes and compare them with two theoretical estimations of co-benefits: one assuming that emission factors stay the same, and one in which emissions factors decline exponentially with time. We conclude that heterogeneous technology and behavioral responses of covered firms can significantly affect the real-world air quality co-benefits of energy intensity policies delivered by a fixed policy design.

  20. Improving Performance in Very Small Firms through Effective Assessment and Feedback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lorenzet, Steven J.; Cook, Ronald G.; Ozeki, Cynthia

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to improve assessment and feedback processes in the training practices of very small firms, thereby improving the firms' human capital. Design/methodology/approach: The paper reviews research and practice on effective assessment and feedback. Findings: Based on this paper, human resources are increasingly seen…

  1. NASA technology utilization program: The small business market

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vannoy, J. K.; Garcia-Otero, F.; Johnson, F. D.; Staskin, E.

    1980-01-01

    Technology transfer programs were studied to determine how they might be more useful to the small business community. The status, needs, and technology use patterns of small firms are reported. Small business problems and failures are considered. Innovation, capitalization, R and D, and market share problems are discussed. Pocket, captive, and new markets are summarized. Small manufacturers and technology acquisition are discussed, covering external and internal sources, and NASA technology. Small business and the technology utilization program are discussed, covering publications and industrial applications centers. Observations and recommendations include small business market development and contracting, and NASA management technology.

  2. Exploring the Diversification Discount: A Focus on High-Technology Target Firms

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-03-01

    26 3. Breusch - Pagan Test Analysis ……………………………………………………..39 ix AFIT/GCA/ENV/03-01 Abstract When firms choose to acquire...of fit test , the Durbin-Watson test , and the Breusch - Pagan test respectively. A further discussion of the validation of the three regression...addition, the Breusch - Pagan test was employed to objectively test the assumption (Neter, 1996). The test yielded a p-value of 0.990, again

  3. Evolving user needs and late-mover advantage

    PubMed Central

    Querbes, Adrien; Frenken, Koen

    2016-01-01

    We propose a generalized NK-model of late-mover advantage where late-mover firms leapfrog first-mover firms as user needs evolve over time. First movers face severe trade-offs between the provision of functionalities in which their products already excel and the additional functionalities requested by users later on. Late movers, by contrast, start searching when more functionalities are already known and typically come up with superior product designs. We also show that late-mover advantage is more probable for more complex technologies. Managerial implications follow. PMID:28596705

  4. US seeks to lift export ban on satellite technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gwynne, Peter

    2009-05-01

    The US House of Representatives began hearings last month with the aim of reducing export controls on commercial satellite technology. Fulfilling a campaign promise, the Obama administration is encouraging Congress to amend a decade old law that defines commercial satellites as weapons. The amendment would allow US satellite firms to increase sales abroad, particularly to China.

  5. A Literature Review: The Effect of Implementing Technology in a High School Mathematics Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    This study is a literature review to investigate the effects of implementing technology into a high school mathematics classroom. Mathematics has a hierarchical structure in learning and it is essential that students get a firm understanding of mathematics early in education. Some students that miss beginning concepts may continue to struggle with…

  6. Governance Methods Used in Externalizing Information Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Steven King-Lun

    2012-01-01

    Information technology (IT) is the largest capital expenditure in many firms and is an integral part of many organizations' strategies. However, the benefits that each company receives from its IT investments vary. One study by Weill (2004) found that the top performer in the sample was estimated to have as high as a 40% greater return on its…

  7. Laboratory Experiments as a Tool in the Empirical Economic Analysis of High-Expectation Entrepreneurship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curley, Martin; Formica, Piero

    2008-01-01

    High-expectation start-ups are firms launched by entrepreneurs with high ambitions for growth. The encounter between new technology and entrepreneurship that characterizes such new ventures has a significant impact on the nature and speed of economic development, driving the growth of high-technology industries and helping to make the economic…

  8. New Technology, Skills and Management. Human Resources in the Market Economy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, Adrian; Warner, Malcolm

    A study examined the effect of national culture and institutional tradition on the response of engineering companies and their management to product-technology and market changes in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. Data were collected from semistructured interviews of managers at 24 small, medium, and large engineering firms. The introduction of…

  9. E-education: Changing the Mindsets of Resistant and Saboteur Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oriji, Abraham; Amadi, Reginald

    2016-01-01

    Advances in information and communication technology are reshaping the ways educators convey learning experiences to learners. To date, most teachers firmly believe that the traditional method of instruction is the best. Hence, there is the need to change the mindsets of these educators towards the use of technologies in the classroom in order to…

  10. An Assessment and Projection of Needed High Technology Training Programs in Colorado. Executive Summary.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Mary; Wolff, Warren

    A study determined labor market needs of high technology firms in Colorado. It assessed such needs in relation to present and projected output of vocational education and training programs and developed recommendations for policies and programs to meet industry training needs at the vocational training level. Data were collected through on-site…

  11. Technology Entrepreneurship: A Deliberation on Success and Failure in Technology Venturing toward a Grounded Theory of Dystechnia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, McDonald R.

    2011-01-01

    In the realm of social sciences, the greater body of business and economic theory constructs frameworks of complex organizational systems: the firm, the industry, the institution. Underlying these interdependent and concentric layers are individuals whose behaviors exist first; behaviors must give rise to institutions before institutions can mold…

  12. Human Resources and Corporate Strategy. Technological Change in Banks and Insurance Companies: France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bertrand, Olivier; Noyelle, Thierry

    Twelve financial institutions (nine banks and three insurance companies) from five countries (France, West Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United States) were studied to determine the directions in which financial service markets and firms are moving as a result of increasing competition and technological change. Data were collected from…

  13. The Tower Builders: A Consideration of STEM, STSE and Ethics in Science Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steele, Astrid; Brew, Christine R.; Beatty, Brenda R.

    2012-01-01

    The call for the integration of ethical considerations in the teaching of science is now firmly on the agenda. Taking as illustrative a science lesson in a pre-service teacher class, the authors consider the roles of STSE (science, technology, society and environment) and the increasingly influential heavily funded STEM (science, technology,…

  14. Firm productivity, pollution, and output: theory and empirical evidence from China.

    PubMed

    Tang, Erzi; Zhang, Jingjing; Haider, Zulfiqar

    2015-11-01

    Using a theoretical model, this paper argues that as firm productivity increases, there is a decrease in firm-level pollution intensity. However, as productivity increases, firms tend to increase their aggregate output, which requires the use of additional resources that increase pollution. Hence, an increase in productivity results in two opposing effects where increased productivity may in fact increase pollution created by a firm. We describe the joint effect of these two mechanisms on pollution emissions as the "productivity dilemma" of pollution emission. Based on firm-level data from China, we also empirically test this productivity dilemma hypothesis. Our empirical results suggest that, in general, firm productivity has a positive and statistically significant impact on pollution emission in China. However, the impact of productivity on pollution becomes negative when we control for increases in firm output. The empirical evidence also confirms the positive influence of productivity on output, which suggests that the main determinant of pollution is the firm's output. The empirical results provide evidence of the existence of, what we describe as, the productivity dilemma of pollution emission.

  15. Vehicle Technologies Program Funding Opportunities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) provides funding opportunities for advanced vehicle technology projects that are aimed at removing technical and cost barriers. Much of the funding available to the Vehicle Technologies Program is distributed to private firms, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, Native American organizations, and individuals, through competitive solicitations. DOE is strongly committed to partnerships to help ensure the eventual market acceptance of the technologies being developed. New solicitations are announced regularly.

  16. Strategic Orientation in the Globalization of Software Firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dedrick, Jason; Kraemer, Kenneth L.; Carmel, Erran; Dunkle, Debora

    In the search for profits, software firms are globalizing their development activities. Some firms achieve greater profits by becoming more efficient, whereas others do so by reaching new markets; some do both. This paper creates an a priori typology of strategies based on the extent to which firms are focused on operational improvement or market access, have a dual focus or are unfocused. We find that firms with these strategies differ in degree of internationalization, organization of offshoring and performance outcomes related to offshoring. Market-oriented firms receive a greater proportion of their total revenue from sales outside the U.S., showing a greater international orientation. They keep more of their offshore development in-house via captive operations. They also are most likely to report increased non-U.S. sales as a result of offshoring. On the other hand, operations-oriented firms have lower levels of international sales, are more likely to go offshore via outsourced software development, and achieve greater costs savings and labor force flexibility as a result of offshoring. Operations-oriented firms also face more obstacles in offshoring, perhaps because of their reliance on outsourcing. Dual focus firms generally achieve some of the best of both strategies, whereas unfocused firms achieve lower cost benefits.

  17. The Relative Importance of Market Power and Efficiency to Profitability in the Defense Sector: A Firm Based Analysis.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-12-01

    Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Operations Research Charles E. Schmeling, Capt t December 1983 Approved for public release... research and development expense, and firm size. Market power is measured by the four-firm concentration ratio and the number of firms in each industry...OF THIS PAGE Acknowledgements I wish to take this opportunity to thank the people who have assisted me in this research effort. First of all, I would

  18. CIMOSA process classification for business process mapping in non-manufacturing firms: A case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Latiffianti, Effi; Siswanto, Nurhadi; Wiratno, Stefanus Eko; Saputra, Yudha Andrian

    2017-11-01

    A business process mapping is one important means to enable an enterprise to effectively manage the value chain. One of widely used approaches to classify business process for mapping purpose is Computer Integrated Manufacturing System Open Architecture (CIMOSA). CIMOSA was initially designed for Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) system based enterprises. This paper aims to analyze the use of CIMOSA process classification for business process mapping in the firms that do not fall within the area of CIM. Three firms of different business area that have used CIMOSA process classification were observed: an airline firm, a marketing and trading firm for oil and gas products, and an industrial estate management firm. The result of the research has shown that CIMOSA can be used in non-manufacturing firms with some adjustment. The adjustment includes addition, reduction, or modification of some processes suggested by CIMOSA process classification as evidenced by the case studies.

  19. 40 CFR 745.92 - Fees for the accreditation of renovation and dust sampling technician training and the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Residential Property... Certification Re-certification (every 5 years see 40 CFR 745.89(b)) Firm $300 $300 Combined Renovation and Lead-based Paint Activities Firm Application $550 $550 Combined Renovation and Lead-based Paint Activities...

  20. 40 CFR 745.92 - Fees for the accreditation of renovation and dust sampling technician training and the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Residential Property... Certification Re-certification (every 5 years see 40 CFR 745.89(b)) Firm $300 $300 Combined Renovation and Lead-based Paint Activities Firm Application $550 $550 Combined Renovation and Lead-based Paint Activities...

  1. 40 CFR 745.92 - Fees for the accreditation of renovation and dust sampling technician training and the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Residential Property... Certification Re-certification (every 5 years see 40 CFR 745.89(b)) Firm $300 $300 Combined Renovation and Lead-based Paint Activities Firm Application $550 $550 Combined Renovation and Lead-based Paint Activities...

  2. 40 CFR 745.92 - Fees for the accreditation of renovation and dust sampling technician training and the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Residential Property... Certification Re-certification (every 5 years see 40 CFR 745.89(b)) Firm $300 $300 Combined Renovation and Lead-based Paint Activities Firm Application $550 $550 Combined Renovation and Lead-based Paint Activities...

  3. 40 CFR 745.91 - Suspending, revoking, or modifying an individual's or firm's certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN... comply with Federal lead-based paint statutes or regulations. EPA may also suspend, revoke, or modify a... individual performing a renovation on behalf of the firm fails to comply, with Federal lead-based paint...

  4. 40 CFR 745.91 - Suspending, revoking, or modifying an individual's or firm's certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN... comply with Federal lead-based paint statutes or regulations. EPA may also suspend, revoke, or modify a... individual performing a renovation on behalf of the firm fails to comply, with Federal lead-based paint...

  5. 40 CFR 745.91 - Suspending, revoking, or modifying an individual's or firm's certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN... comply with Federal lead-based paint statutes or regulations. EPA may also suspend, revoke, or modify a... individual performing a renovation on behalf of the firm fails to comply, with Federal lead-based paint...

  6. 40 CFR 745.91 - Suspending, revoking, or modifying an individual's or firm's certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN... comply with Federal lead-based paint statutes or regulations. EPA may also suspend, revoke, or modify a... individual performing a renovation on behalf of the firm fails to comply, with Federal lead-based paint...

  7. 40 CFR 745.91 - Suspending, revoking, or modifying an individual's or firm's certification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN... comply with Federal lead-based paint statutes or regulations. EPA may also suspend, revoke, or modify a... individual performing a renovation on behalf of the firm fails to comply, with Federal lead-based paint...

  8. Essential tools of supply chain management.

    PubMed

    Buddress, L; Raedels, A

    2000-08-01

    At a recent conference, the keynote speaker provoked an incredulous response when he said, "Today, competition among individual firms is dead." He then went on to explain that today, competition is supply chain against supply chain. Whichever firm has the superior supply chain will win out in the marketplace. Given the global marketplace in which we all operate, most of us would agree that his statements are true. How does a firm establish a world-class supply base? What kinds of contracts and agreements are necessary to support the diverse requirements of today's firms? How should a firm select from among the available contract types? These are foundation questions for supply chain management.

  9. Internet-based psychological interventions for bipolar disorder: Review of the present and insights into the future.

    PubMed

    Hidalgo-Mazzei, Diego; Mateu, Ainoa; Reinares, María; Matic, Aleksandar; Vieta, Eduard; Colom, Francesc

    2015-12-01

    In the last decade, there has been an increasing advent of innovative concepts in psychological interventions aimed at empowering bipolar patients by means of technological advancements and taking advantage of the proliferation of the Internet. Since the adoption of these technologies for behavioral monitoring and intervention is not trivial in clinical practice, the main objective of this review is to provide an overview and to discuss the several initiatives published so far in the literature related to the Internet-based technologies aimed to deliver evidence-based psychological interventions for bipolar disorder patients. We conducted a comprehensive systematic review of the literature from multiple technological, psychiatric and psychological domains. The search was conducted by applying the Boolean algorithm "BIPOLAR AND DISORDER AND (treatment OR intervention) AND (online OR Internet OR web-based OR smartphone OR mobile)" at MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials, ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar. We identified over 251 potential entries matching the search criteria and after a thorough manual review, 29 publications pertaining to 12 different projects, specifically focusing on psychological interventions for bipolar patients through diverse Internet-based methods, were selected. Taking into consideration the diversity of the initiatives and the inconclusive main outcome results of the studies, there is still limited evidence available to draw firm conclusions about the efficacy of interventions using Internet-based technologies for bipolar disorder. However, considering the high rates of retention and compliance reported, they represent a potential highly feasible and acceptable method of delivering this kind of interventions to bipolar patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. 3D Lasers Increase Efficiency, Safety of Moving Machines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2015-01-01

    Canadian company Neptec Design Group Ltd. developed its Laser Camera System, used by shuttles to render 3D maps of their hulls for assessing potential damage. Using NASA funding, the firm incorporated LiDAR technology and created the TriDAR 3D sensor. Its commercial arm, Neptec Technologies Corp., has sold the technology to Orbital Sciences, which uses it to guide its Cygnus spacecraft during rendezvous and dock operations at the International Space Station.

  11. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jones, D.W.

    In previous reports, we have identified two potentially important issues, solutions to which would increase the attractiveness of DOE-developed technologies in commercial buildings energy systems. One issue concerns the fact that in addition to saving energy, many new technologies offer non-energy benefits that contribute to building productivity (firm profitability). The second issue is that new technologies are typically unproven in the eyes of decision makers and must bear risk premiums that offset cost advantages resulting from laboratory calculations. Even though a compelling case can be made for the importance of these issues, for building decision makers to incorporate them inmore » business decisions and for DOE to use them in R&D program planning there must be robust empirical evidence of their existence and size. This paper investigates how such measurements could be made and offers recommendations as to preferred options. There is currently little systematic information on either of these concepts in the literature. Of the two there is somewhat more information on non-energy benefits, but little as regards office buildings. Office building productivity impacts can be observed casually, but must be estimated statistically, because buildings have many interacting attributes and observations based on direct behavior can easily confuse the process of attribution. For example, absenteeism can be easily observed. However, absenteeism may be down because a more healthy space conditioning system was put into place, because the weather was milder, or because firm policy regarding sick days had changed. There is also a general dearth of appropriate information for purposes of estimation. To overcome these difficulties, we propose developing a new data base and applying the technique of hedonic price analysis. This technique has been used extensively in the analysis of residential dwellings. There is also a literature on its application to commercial and industrial buildings. Commercially available data bases exist that, if supplemented with engineering survey for equipment and materials use, could be analyzed statistically with a hedonic price model for the valuation of both the energy-saving and productivity effects of building technologies. Uncertainties about technology performance can cause investors to delay deploying new technologies. This behavior is explained by the ''investment under uncertainty'' literature. This literature suggests that under conditions of irrecoverable (''sunk'') costs, uncertain outcomes, and the ability to defer deployment, decision makers focus on potential losses and demand risk premiums and a few support the notion of focusing on losses, the so-called ''bad news principle.'' We describe a series of approaches to isolating buyer perceptions of uncertainty and means for reducing uncertainty.« less

  12. Breaking the barriers to commercialization of MEMS: a firm's search for competitive advantage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walsh, Steven T.; Linton, Jonathan D.

    1999-08-01

    A model of infrastructure development for MEMS manufacturing Technologies is offered. The role of discontinuous innovation in achieving competitive advantage is briefly reviewed. This is followed by the development of a model that describes the stages in the growth of an infrastructure to support Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems infrastructure. We briefly describe how an infrastructure gradually grows to support a new industry, resulting from discontinuous innovation. the model indicates the evolving nature of the actions and investments that firms and governments need to make to support the growth of an immature industry. Consequently, we aim to not only offer a descriptive model, but offer guidance to firms on whether their intentions and resources fit with the state of the industry and to offer policy makers guidance on the timing of different types of support.

  13. Restructuring the US telecommunications industry - Impact on innovation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Agnew, C. E.; Romeo, A. A.

    1981-01-01

    The Communications Act of 1934, which regulates the United States telecommunications industry, is becoming less able to deal with the changes brought by modern technology. Therefore, proposals are being made to restructure the industry. Breaking up AT&T into smaller firms would have only minor effects, since its ratio of R and D to sales has been near the median for large telephone companies. Restructuring AT&T into subsidiaries dealing at arms' length might cause a reordering of priorities toward more directly marketable and useful products, but too extensive a break-up could endanger Bell Labs' commitment to basic research. Regulation leads a firm to ignore true social value of possible products, expand into low profit markets, and favor capital-intensive over labor-intensive innovation. If regulatory lag occurs, a firm will produce cost-reducing innovation in order to increase its profit.

  14. Patents and innovation in cancer therapeutics: lessons from CellPro.

    PubMed

    Bar-Shalom, Avital; Cook-Deegan, Robert

    2002-01-01

    This article discusses the interaction between intellectual property and cancer treatment. CellPro developed a stem cell separation technology based on research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. A patent with broad claims to bone marrow stem cell antibodies had been awarded to Johns Hopkins University and licensed to Baxter Healthcare under the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act to promote commercial use of inventions from federally funded research. CellPro got FDA approval more than two years before Baxter but lost patent infringement litigation. NIH elected not to compel Hopkins to license its patents to CellPro. CellPro went out of business, selling its technology to its competitor. Decisions at both firms and university licensing offices, and policies at the Patent and Trademark Office, NIH, and the courts influenced the outcome.

  15. Creating With Carbon

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    A subsidiary of SI Diamond Technology, Inc., Applied Nanotech, of Austin, Texas, is creating a buzz among various technology firms and venture capital groups interested in the company s progressive research on carbon-related field emission devices, including carbon nanotubes, filaments of pure carbon less than one ten-thousandth the width of human hair. Since their discovery in 1991, carbon nanotubes have gained considerable attention due to their unique physical properties. For example, a single perfect carbon nanotube can range from 10 to 100 times stronger than steel, per unit weight. Recent studies also indicate that the nanotubes may be the best heat-conducting material in existence. These properties, combined with the ease of growing thin films or nanotubes by a variety of deposition techniques, make the carbon-based material one of the most desirable for cold field emission cathodes.

  16. Overview of Existing and Future Residential Use Cases for Connected Thermostats

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rotondo, Julia; Johnson, Robert; Gonzalez, Nancy

    This paper is intended to help inform future technology deployment opportunities for connected thermostats (CTs), based on investigation and review of the U.S. residential housing and CT markets, as well as existing, emerging, and future use cases for CT hardware and CT-generated data. The CT market has experienced tremendous growth over the last 5 years—both in terms of the number of units sold and the number of firms offering competing products—and can be characterized by its rapid pace of technological innovation. Despite many assuming CTs would become powerful tools for increasing comfort while saving energy, there remains a great dealmore » of uncertainty about the actual energy and cost savings that are likely to be realized from deployment of CTs, particularly under different conditions.« less

  17. Dynamics of ambulatory surgery centers and hospitals market entry.

    PubMed

    Housman, Michael; Al-Amin, Mona

    2013-08-01

    In this article, we investigate the diversity of healthcare delivery organizations by comparing the market determinants of hospitals entry rates with those of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Unlike hospitals, ASCs is one of the growing populations of specialized healthcare delivery organizations. There are reasons to believe that firm entry patterns differ within growing organizational populations since these markets are characterized by different levels of organizational legitimacy, technological uncertainty, and information asymmetry. We compare the entry patterns of firms in a mature population of hospitals to those of firms within a growing population of ASCs. By using patient-level datasets from the state of Florida, we break down our explanatory variables by facility type (ASC vs. hospital) and utilize negative binomial regression models to evaluate the impact of niche density on ASC and hospital entry. Our results indicate that ASCs entry rates is higher in markets with overlapping ASCs while hospitals entry rates are less in markets with overlapping hospitals and ASCs. These results are consistent with the notion that firms in growing populations tend to seek out crowded markets as they compete to occupy the most desirable market segments while firms in mature populations such as general hospitals avoid direct competition. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions:]br]sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  18. The challenge of contracting for technological information.

    PubMed

    Zeckhauser, R

    1996-11-12

    Contracting to provide technological information (TI) is a significant challenge. TI is an unusual commodity in five ways. (i) TI is difficult to count and value; conventional indicators, such as patients and citations, hardly indicate value. TI is often sold at different prices to different parties. (ii) To value TI, it may be necessary to "give away the secret." This danger, despite nondisclosure agreements, inhibits efforts to market TI. (iii) To prove its value, TI is often bundled into complete products, such as a computer chip or pharmaceutical product. Efficient exchange, by contrast, would involve merely the raw information. (iv) Sellers' superior knowledge about TI's value make buyers wary of overpaying. (v) Inefficient contracts are often designed to secure rents from TI. For example, licensing agreements charge more than marginal cost. These contracting difficulties affect the way TI is produced, encouraging self-reliance. This should be an advantage to large firms. However, small research and development firms spend more per employee than large firms, and nonprofit universities are major producers. Networks of organizational relationships, particularly between universities and industry, are critical in transmitting TI. Implicit barter-money for guidance-is common. Property rights for TI are hard to establish. Patents, quite suitable for better mousetraps, are inadequate for an era when we design better mice. Much TI is not patented, and what is patented sets fuzzy demarcations. New organizational forms are a promising approach to contracting difficulties for TI. Webs of relationships, formal and informal, involving universities, start-up firms, corporate giants, and venture capitalists play a major role in facilitating the production and spread of TI.

  19. Do high-commitment work systems affect creativity? A multilevel combinational approach to employee creativity.

    PubMed

    Chang, Song; Jia, Liangding; Takeuchi, Riki; Cai, Yahua

    2014-07-01

    In this article, some information about the data used in the article and a citation were not included. The details of the corrections are provided.] This study uses 3-level, 2-wave time-lagged data from a random sample of 55 high-technology firms, 238 teams, and 1,059 individuals in China to investigate a multilevel combinational model of employee creativity. First, we hypothesize that firm (macrolevel) high-commitment work systems are conducive to individual (microlevel) creativity. Furthermore, we hypothesize that this positive crosslevel main impact may be combined with middle-level (mesolevel) factors, including team cohesion and team task complexity, such that the positive impact of firm high-commitment work systems on individual creativity is stronger when team cohesion is high and the team task more complex. The findings from random coefficient modeling analyses provide support for our hypotheses. These sets of results offer novel insight into how firms can use macrolevel and mesolevel contextual variables in a systematic manner to promote employee creativity in the workplace, despite its complex nature.

  20. Modeling the 360° Innovating Firm as a Multiple System or Collective Being

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouchard, Véronique

    Confronted with fast changing technologies and markets and with increasing competitive pressures, firms are now required to innovate fast and continuously. In order to do so, several firms superpose an intrapreneurial layer (IL) to their formal organization (FO). The two systems are in complex relations: the IL is embedded in the FO, sharing human, financial and technical components, but strongly diverges from it when it comes to representation, structure, values and behavior of the shared components. Furthermore, the two systems simultaneously cooperate and compete. In the long run, the organizational dynamics usually end to the detriment of the intrapreneurial layer, which remains marginal or regresses after an initial period of boom. The concepts of Multiple Systems and Collective Beings, proposed by Minati and Pessa, can help students of the firm adopt a different viewpoint on this issue. These concepts can help them move away from a rigid, Manichean view of the two systems' respective functions and roles towards a more fluid and elaborate vision of their relations, allowing for greater flexibility and coherence.

  1. From Bell Labs to Silicon Valley: A Saga of Technology Transfer, 1954-1961

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riordan, Michael

    2009-03-01

    Although Bell Telephone Laboratories invented the transistor and developed most of the associated semiconductor technology, the integrated circuit or microchip emerged elsewhere--at Texas Instruments and Fairchild Semiconductor Company. I recount how the silicon technology required to make microchips possible was first developed at Bell Labs in the mid-1950s. Much of it reached the San Francisco Bay Area when transistor pioneer William Shockley left Bell Labs in 1955 to establish the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory in Mountain View, hiring a team of engineers and scientists to develop and manufacture transistors and related semiconductor devices. But eight of them--including Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce, eventually the co-founders of Intel--resigned en masse in September 1957 to start Fairchild, bringing with them the scientific and technological expertise they had acquired and further developed at Shockley's firm. This event marked the birth of Silicon Valley, both technologically and culturally. By March 1961 the company was marketing its Micrologic integrated circuits, the first commercial silicon microchips, based on the planar processing technique developed at Fairchild by Jean Hoerni.

  2. Analytical and policy issues in energy economics: Uses of the FRS data base

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1981-12-01

    The relevant literature concerning several major analytical and policy issues in energy economics is reviewed and criticized. The possible uses of the Financial Reporting System (FRS) data base for the analysis of energy policy issues are investigated. Certain features of FRS data suggest several ways in which the data base can be used by policy makers. FRS data are collected on the firm level, and different segments of the same firm operating in different markets can be separately identified. The methods of collection as well as FRS's elaborate data verification process guarantee a high degree of accuracy and consistency among firms.

  3. Ontology-Based Model Of Firm Competitiveness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deliyska, Boryana; Stoenchev, Nikolay

    2010-10-01

    Competitiveness is important characteristics of each business organization (firm, company, corporation etc). It is of great significance for the organization existence and defines evaluation criteria of business success at microeconomical level. Each criterium comprises set of indicators with specific weight coefficients. In the work an ontology-based model of firm competitiveness is presented as a set of several mutually connected ontologies. It would be useful for knowledge structuring, standardization and sharing among experts and software engineers who develop application in the domain. Then the assessment of the competitiveness of various business organizations could be generated more effectively.

  4. The Privatization of Industrial Policy: Public Responses to the Rise of Photonic Technology in the United States.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sternberg, Ernest

    1990-01-01

    Photonics arose in the 1980s as a revolutionary technological development encompassing lasers, fiber optics, sensing devices, imaging systems, and optical applications in computing. It achieved worldwide commercial significance, affecting the productive activities of numerous industries. Despite considerable domestic investment, US industrial performance in the technology deteriorated in comparison to that of other nations, particularly Japan. This study examines the US public policy response to photonics. Photonics exemplifies a technological paradigm with integral properties: it comprises a body of knowledge and skill, systems of technical devices, and sets of technological interrelationships among industrial sectors. This study argues that private firms in themselves respond inefficiently to such technological interdependencies. Firms would operate more efficiently in the presence of industrial policies that recognize the integral properties of technology and plan for massive technological changes in the economy. Amid a widespread rejection of industrial policy as faulty economics, the US response to photonics occurred not through explicit policy but through a privatization of policy making. This privatization relegated technology policy making to private and unaccountable realms. Privatization took three forms. First, through disaggregation, government dispersed assets to interested parties through pork-barrel appropriations, business participation in agency operations, and review committees representing eventual beneficiaries. Second, through collaboration, committees of university faculty and corporate affiliates made technology policy decisions. Third, through sheltering, technological research was conducted under the military establishment. Privatization made for debilitating policy. Operating in the absence of vision, strategy, or plan, it failed to respond to the integral characteristics of photonics understood as a technological paradigm. US industrial retrogression in photonics reflected the domestic policy making inability to respond coherently to technological change.

  5. Training Implications of Technological Change in Manufacturing in New Industrial Countries: The Case of Ireland. Training Policies Discussion Paper No. 14.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    International Labour Office, Geneva (Switzerland).

    This report on Ireland is one in a series of studies for a research project designed to identify training and education policies pursued by governments and individual firms that have contributed to innovation, technological adaptation, and skill development in manufacturing. Part 1 describes Ireland's economic, social, and educational structure…

  6. Technology Programs in Region 5, the Kokomo, Indiana Area. An Update Manpower Report. Manpower Report 84-7.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN. Office of Manpower Studies.

    To assess the need for technology programs in the Kokomo, Indiana area, such background data (population projections for the region, the educational level of adults living in the region, and the number and size of firms located in the area) concerning Kokomo and the counties surrounding it were compiled. The researchers formulated projected…

  7. 20 CFR 655.739 - What is the “recruitment of U.S. workers” obligation that applies to H-1B-dependent employers and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... (e.g., employer may not use age, sex, race or national origin as selection criteria);. (2) Relevant... technology industries, respectively, in hiring workers in the occupations in question. Similarly, a staffing... information technology industry, if the staffing firm is placing computer programmers, software engineers, or...

  8. 20 CFR 655.739 - What is the “recruitment of U.S. workers” obligation that applies to H-1B-dependent employers and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... (e.g., employer may not use age, sex, race or national origin as selection criteria);. (2) Relevant... technology industries, respectively, in hiring workers in the occupations in question. Similarly, a staffing... information technology industry, if the staffing firm is placing computer programmers, software engineers, or...

  9. 20 CFR 655.739 - What is the “recruitment of U.S. workers” obligation that applies to H-1B-dependent employers and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... (e.g., employer may not use age, sex, race or national origin as selection criteria);. (2) Relevant... technology industries, respectively, in hiring workers in the occupations in question. Similarly, a staffing... information technology industry, if the staffing firm is placing computer programmers, software engineers, or...

  10. 20 CFR 655.739 - What is the “recruitment of U.S. workers” obligation that applies to H-1B-dependent employers and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... (e.g., employer may not use age, sex, race or national origin as selection criteria);. (2) Relevant... technology industries, respectively, in hiring workers in the occupations in question. Similarly, a staffing... information technology industry, if the staffing firm is placing computer programmers, software engineers, or...

  11. Multiyear Subcontractor Selection Criteria Analysis.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-09-01

    advancement are program instability, higher costs, and increased lead-times. Compounding the instability created by advancing technology are changes in...drive smaller firms out of business (17:46). Technology is advancing at an ever increasing pace, demanding higher performance and larger amounts of engi...Process Adding to the external factors mentioned above, the weapon systems acquisition process tends to retard pro- ductivity advancements by its very

  12. Landsat Technology Transfer to the Private and Public Sectors through Community Colleges and Other Locally Available Institutions, Phase II Program. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Robert H.

    In 1979, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) initiated a program to investigate methods of making Landsat (satellite imagery) technology available to private sector firms through a network comprising NASA, a university or research institute, local community colleges,…

  13. Defense AT and L Magazine. Vol. 45, no. 5, September-October 2016

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-01

    standard federal assistance awards. These contractors might be small, startup technology firms supported by venture capital, leading-edge technology...to provide effective contract oversight and present an accurate picture of contractor performance to the procuring contracting office. Lesson...mission footprints encompass a great deal of contractor activity, leadership that is not regularly engaged with the acquisition team often gives

  14. Denver School of Science and Technology: A High School that Works

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colorado Children's Campaign, 2006

    2006-01-01

    When one sees the new Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST), the first thing one will likely to notice is the building's impressive design. The school looks more like a Silicon Valley biotech firm than a typical new Colorado high school. Indeed, the innovative structure, modeled on a similar facility in San Diego, has already garnered…

  15. Spring 2006. Industry Study. Information Technology Industry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-01-01

    unclassified c . THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 i Information Technology 2006 ABSTRACT...integration of processors, coprocessors, memory, storage, etc. into a user-programmable final product. C . Software (Apple, Oracle): These firms...able to support the U.S. national security interests. C . Manufacturing: The personal computer manufacturing industry has also changed considerably

  16. The structure of a market containing boundedly rational firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibrahim, Adyda; Zura, Nerda; Saaban, Azizan

    2017-11-01

    The structure of a market is determined by the number of active firms in it. Over time, this number is affected by the exit of existing firms, called incumbents, and entries of new firms, called entrant. In this paper, we considered a market governed by the Cobb-Douglas utility function such that the demand function is isoelastic. Each firm is assumed to produce a single homogenous product under a constant unit cost. Furthermore, firms are assumed to be boundedly rational in adjusting their outputs at each period. A firm is considered to exit the market if its output is negative. In this paper, the market is assumed to have zero barrier-to-entry. Therefore, the exiting firm can reenter the market if its output is positive again, and new firms can enter the market easily. Based on these assumptions and rules, a mathematical model was developed and numerical simulations were run using Matlab. By setting certain values for the parameters in the model, initial numerical simulations showed that in the long run, the number of firms that manages to survive the market varies between zero to 30. This initial result is consistent with the idea that a zero barrier-to-entry may produce a perfectly competitive market.

  17. Bankruptcy risk model and empirical tests

    PubMed Central

    Podobnik, Boris; Horvatic, Davor; Petersen, Alexander M.; Urošević, Branko; Stanley, H. Eugene

    2010-01-01

    We analyze the size dependence and temporal stability of firm bankruptcy risk in the US economy by applying Zipf scaling techniques. We focus on a single risk factor—the debt-to-asset ratio R—in order to study the stability of the Zipf distribution of R over time. We find that the Zipf exponent increases during market crashes, implying that firms go bankrupt with larger values of R. Based on the Zipf analysis, we employ Bayes’s theorem and relate the conditional probability that a bankrupt firm has a ratio R with the conditional probability of bankruptcy for a firm with a given R value. For 2,737 bankrupt firms, we demonstrate size dependence in assets change during the bankruptcy proceedings. Prepetition firm assets and petition firm assets follow Zipf distributions but with different exponents, meaning that firms with smaller assets adjust their assets more than firms with larger assets during the bankruptcy process. We compare bankrupt firms with nonbankrupt firms by analyzing the assets and liabilities of two large subsets of the US economy: 2,545 Nasdaq members and 1,680 New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) members. We find that both assets and liabilities follow a Pareto distribution. The finding is not a trivial consequence of the Zipf scaling relationship of firm size quantified by employees—although the market capitalization of Nasdaq stocks follows a Pareto distribution, the same distribution does not describe NYSE stocks. We propose a coupled Simon model that simultaneously evolves both assets and debt with the possibility of bankruptcy, and we also consider the possibility of firm mergers. PMID:20937903

  18. Gathering Information from Transport Systems for Processing in Supply Chains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kodym, Oldřich; Unucka, Jakub

    2016-12-01

    Paper deals with complex system for processing information from means of transport acting as parts of train (rail or road). It focuses on automated information gathering using AutoID technology, information transmission via Internet of Things networks and information usage in information systems of logistic firms for support of selected processes on MES and ERP levels. Different kinds of gathered information from whole transport chain are discussed. Compliance with existing standards is mentioned. Security of information in full life cycle is integral part of presented system. Design of fully equipped system based on synthesized functional nodes is presented.

  19. To what do firms attribute success? An application of attribution theory to the secondary woodworking industry

    Treesearch

    Matthew Bumgardner; Urs Buehlmann

    2015-01-01

    Small firms are a critical component of the secondary woodworking industry and are important to hardwood lumber demand in the US. Understanding managers' perceptions of competitiveness in these firms is important to those working with the industry to help maintain a viable wood manufacturing base. One area of interest relative to the overall business environment...

  20. 17 CFR 240.3b-13 - Definition of eligible OTC derivative instrument.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... purchase or sale of a security on a firm basis; or (2) Provides, in whole or in part, on a firm or... derivative instrument means any contract, agreement, or transaction that: (1) Provides, in whole or in part, on a firm or contingent basis, for the purchase or sale of, or is based on the value of, or any...

  1. 17 CFR 240.3b-13 - Definition of eligible OTC derivative instrument.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... purchase or sale of a security on a firm basis; or (2) Provides, in whole or in part, on a firm or... derivative instrument means any contract, agreement, or transaction that: (1) Provides, in whole or in part, on a firm or contingent basis, for the purchase or sale of, or is based on the value of, or any...

  2. 17 CFR 240.3b-13 - Definition of eligible OTC derivative instrument.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... purchase or sale of a security on a firm basis; or (2) Provides, in whole or in part, on a firm or... derivative instrument means any contract, agreement, or transaction that: (1) Provides, in whole or in part, on a firm or contingent basis, for the purchase or sale of, or is based on the value of, or any...

  3. Employment-Based Training in Japanese Firms in Japan and in the United States: Experiences of Automobile Manufacturers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hashimoto, Masanori

    An economic theory of training holds that training in technical skills and training in employment relations (namely, information reliability or the ability to quickly and reliably disseminate information among the members of the firm) reinforce each other. This theory is an organizing framework for understanding some practices at Japanese firms in…

  4. The impact of information disclosure on market liquidity: Evidence from firms' use of Twitter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qu, Qixing; Wang, Lin; Qin, Liangjuan; Zhao, Xiaoye; Wang, Lijie

    2017-01-01

    Despite the popular use of social media by firms, empirical research investigating their economic values still lags. Based on the Security Exchange Commission's (SEC) new regulation on Fair Disclosure valid important corporate information discloses via social media (RIDSM), in this study, we examine the effectiveness of this new regulation to market liquidity. We collect trade data including daily volume and bid-ask spread to assemble a unique data set at individual firm level from S&P 500 firms and analyze the firms' bid-ask spread and volume before and after issuing the regulation. This natural experiment allows us to separate the effect of regulation from the effect of other confounding factors. The results from our panel data analyses indicate that bid-ask spread has decreased by about 5% in response to the new regulation. Our results are statistically significant and highly robust. We also examine the impact of the new regulation on a volume-based measure of liquidity, and find that the regulation is associated with greater volume, consistent with a reduction in information asymmetry. Moreover, this result holds mainly for firms that are high-tech, consistent with them being in greater need of this additional information disclosure channel.

  5. Positional accuracy and geographic bias of four methods of geocoding in epidemiologic research.

    PubMed

    Schootman, Mario; Sterling, David A; Struthers, James; Yan, Yan; Laboube, Ted; Emo, Brett; Higgs, Gary

    2007-06-01

    We examined the geographic bias of four methods of geocoding addresses using ArcGIS, commercial firm, SAS/GIS, and aerial photography. We compared "point-in-polygon" (ArcGIS, commercial firm, and aerial photography) and the "look-up table" method (SAS/GIS) to allocate addresses to census geography, particularly as it relates to census-based poverty rates. We randomly selected 299 addresses of children treated for asthma at an urban emergency department (1999-2001). The coordinates of the building address side door were obtained by constant offset based on ArcGIS and a commercial firm and true ground location based on aerial photography. Coordinates were available for 261 addresses across all methods. For 24% to 30% of geocoded road/door coordinates the positional error was 51 meters or greater, which was similar across geocoding methods. The mean bearing was -26.8 degrees for the vector of coordinates based on aerial photography and ArcGIS and 8.5 degrees for the vector based on aerial photography and the commercial firm (p < 0.0001). ArcGIS and the commercial firm performed very well relative to SAS/GIS in terms of allocation to census geography. For 20%, the door location based on aerial photography was assigned to a different block group compared to SAS/GIS. The block group poverty rate varied at least two standard deviations for 6% to 7% of addresses. We found important differences in distance and bearing between geocoding relative to aerial photography. Allocation of locations based on aerial photography to census-based geographic areas could lead to substantial errors.

  6. Technology transfer from NASA to targeted industries, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccain, Wayne; Schroer, Bernard J.; Souder, William E.; Spann, Mary S.; Watters, Harry; Ziemke, M. Carl

    1993-01-01

    This report summarizes the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) technology transfer to three target industries with focus on the apparel manufacturing industry in Alabama. Also included in this report are an analysis of the 1992 problem statements submitted by Alabama firms, the results of the survey of 1987-88 NASA Tech Brief requests, the results of the followup to Alabama submitted problem statements, and the development of the model describing the MSFC technology transfer process.

  7. Measuring firm size distribution with semi-nonparametric densities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cortés, Lina M.; Mora-Valencia, Andrés; Perote, Javier

    2017-11-01

    In this article, we propose a new methodology based on a (log) semi-nonparametric (log-SNP) distribution that nests the lognormal and enables better fits in the upper tail of the distribution through the introduction of new parameters. We test the performance of the lognormal and log-SNP distributions capturing firm size, measured through a sample of US firms in 2004-2015. Taking different levels of aggregation by type of economic activity, our study shows that the log-SNP provides a better fit of the firm size distribution. We also formally introduce the multivariate log-SNP distribution, which encompasses the multivariate lognormal, to analyze the estimation of the joint distribution of the value of the firm's assets and sales. The results suggest that sales are a better firm size measure, as indicated by other studies in the literature.

  8. Condition-Based Conveyor Belt Replacement Strategy in Lignite Mines with Random Belt Deterioration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blazej, Ryszard; Jurdziak, Leszek

    2017-12-01

    In Polish lignite surface mines, condition-based belt replacement strategies are applied in order to assure profitable refurbishment of worn out belts performed by external firms specializing in belt maintenance. In two of three lignite mines, staff asses belt condition subjectively during visual inspections. Only one mine applies specialized diagnostic device (HRDS) allowing objective magnetic evaluation of belt core condition in order to choose the most profitable moment for the dismantling of worn out belt segments from conveyors and sending them to the maintenance firm which provides their refurbishment. This article describes the advantages of a new diagnostic device called DiagBelt. It was developed at the Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. Economic gains from its application are calculated for the lignite mine and for the belt maintenance firm, taking into account random life (durability) of new and reconditioned belts (after the 1st and the 2nd refurbishment). Recursive calculations for following years allow the estimation of the length and costs of replaced, reconditioned and purchased belts on an annual basis, while the use of the Monte Carlo method allows the estimation of their variability caused by random deterioration of belts. Savings are obtained due to better selection of moments (times) for the replacement of belt segments and die to the possibility to qualify worn out belts for refurbishment without the need to remove their covers. In effect, increased belt durability and lowered share of waste belts (which were not qualified for reconditioning) create savings which can quickly cover expenditures on new diagnostic tools and regular belt inspections in the mine.

  9. The socio-economic landscape of biotechnology in Spain. A comparative study using the innovation system concept.

    PubMed

    Díaz, V; Muñoz, E; de los Monteros, J Espinosa; Senker, Jacqueline

    2002-09-11

    Biotechnology is becoming a crucial factor for the innovation strategies of the industrialised countries. Thus, the analysis of the sector is gaining relevance for the identification of the technological strength and potential of a country (or region) in a context of globalisation. A specific national case study may serve for more general comparative analyses. We have selected the case of Spain as illustrative of the complexity and differences existing in Europe. By using the analytical framework of the "national systems of innovation" concept, we have performed a multistep analysis of the biotechnology sector in Spain, focussing first on regions of Madrid and Cataluña which together account for more than 50% of the sector in Spain. The firms in both regions have followed a common strategy based on diversification and investment in R&D and innovation, so as to be able to compete in an international and competitive environment. There are, however, some interesting differences between the two subsectors; the one from Cataluña being more based on industrial traditions, and the one from Madrid characterised by the emergence of more specialised firms. The study has been extended to the remainder of Spanish firms for comparative purposes. The case of Spain is illustrative of the divergences existing in the biotechnology sector in Europe. A comparison is made with the structural and organisational characteristics of the biotechnology sector in several European countries. It shows that there is diversity in the pattern of commercialisation between countries and within regions of countries. Understanding these differences may assist the design of appropriate policies to promote the development of biotechnology in Europe.

  10. 40 CFR 745.229 - Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: public and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: public and commercial buildings, bridges and superstructures... paint activities: public and commercial buildings, bridges and superstructures. [Reserved] ...

  11. 40 CFR 745.229 - Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: public and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead-based paint activities: public and commercial buildings, bridges and superstructures... paint activities: public and commercial buildings, bridges and superstructures. [Reserved] ...

  12. CIOs use outsourcing to revamp systems.

    PubMed

    Morrissey, J

    1995-07-24

    Faced with the challenge of keeping pace with computer technology, many chief information officers are farming out projects to experts. Outsourcing firms are circling the healthcare industry, ready to pounce on market opportunities that exceeded $1 billion in 1994.

  13. 10 CFR 603.1290 - Participant.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Participant. 603.1290 Section 603.1290 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Definitions of Terms... a firm (e.g., a division or other business unit). ...

  14. 75 FR 38128 - Sensata Technologies MA, Inc., Power Controls Division, Formerly Known As Airpax Corp., Cambridge...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-01

    ... subject firm. The workers are engaged in activities related to the production of hydraulic magnetic... shift in production of hydraulic magnetic circuit breakers to Aguascalientes, Mexico. The amended notice...

  15. 75 FR 47548 - President's Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration; Notice of Recruitment of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-06

    ... selected from firms producing a broad range of goods, software, and technologies presently controlled for... their services. The PECSEA is seeking private-sector members with senior export control expertise and...

  16. The nonlinear effect of somatic cell count on milk composition, coagulation properties, curd firmness modeling, cheese yield, and curd nutrient recovery.

    PubMed

    Bobbo, T; Cipolat-Gotet, C; Bittante, G; Cecchinato, A

    2016-07-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between somatic cell count (SCC) in milk and several milk technological traits at the individual cow level. In particular, we determined the effects of very low to very high SCC on traits related to (1) milk yield and composition; (2) coagulation properties, including the traditional milk coagulation properties (MCP) and the new curd firming model parameters; and (3) cheese yield and recovery of milk nutrients in the curd (or loss in the whey). Milk samples from 1,271 Brown Swiss cows from 85 herds were used. Nine coagulation traits were measured: 3 traditional MCP [rennet coagulation time (RCT, min), curd firming rate (k20, min), and curd firmness after 30 min (a30, mm)] and 6 new curd firming and syneresis traits [potential asymptotic curd firmness at infinite time (CFP, mm), curd firming instant rate constant (kCF, % × min(-1)), syneresis instant rate constant (kSR, % × min(-1)), rennet coagulation time estimated using the equation (RCTeq, min), maximum curd firmness achieved within 45 min (CFmax, mm), and time at achievement of CFmax (tmax, min)]. The observed cheese-making traits included 3 cheese yield traits (%CYCURD, %CYSOLIDS, and %CYWATER, which represented the weights of curd, total solids, and water, respectively, as a percentage of the weight of the processed milk) and 4 nutrient recoveries in the curd (RECFAT, RECPROTEIN, RECSOLIDS, and RECENERGY, which each represented the percentage ratio between the nutrient in the curd and milk). Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model with the fixed effects of days in milk, parity, and somatic cell score (SCS), and the random effect of herd-date. Somatic cell score had strong influences on casein number and lactose, and also affected pH; these were traits characterized by a quadratic pattern of the data. The results also showed a negative linear relationship between SCS and milk yield. Somatic cell score influenced almost all of the tested coagulation traits (both traditional and modeled), with the exceptions of k20, CFP, and kSR. Gelation was delayed when the SCS decreased (slightly) and when it increased (strongly) with respect to a value of 2, as confirmed by the quadratic patterns observed for both RCT and RCTeq. The SCS effect on a30 showed a quadratic pattern almost opposite to that observed for RCT. With respect to the CFt parameters, kCF decreased linearly as SCS increased, resulting in a linear decrease of CFmax and a quadratic pattern for tmax. Milk SCS attained significance for %CYCURD, %CYWATER, and RECPROTEIN. As the SCS increased beyond 3, we observed a progressive quadratic decrease of the water retained in the curd (%CYWATER), which caused a parallel decrease in %CYCURD. With respect to RECPROTEIN, the negative effect of SCS was almost linear. Recovery of fat and (consequently) RECENERGY was characterized by a more evident quadratic trend, with the most favorable values associated with an intermediate SCS. Together, our results confirmed that high SCS has a negative effect on milk composition and technological traits, highlighting the nonlinear trends of some traits across the different classes of SCS. Moreover, we report that a very low SCS has a negative effect on some technological traits of milk. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 68: Who is Managing Knowledge? The Implications for Knowledge Production and Management of Global Strategic Alliances in Knowledge Dependent Industries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Golich, Vicki L.; Pinelli, Thomas

    1998-01-01

    Knowledge is the foundation upon which researchers build as they innovate. Innovation lies at the core of a state's or a firm's ability to survive in a competitive world. Indeed, some economic historians ever that technological innovation, not trade, is the engine to economic growth. Despite the centrality of knowledge to corporate success, analysts have only recently shown an interest in the "knowledge capital" or "intellectual capital" of the firm, often literally trying to assign a value to this resource.

  18. Mathematical modeling and pharmaceutical pricing: analyses used to inform in-licensing and developmental go/No-Go decisions.

    PubMed

    Vernon, John A; Hughen, W Keener; Johnson, Scott J

    2005-05-01

    In the face of significant real healthcare cost inflation, pressured budgets, and ongoing launches of myriad technology of uncertain value, payers have formalized new valuation techniques that represent a barrier to entry for drugs. Cost-effectiveness analysis predominates among these methods, which involves differencing a new technological intervention's marginal costs and benefits with a comparator's, and comparing the resulting ratio to a payer's willingness-to-pay threshold. In this paper we describe how firms are able to model the feasible range of future product prices when making in-licensing and developmental Go/No-Go decisions by considering payers' use of the cost-effectiveness method. We illustrate this analytic method with a simple deterministic example and then incorporate stochastic assumptions using both analytic and simulation methods. Using this strategic approach, firms may reduce product development and in-licensing risk.

  19. Japan's technology and manufacturing infrastructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boulton, William R.; Meieran, Eugene S.; Tummala, Rao R.

    1995-02-01

    The JTEC panel found that, after four decades of development in electronics and manufacturing technologies, Japanese electronics companies are leaders in the development, support, and management of complex, low-cost packaging and assembly technologies used in the production of a broad range of consumer electronics products. The electronics industry's suppliers provide basic materials and equipment required for electronic packaging applications. Panelists concluded that some Japanese firms could be leading U.S. competitors by as much as a decade in these areas. Japan's technology and manufacturing infrastructure is an integral part of its microelectronics industry's success.

  20. Japan's technology and manufacturing infrastructure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Boulton, William R.; Meieran, Eugene S.; Tummala, Rao R.

    1995-01-01

    The JTEC panel found that, after four decades of development in electronics and manufacturing technologies, Japanese electronics companies are leaders in the development, support, and management of complex, low-cost packaging and assembly technologies used in the production of a broad range of consumer electronics products. The electronics industry's suppliers provide basic materials and equipment required for electronic packaging applications. Panelists concluded that some Japanese firms could be leading U.S. competitors by as much as a decade in these areas. Japan's technology and manufacturing infrastructure is an integral part of its microelectronics industry's success.

  1. Analyzing the development of Indonesia shrimp industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wati, L. A.

    2018-04-01

    This research aimed to analyze the development of shrimp industry in Indonesia. Porter’s Diamond Theory was used for analysis. The Porter’s Diamond theory is one of framework for industry analysis and business strategy development. The Porter’s Diamond theory has five forces that determine the competitive intensity in an industry, namely (1) the threat of substitute products, (2) the threat of competition, (3) the threat of new entrants, (4) bargaining power of suppliers, and (5) bargaining power of consumers. The development of Indonesian shrimp industry pretty good, explained by Porter Diamond Theory analysis. Analysis of Porter Diamond Theory through four main components namely factor conditions; demand condition; related and supporting industries; and firm strategy, structure and rivalry coupled with a two-component supporting (regulatory the government and the factor of chance). Based on the result of this research show that two-component supporting (regulatory the government and the factor of chance) have positive. Related and supporting industries have negative, firm and structure strategy have negative, rivalry has positive, factor condition have positive (except science and technology resources).

  2. Evaluation of the mathematical and economic basis for conversion processes in the LEAP energy-economy model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oblow, E. M.

    1982-10-01

    An evaluation was made of the mathematical and economic basis for conversion processes in the Long-term Energy Analysis Program (LEAP) energy economy model. Conversion processes are the main modeling subunit in LEAP used to represent energy conversion industries and are supposedly based on the classical economic theory of the firm. Questions about uniqueness and existence of LEAP solutions and their relation to classical equilibrium economic theory prompted the study. An analysis of classical theory and LEAP model equations was made to determine their exact relationship. The conclusions drawn from this analysis were that LEAP theory is not consistent with the classical theory of the firm. Specifically, the capacity factor formalism used by LEAP does not support a classical interpretation in terms of a technological production function for energy conversion processes. The economic implications of this inconsistency are suboptimal process operation and short term negative profits in years where plant operation should be terminated. A new capacity factor formalism, which retains the behavioral features of the original model, is proposed to resolve these discrepancies.

  3. Improving productivity and firm performance with enterprise resource planning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beheshti, Hooshang M.; Beheshti, Cyrus M.

    2010-11-01

    Productivity is generally considered to be the efficient utilisation of organisational resources and is measured in terms of the efficiency of a worker, company or nation. Focusing on efficiency alone, however, can be harmful to the organisation's long-term success and competitiveness. The full benefits of productivity improvement measures are realised when productivity is examined from two perspectives: operational efficiency (output/input) of an individual worker or a business unit as well as performance (effectiveness) with regard to end user or customer satisfaction. Over the years, corporations have adopted new technology to integrate business activities in order to achieve both effectiveness and efficiency in their operations. In recent years, many firms have invested in enterprise resource planning (ERP) in order to integrate all business activities into a uniform system. The implementation of ERP enables the firm to reduce the transaction costs of the business and improve its productivity, customer satisfaction and profitability.

  4. The National Si-Soft Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Chun-Yen; Trappey, Charles V.

    2003-06-01

    Taiwan's electronics industry emerged in the 1960s with the creation of a small but well planned integrated circuit (IC) packaging industry. This industry investment led to bolder investments in research, laboratories, and the island's first semiconductor foundries in the 1980s. Following the success of the emerging IC manufacturers and design houses, hundreds of service firms and related industries (software, legal services, substrate, chemical, and test firms among others) opened for business and completed Taiwan's IC manufacturing supply chain. The challenge for Taiwan's electronics industry is to take the lead in the design, manufacture, and marketing of name brand electronic products. This paper introduces the Si-Soft (silicon software) Project, a national initiative that builds on Taiwan's achievements in manufacturing (referred to as Si-Hard or silicon hardware) to launch a new wave of companies. These firms will contribute to the core underlying technology (intellectual property) used in the creation of electronic products.

  5. How can a policy foster local pharmaceutical production and still protect public health? Lessons from the health-industry complex in Brazil.

    PubMed

    da Fonseca, Elize Massard

    2018-04-01

    The global health community is increasingly advocating for the local production of pharmaceuticals in developing countries as a way to promote technology transfer, capacity building and improve access to medicines. However, efforts to advance drug manufacturing in these countries revive an old dilemma of fostering technological development versus granting access to social services, such as healthcare. This paper explores the case of Brazil, a country that has developed large-scale health-inspired industrial policies, but is, yet, little understood. Brazil's experience suggests that progressive healthcare bureaucrats can create innovative practices for technology and knowledge transfers. It also demonstrates that highly competitive pharmaceutical firms can collaborate with each other, if a government provides them the right incentives. Reforming regulatory policies is crucial for guaranteeing high-quality products in developing countries, but governments must play a crucial role in supporting local firms to adapt to these regulations. These findings send a strong message to global health policymakers and practitioners on the conditions to create a suitable environment for local production of medical products.

  6. A randomised controlled study to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted occupational health and safety consultation or inspection in Ontario manufacturing workplaces.

    PubMed

    Hogg-Johnson, Sheilah; Robson, Lynda; Cole, Donald C; Amick, Benjamin C; Tompa, Emile; Smith, Peter M; van Eerd, Dwayne; Mustard, Cameron

    2012-12-01

    From 2004 to 2008, the prevention system in Ontario, Canada ran the High Risk Firm Initiative, an injury-experience based targeted consultation or inspection programme. Our objective was to establish whether prevention system targeting of firms was effective in improving injury outcomes. Randomised controlled parallel groups. Population included all manufacturing firms registered with the Ontario Workplace Safety & Insurance Board in 2005. Firms ranked between the 2nd and 10th percentile on a composite measure of occupational health and safety performance were randomised to three study arms in 2006: targeted for Health & Safety Association (HSA) consultation, targeted for Ministry of Labour (MOL) inspection, or services as usual. Data included firm characteristics (sector, size, years in business, region, branches), work injury claims 2002-2008 and measures of consulting and inspecting activity. Negative binomial generalised estimating equations modelled claim and disability day rates by study arm and year, controlling for firm characteristics. Among 2153 firms, firm characteristics and 2002-2005 rates of work injury claims and disability days were similar across arms. Firm outcomes were significantly different from year to year, but study arm by year interactions were insignificant indicating similar trends for all three study arms. 83% of HSA targeted firms were contacted and 63% engaged while 75% of MOL targeted firms were inspected with orders written in 56%. Consultation and enforcement programmes as implemented were not sufficient to reduce work injury outcomes over 21 month follow-up. Lack of benefit could be due to non-specific firm selection methods, limited firm participation in interventions, low intervention intensity or insensitivity of available outcomes.

  7. Essays on information disclosure and the environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mathai, Koshy

    The essays in this dissertation study information disclosure and environmental policy. The first chapter challenges the longstanding result that firms will, in general, voluntarily disclose information about product quality, in light of the unrealism of the assumption, common to much of the literature, that consumers are identical. When this assumption is relaxed, an efficiency-enhancing role may emerge for disclosure regulation, insofar as it can improve information provision and thus help protect consumers with "moderately atypical" preferences. The paper also endogenizes firms's choice of quality and suggests that disclosure regulation may also raise welfare indirectly, by inducing firms to improve product quality. The second chapter explores the significance of policy-induced technological change (ITC) for the design of carbon-abatement policies. The paper considers both R&D-based and learning-by-doing-based knowledge accumulation, examining each specification under both a cost-effectiveness and a benefit-cost policy criterion. We show analytically that the presence of ITC generally implies a lower profile of optimal carbon taxes, a shifting of abatement effort into the future (in the R&D scenarios), and an increase in the scale of abatement (in the benefit-cost scenarios). Numerical simulations indicate that the impact of ITC on abatement timing is very slight, but the effects on costs, optimal carbon taxes, and cumulative abatement can be large. The third chapter uses a World Bank dataset on Chinese state-owned enterprises to estimate price elasticities of industrial coal demand. A simple coal-demand equation is estimated in many forms, and significant price sensitivity is almost always found: the own-price elasticity is estimated to be roughly -0.5. A cost-function/share-equation system is also estimated, and although the function is frequently ill-behaved, indicating that firms may not be minimizing costs, the elasticity estimates again are large and significant. These findings indicate that, even though China's is not a pure market economy, coal taxation can effectively be used to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and improve environmental quality. We calculate that a thirty-percent tax on industrial coal use could reduce consumption by nearly one hundred million tons annually.

  8. Cooperative Factors, Cooperative Innovation Effect and Innovation Performance for Chinese Firms: an Empirical Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Xuemei

    Based on a survey to 1206 Chinese firms, this paper empirically explores the factors impacting cooperative innovation effect of firms, and seeks to explore the relationship between cooperative innovation effect (CIE) and innovation performance using the technique of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study finds there are significant positive relationships between basic sustaining factors, factors of government and policy, factors of cooperation mechanism and social network, and cooperative innovation effect. However, the result reveals that factors of government and policy demonstrate little impact on the CIE of firms compared with other factors. It is hoped that the findings can pave the way for future studies in improving cooperative innovation capacity for firms in emerging countries.

  9. Analysis of Expedited Defense Contracting Methods in the Acquisition of Emerging Technology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-01

    NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA MBA PROFESSIONAL REPORT ANALYSIS OF EXPEDITED DEFENSE CONTRACTING METHODS IN THE...CONTRACTING METHODS IN THE ACQUISITION OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Jacob D. Sabin and Mark K. Zakner 7. PERFORMING...firms. The DOD has authority for applying non-traditional contracting methods to better adapt to this competitive marketplace. This project studied non

  10. JPRS Report, Science & Technology: Europe

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-07-17

    Construction of First Technological Park Begins [Barcelona REVISTA DE ROBOTICA , Mar 89] .... 8 European Firms Strive To Increase Competitiveness 8...Madrid University, Siemens Cooperation on AI Project Reported [Barcelona REVISTA DE ROBOTICA , Mar 89] .....: 21 ENERGY FRG’s Kohl Outlines...Park Begins 36980224b Barcelona REVISTA DE ROBOTICA in Spanish Mär 89 p 24 [Text] Telescincro, Inc., laid the cornerstone of its new factory and

  11. Technology R&D for space commerce

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sadin, Stanley R.; Christensen, Carissa B.; Steen, Robert G.

    1992-01-01

    The potential effects of reserach conducted by the NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology, OAST, on the aerospace industry are addressed. Program elements aimed at meeting commercial needs and those aimed at meeting NASA needs which have secondary effects benefiting aerospace firms are considered. Particular attention is given to current and future NASA programs for cooperating with industry and the potential effects of OAST research on nonaerospace industries.

  12. Going Boldly Into the Future: Skills and Australian High Technology Start-Up Firms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whittingham, Karen

    The skill needs of Australian high-technology start-up companies and the implications of those skill needs for vocational education and training (VET) were examined through a study of 14 start-ups' inherent abilities to access the VET system and on VET's relevance to their needs. The case studies documented a strong demand and role for VET in the…

  13. Marine Forces Reserve: Accelerating Knowledge Flow through Asynchronous Learning Technologies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-12-19

    pedagogic techniques that are infeasible in the classroom, and they suggest that in some respects technologically intermediated learning can be even better...appropriate for this research (Yin, 1994). We employ multiple techniques for data collection in the field. Foremost, through a unique relationship between...initial interpretations are both grounded firmly in the data and meaningful to organization participants. The Researchers’ relationship with the focal

  14. JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-06-18

    The key to success of this model is the existence of a very effective basic investment capability, including an edu- cational foundation and an...firm lodgement in international markets. We must use various kinds of effective measures to channel our scientific and technical strength toward the... effectively farmland currently in use. Bio- engineering technology should be used to develop new kinds of plants and animals, the report says. China

  15. Discriminating Emotional Intelligence-Based Competencies of IT Employees and Salespeople

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yildirim, Osman

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: This study aims at investigating emotional intelligence based on competencies for sales and IT people. Design/methodology/approach: A study was conducted on 111 employees of 12 firms from four different sectors in which firms benefited extensively from IT and sales activities. Findings: Emotional Competency Inventory (ECI, 2.0) was used…

  16. The Construct Validation of Learning Organization and Its Influence upon Firm Performance in Mainland China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Mingfei; Lu, Xiaojun

    2007-01-01

    This paper examines the applicability of the learning organization concept and its influence upon firm performance in mainland China. Based on the theoretical framework proposed by Watkins and Marsick, four dimensions of the learning organization instead of seven dimensions were identified. A balanced scorecard-based performance evaluation…

  17. The directory of US coal and technology export resources

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1990-10-01

    The purpose of The Directory remains focused on offering a consolidated resource to potential buyers of US coal, coal technology, and expertise. This is consistent with the US policy on coal and coal technology trade, which continues to emphasize export market strategy implementation. Within this context, DOE will continue to support the teaming'' approach to marketing; i.e., vertically integrated large project teams to include multiple industry sectors, such as coal producers, engineering and construction firms, equipment manufacturers, financing and service organizations.

  18. Marine applications for fuel cell technology: A technical memorandum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1986-02-01

    To date, almost no attention was given to the potential marine applications for fuel cell technologies. Some of the benefits that fuel cells may offer to the utility industry may also apply to marine use. At a 1 day workshop the Office of Technology Assessment found fuel cells to offer advantages in applications requiring quiet operations, applications where throttle settings are constantly changed, and for small submarines. Fuel cells are not expected to penetrate marine markets until they become firmly established in the commercial utility section.

  19. Assessing Industry Business Practices in Implementing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in the Tracking and Tracing of Pharmaceuticals

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-12-01

    fields of research. These theories apply in environments where firms cannot assess connections between actions and outcomes with great confidence...resources or time to keep abreast of a quickly evolving technology, such as RFID technology. Many may ask what some of the benefits of hiring a...organization think outside the box. Thinking outside the box can mean the difference between throwing money away to keep up with the latest technology or

  20. Corporate Energy Conservation Program for Alcoa North American Extrusions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    2001-08-01

    This case study is the latest in a series on industrial firms who are implementing energy efficient technologies and system improvements into their manufacturing processes. The case studies document the activities, savings, and lessons learned on these projects.

  1. Let the Professionals Do It.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoover, James P.; Main, Ron

    2003-01-01

    Describes benefits of West Allegheny (Pennsylvania) School District's decision to outsource the management of its technology services. Benefits include improved efficiency, increased technical expertise, cost-effectiveness, personnel stability, and organizational focus. Lists important points to consider when selecting an outsourcing firm. (PKP)

  2. 12 CFR 517.1 - Purpose and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ..., expert witnesses, customized training, relocation services, information systems technology (computer systems, database management, software and office automation), or micrographic services; or in support of...-Owned Businesses Outreach Program (Outreach Program) is to ensure that firms owned and operated by...

  3. 12 CFR 517.1 - Purpose and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ..., expert witnesses, customized training, relocation services, information systems technology (computer systems, database management, software and office automation), or micrographic services; or in support of...-Owned Businesses Outreach Program (Outreach Program) is to ensure that firms owned and operated by...

  4. 12 CFR 517.1 - Purpose and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ..., expert witnesses, customized training, relocation services, information systems technology (computer systems, database management, software and office automation), or micrographic services; or in support of...-Owned Businesses Outreach Program (Outreach Program) is to ensure that firms owned and operated by...

  5. PROCEEDINGS OF A SYMPOSIUM ON COOLING WATER INTAKE TECHNOLOGIES TO PROTECT AQUATIC ORGANISMS

    EPA Science Inventory

    This Symposium brought together professionals from federal, state, and tribal regulatory agencies; industry; environmental organizations; engineering consulting firms; science and research organizations; academia; and other organizations concerned with mitigating harm to the aqua...

  6. The role of voice input for human-machine communication.

    PubMed Central

    Cohen, P R; Oviatt, S L

    1995-01-01

    Optimism is growing that the near future will witness rapid growth in human-computer interaction using voice. System prototypes have recently been built that demonstrate speaker-independent real-time speech recognition, and understanding of naturally spoken utterances with vocabularies of 1000 to 2000 words, and larger. Already, computer manufacturers are building speech recognition subsystems into their new product lines. However, before this technology can be broadly useful, a substantial knowledge base is needed about human spoken language and performance during computer-based spoken interaction. This paper reviews application areas in which spoken interaction can play a significant role, assesses potential benefits of spoken interaction with machines, and compares voice with other modalities of human-computer interaction. It also discusses information that will be needed to build a firm empirical foundation for the design of future spoken and multimodal interfaces. Finally, it argues for a more systematic and scientific approach to investigating spoken input and performance with future language technology. PMID:7479803

  7. Empirical study of the perceived ease of use and relative advantage on load-bearing masonry (LBM) technology adoption

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramli, Nor Azlinda; Abdullah, Che Sobry; Nawi, Mohd Nasrun Mohd

    2017-11-01

    Load-bearing masonry (LBM) technology has been identified as an alternative method that can potentially encourage the sustainability of the housing industry. The adoption of LBM technology is believed to bring beneficial effects to the housing industry as well as company productivity. The factors related to the adoption LBM technology was revealed to strongly influence the implementation of this system in the housing industry. The aim of this study is to determine the factors influencing the adoption of LBM technology among the developer firms in Malaysia as well as the factors that are highly related to perceived ease of use and relative advantage. A random sampling technique was applied and a questionnaire-based field survey was carried out to obtain the data from the respondents. All the data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings of this paper have revealed that perceived ease of use and relative advantage are related to the adoption of LBM technology. The findings also indicated the validity of Technology Acceptance Model TAM (perceived ease of use) and Innovation Diffusion Theory IDT (relative advantage) as the determinant factors in the adoption of LBM technology. Finally, some recommendations for future research are suggested in the final section of this paper.

  8. Economic evaluation and cost-effectiveness thresholds: signals to firms and implications for R & D investment and innovation.

    PubMed

    Vernon, John A; Goldberg, Robert; Golec, Joseph

    2009-01-01

    In this article we describe how reimbursement cost-effectiveness thresholds, per unit of health benefit, whether set explicitly or observed implicitly via historical reimbursement decisions, serve as a signal to firms about the commercial viability of their R&D projects (including candidate products for in-licensing). Traditional finance methods for R&D project valuations, such as net present value analyses (NPV), incorporate information from these payer reimbursement signals to help determine which R&D projects should be continued and which should be terminated (in the case of the latter because they yield an NPV < 0). Because the influence these signals have for firm R&D investment decisions is so significant, we argue that it is important for reimbursement thresholds to reflect the economic value of the unit of health benefit being considered for reimbursement. Thresholds set too low (below the economic value of the health benefit) will result in R&D investment levels that are too low relative to the economic value of R&D (on the margin). Similarly, thresholds set too high (above the economic value of the health benefit) will result in inefficiently high levels of R&D spending. The US in particular, which represents approximately half of the global pharmaceutical market (based on sales), and which seems poised to begin undertaking cost effectiveness in a systematic way, needs to exert caution in setting policies that explicitly or implicitly establish cost-effectiveness reimbursement thresholds for healthcare products and technologies, such as pharmaceuticals.

  9. Stochasticity Favoring the Effects of the R&D Strategies of the Firms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pinto, Alberto A.; Oliveira, Bruno M. P. M.; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Ferreira, Flávio

    We present stochastic dynamics on the production costs of Cournot competitions, based on perfect Nash equilibria of nonlinear R&D investment strategies to reduce the production costs of the firms at every period of the game. We analyse the effects that the R&D investment strategies can have in the profits of the firms along the time. We observe that, in certain cases, the uncertainty can improve the effects of the R&D strategies in the profits of the firms due to the non-linearity of the profit functions and also of the R&D parameters.

  10. Investing to Survive in a Duopoly Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pinto, Alberto A.; Oliveira, Bruno M. P. M.; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Ferreira, Miguel

    We present deterministic dynamics on the production costs of Cournot competitions, based on perfect Nash equilibria of nonlinear R&D investment strategies to reduce the production costs of the firms at every period of the game. We analyse the effects that the R&D investment strategies can have in the profits of the firms along the time. We show that small changes in the initial production costs or small changes in the parameters that determine the efficiency of the R&D programs or of the firms can produce strong economic effects in the long run of the profits of the firms.

  11. Implementation of a World Wide Web server for the oil and gas industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blaylock, R.E.; Martin, F.D.; Emery, R.

    1995-12-31

    The Gas and Oil Technology Exchange and Communication Highway, (GO-TECH), provides an electronic information system for the petroleum community for the purpose of exchanging ideas, data, and technology. The personal computer-based system fosters communication and discussion by linking oil and gas producers with resource centers, government agencies, consulting firms, service companies, national laboratories, academic research groups, and universities throughout the world. The oil and gas producers are provided access to the GO-TECH World Wide Web home page via modem links, as well as Internet. The future GO-TECH applications will include the establishment of{open_quote}Virtual corporations {close_quotes} consisting of consortiums of smallmore » companies, consultants, and service companies linked by electronic information systems. These virtual corporations will have the resources and expertise previously found only in major corporations.« less

  12. Implementation of a World Wide Web server for the oil and gas industry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Blaylock, R.E.; Martin, F.D.; Emery, R.

    1996-10-01

    The Gas and Oil Technology Exchange and Communication Highway (GO-TECH) provides an electronic information system for the petroleum community for exchanging ideas, data, and technology. The PC-based system fosters communication and discussion by linking the oil and gas producers with resource centers, government agencies, consulting firms, service companies, national laboratories, academic research groups, and universities throughout the world. The oil and gas producers can access the GO-TECH World Wide Web (WWW) home page through modem links, as well as through the Internet. Future GO-TECH applications will include the establishment of virtual corporations consisting of consortia of small companies, consultants, andmore » service companies linked by electronic information systems. These virtual corporations will have the resources and expertise previously found only in major corporations.« less

  13. Overview of Existing and Future Residential Use Cases for Connected Thermostats

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rotondo, Julia; Johnson, Robert; Gonzales, Nancy

    This paper is intended to help inform future technology deployment opportunities for connected thermostats (CTs), based on investigation and review of the U.S. residential housing and CT markets, as well as existing, emerging, and future use cases for CT hardware and CT-generated data. The CT market has experienced tremendous growth over the last five years — both in terms of the number of units sold and the number of firms offering competing products — and can be characterized by its rapid pace of technological innovation. Despite many assuming CTs would become powerful tools for increasing comfort while saving energy, theremore » remains a great deal of uncertainty about the actual energy and cost savings that are likely to be realized from deployment of CTs, particularly under different conditions.« less

  14. The marketing firm and consumer choice: implications of bilateral contingency for levels of analysis in organizational neuroscience.

    PubMed

    Foxall, Gordon R

    2014-01-01

    The emergence of a conception of the marketing firm (Foxall, 1999a) conceived within behavioral psychology and based on a corresponding model of consumer choice, (Foxall, 1990/2004) permits an assessment of the levels of behavioral and organizational analysis amenable to neuroscientific examination. This paper explores the ways in which the bilateral contingencies that link the marketing firm with its consumerate allow appropriate levels of organizational neuroscientific analysis to be specified. Having described the concept of the marketing firm and the model of consumer behavior on which it is based, the paper analyzes bilateral contingencies at the levels of (i) market exchange, (ii) emotional reward, and (iii) neuroeconomics. Market exchange emerges as a level of analysis that lends itself predominantly to the explanation of firm-consumerate interactions in terms of the super-personal level of reinforcing and punishing contingencies: the marketing firm can be treated as a contextual or operant system in its own right. However, the emotional reward and neuroeconomic levels of analysis should be confined to the personal level of analysis represented by individual managers on the one hand and individual consumers on the other. This also entails a level of abstraction but it is one that can be satisfactorily handled in terms of the concept of bilateral contingency.

  15. 2D net shape weaving for cost effective manufacture of textile reinforced composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vo, D. M. P.; Kern, M.; Hoffmann, G.; Cherif, C.

    2017-10-01

    Despite significant weight and performance advantages over metal parts, the today’s demand for fibre-reinforced polymer composites (FRPC) has been limited mainly by their large manufacturing cost. The combination of dry textile preforms and low-cost consolidation processes such as resin transfer molding (RTM) has been appointed as a promising approach to low-cost FRPC manufacture. At the current state of the art, tooling and impregnation technology is well understood whereas preform fabrication technology has not been developed effectively. This paper presents an advanced 2D net shape weaving technology developed with the aim to establish a more cost effective system for the manufacture of dry textile preforms for FRPC. 2D net shape weaving is developed based on open reed weave (ORW) technology and enables the manufacture of 2D contoured woven fabrics with firm edge, so that oversize cutting and hand trimming after molding are no longer required. The introduction of 2D net shape woven fabrics helps to reduce material waste, cycle time and preform manufacturing cost significantly. Furthermore, higher grade of automation in preform fabrication can be achieved.

  16. Examining the articulation of innovativeness in co-creative firms: a neural network approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    di Tollo, Giacomo; Tanev, Stoyan

    2010-10-01

    Value co-creation is an emerging marketing and innovation paradigm describing a broader opening of the firm to its customers by providing them with the opportunity to become active participants in the design and development of personalized products, services and experiences. The aim of the present contribution is to provide preliminary results from a research project focusing on the relationship between value co-creation and the perception of innovation in technology-driven firms. The data was collected in a previous study using web search techniques and factor analysis to identify the key co-creation components and the frequency of firms' online comments about their new products, processes and services. The present work focuses on using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approach to understand if the extent of value co-creation activities can be thought of as an indicator of the perception of innovation. The preliminary simulation results indicate the existence of such relationship. The ANN approach does not suggest a specific model but the relationship that was found out between the forecasted values of the perception of innovation and its actual values clearly points in this direction.

  17. Examining the articulation of innovativeness in co-creative firms: a neural network approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    di Tollo, Giacomo; Tanev, Stoyan

    2011-03-01

    Value co-creation is an emerging marketing and innovation paradigm describing a broader opening of the firm to its customers by providing them with the opportunity to become active participants in the design and development of personalized products, services and experiences. The aim of the present contribution is to provide preliminary results from a research project focusing on the relationship between value co-creation and the perception of innovation in technology-driven firms. The data was collected in a previous study using web search techniques and factor analysis to identify the key co-creation components and the frequency of firms' online comments about their new products, processes and services. The present work focuses on using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approach to understand if the extent of value co-creation activities can be thought of as an indicator of the perception of innovation. The preliminary simulation results indicate the existence of such relationship. The ANN approach does not suggest a specific model but the relationship that was found out between the forecasted values of the perception of innovation and its actual values clearly points in this direction.

  18. Invention and business performance in the tissue-engineering industry.

    PubMed

    Pangarkar, Nitin; Hutmacher, Dietmar W

    2003-12-01

    Tissue engineering is a young and interdisciplinary scientific discipline but it offers exciting opportunities to improve the quality of health care for hundreds of thousands of patients. Lured by its potential, several start-up companies, pharmaceutical corporations, and medical device enterprises alike are investing heavily in this sector. Invention is a key driver of competition in this sector. In this study, we aim to explain the variation in inventive output across the different firms in the sector. Our major premise is that firms that forge alliances will be able to tap into the expertise of their partners and thus improve their chances of inventive output. We further argue that alliances that enable technology acquisition or learning will enhance the inventive output of firms more than other kinds of alliances. We measure the inventive output of a company by the number of patents filed. On the basis of a preliminary analysis of seven companies, we find support for the hypotheses. We also argue that, to achieve commercial success, firms need to manage time to market (through alliances or otherwise), have a global outlook, nurture their financial resources, and attain critical mass through mergers.

  19. Sematech: Purpose and Performance

    PubMed Central

    Irwin, Douglas A.; Klenow, Peter J.

    1996-01-01

    In previous research, we have found a steep learning curve in the production of semiconductors. We estimated that most production knowledge remains internal to the firm, but that a significant fraction “spills over” to other firms. The existence of such spillovers may justify government actions to stimulate research on semiconductor manufacturing technology. The fact that not all production knowledge spills over, meanwhile, creates opportunities for firms to form joint ventures and slide down their learning curves more efficiently. With these considerations in mind, in 1987 14 leading U.S. semiconductor producers, with the assistance of the U.S. government in the form of $100 million in annual subsidies, formed a research and development (R&D) consortium called Sematech. In previous research, we estimated that Sematech has induced its member firms to lower their R&D spending. This may reflect more sharing and less duplication of research, i.e., more research being done with each R&D dollar. If this is the case, then Sematech members may wish to replace any funding withdrawn by the U.S. government. This in turn would imply that the U.S. government’s contributions to Sematech do not induce more semiconductor research than would otherwise occur. PMID:8917487

  20. Alcoa North American Extrusions Implements Energy Use Assessments at Multiple Facilities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    2001-08-01

    This case study is the latest in a series on industrial firms who are implementing energy efficient technologies and system improvements into their manufacturing processes. The case studies document the activities, savings, and lessons learned on these projects.

  1. 37 CFR 401.11 - Appeals.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Appeals. 401.11 Section 401.11 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR TECHNOLOGY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS UNDER GOVERNMENT...

  2. Understanding How Resources and Capabilities Affect Performance: Actively Applying the Resource-Based View in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheehan, Norman T.

    2006-01-01

    The resource-based view is a strategic framework for understanding why some firms outperform others. Its importance is reflected in its wide inclusion in strategy texts as a tool for assessing a firm's internal strengths and weaknesses. This article outlines an experiential exercise that demonstrates how different bundles of resources and…

  3. 76 FR 53882 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Trade Fair Certification Program Application

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-30

    ... agents or distributors; market research and exposure; and joint venture and licensing opportunities for...-sector firms. The TFC Program seeks to broaden the base of U.S. firms, particularly new-to-market...

  4. US-Ukraine Military Relations and the Value of Interoperability

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-12-01

    this did not continue for long due to the U.S. Congress’ disappointment in Ukraine’s failure to resolve specific disputes involving U.S. firms , and the...doctrinal and technological development with our key allies and to combined training events and exercises that contribute to interoperability...theoretical opportunities exist for future close military technical connections, given some of Ukraine’s unique technological capabilities in the fields of

  5. JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Science & Technology Policy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-04-29

    spread: " clusters " of mod- ern science-intensive firms have begun to be grouped around a large university or research center. Such a symbiosis of...Cost Accounting in Scientific Research [G. Lakhtin; PRAVDA, 30 Jan 88] 1 Facilities, Manpower Candidate Members of Ukrainian Academy of Sciences...Ovezgeldyyev; TURKMENSKAYA ISKRA 17 Nov 87] 75 Conversion of Research Organizations to Cost Accounting [A. Guniya; ZARYA VOSTOKA 16 Jan 88] ... 78

  6. Sustaining High Growth Through Innovation: Reforming the R&D and Education Systems in Korea. OECD Economics Department Working Papers No. 470

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baek, Yongchun; Jones, Randall

    2005-01-01

    With inputs of labour and capital slowing, sustaining high growth rates in Korea will increasingly depend on total factor productivity gains, which are in turn driven to a large extent by innovation. While a number of Korean firms are at the world technology frontier in areas such as ICT, the diffusion of technology to lagging sectors is a…

  7. West Europe Report, Science and Technology, No. 163

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-11-10

    recommenda- tion. A representative of the unions thinks that the risk analysis of the com- mission was too limited and the spokesman of the...Gist-Brocades in Delft, Unilever in Vlaardingen and Organon (Akzo Pharma) in Oss. A few other firms are considering to start with this technique...large multinationals which already were engaged in the application of bio- technology. Ir R. Keuning, member of the board of Unilever Research Labor

  8. Medical malpractice web advertising: a qualitative, cross-sectional analysis of plaintiff medical malpractice firms in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

    PubMed

    Ghobadi, Comeron W; Gevorgyan, Ofelya; Bednarski, Caroline E; Hayman, Emily L; Walter, Jessica R; Xu, Shuai

    2017-01-01

    Medical malpractice plaintiff firms play a central role in the prosecution of malpractice claims. There have been limited studies on the online advertising practices of plaintiff medical malpractice firms. The Martindale-Hubbell directory was used to identify all plaintiff medical malpractice firms in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Each firm's website was individually mined for relevant data. Thirty-one unique medical malpractice law firms were identified. Seventy-seven percent of law firms advertised awards with the Martindale-Hubbell AV rating, AVVO, and Super Lawyer being the three most common. The second most common method of advertising was accomplished through descriptions of successful verdicts and settlements (61%). A total of 408 verdicts, settlements, and arbitrations collectively representing $1.4 billion dollars were advertised by all law firms. Median awarded values for verdicts was advertised as $4.5 million, while the median awarded values for settlements was $1.25 million. Defendants most commonly practiced obstetrics (18%), followed by primary care (14%). Law firms report treatment and diagnosis delay as the most common successful claim (50%), followed much further by misdiagnosis (8%), and communication error (4%). Our sample correlates with larger claims-based studies surrounding the most commonly sued specialties, however, median reported settlement and verdict values were significantly higher in our cohort. Considerations should be made to provide advertising guidelines for medical malpractice plaintiff firms. Copyright © 2017 by the National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent and Disabled, Inc.

  9. Jobs and Renewable Energy Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sterzinger, George

    2006-12-19

    Early in 2002, REPP developed the Jobs Calculator, a tool that calculates the number of direct jobs resulting from renewable energy development under RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) legislation or other programs to accelerate renewable energy development. The calculator is based on a survey of current industry practices to assess the number and type of jobs that will result from the enactment of a RPS. This project built upon and significantly enhanced the initial Jobs Calculator model by (1) expanding the survey to include other renewable technologies (the original model was limited to wind, solar PV and biomass co-firing technologies); (2)more » more precisely calculating the economic development benefits related to renewable energy development; (3) completing and regularly updating the survey of the commercially active renewable energy firms to determine kinds and number of jobs directly created; and (4) developing and implementing a technology to locate where the economic activity related to each type of renewable technology is likely to occur. REPP worked directly with groups in the State of Nevada to interpret the results and develop policies to capture as much of the economic benefits as possible for the state through technology selection, training program options, and outreach to manufacturing groups.« less

  10. Exploring the Role of Value Networks for Software Innovation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morgan, Lorraine; Conboy, Kieran

    This paper describes a research-in-progress that aims to explore the applicability and implications of open innovation practices in two firms - one that employs agile development methods and another that utilizes open source software. The open innovation paradigm has a lot in common with open source and agile development methodologies. A particular strength of agile approaches is that they move away from 'introverted' development, involving only the development personnel, and intimately involves the customer in all areas of software creation, supposedly leading to the development of a more innovative and hence more valuable information system. Open source software (OSS) development also shares two key elements of the open innovation model, namely the collaborative development of the technology and shared rights to the use of the technology. However, one shortfall with agile development in particular is the narrow focus on a single customer representative. In response to this, we argue that current thinking regarding innovation needs to be extended to include multiple stakeholders both across and outside the organization. Additionally, for firms utilizing open source, it has been found that their position in a network of potential complementors determines the amount of superior value they create for their customers. Thus, this paper aims to get a better understanding of the applicability and implications of open innovation practices in firms that employ open source and agile development methodologies. In particular, a conceptual framework is derived for further testing.

  11. Computer Aided Manufacturing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Insolia, Gerard

    This document contains course outlines in computer-aided manufacturing developed for a business-industry technology resource center for firms in eastern Pennsylvania by Northampton Community College. The four units of the course cover the following: (1) introduction to computer-assisted design (CAD)/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM); (2) CAM…

  12. Developing Trust in Virtual Teams

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Germain, Marie-Line

    2011-01-01

    Rapid globalization, advances in technology, flatter organizational structures, synergistic cooperation among firms, and a shift to knowledge work environments have led to the increasing use of virtual teams in organizations. Selecting, training, and socializing employees in virtual teamwork has therefore become an important human resource…

  13. Digital Economy and Management in Spain.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    del Aguila, Ana R.; Padilla, Antonio; Serarols, Christian; Veciana, Jose M.

    2003-01-01

    Explains the digital economy and its impact on the firm. Highlights include subsectors of the digital economy, including infrastructure; analysis of the digital economy in Spain; analysis of the ICT (information and communication technology) sector in Spain; and electronic commerce through the Internet. (LRW)

  14. 37 CFR 401.15 - Deferred determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Deferred determinations. 401.15 Section 401.15 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR TECHNOLOGY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS FIRMS UNDER...

  15. Low Cost Ways to Keep Software Current.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schultheis, Robert A.

    1992-01-01

    Discusses strategies for providing students with current computer software technology including acquiring previous versions of software, obtaining demonstration software, using student versions, getting examination software, buying from mail order firms, buying few copies, exploring site licenses, acquiring shareware or freeware, and applying for…

  16. Technological and safety properties display biodiversity among enterococci isolated from two Egyptian cheeses, "Ras" and "Domiati".

    PubMed

    Malek, Reine; El-Attar, Aisha; Mohamed, Mariam; Anwar, Shimaa; El-Soda, Morsi; Béal, Catherine

    2012-02-15

    The technological and safety properties of 35 indigenous strains of Enterococcus faecium isolated from two Egyptian cheeses were characterised in order to determine their ability for rational manufacture of diversified and typical dairy products in the Middle East. A great diversity was observed within the 35 strains on the basis of their technological properties. A statistical analysis made it possible to distribute the 35 strains of E. faecium into different groups. Three groups were identified in terms of their acidification activity, measured by the Cinac system: a group of strains that quickly acidified milk, a second that moderately acidified milk, and a last cluster that revealed weak acidification activity. On the basis of texturing properties that were evaluated using a texturometer and a viscometer, a cluster of strains produced viscous and firm gels, a second cluster included fairly viscous, firm and cohesive gels, and a last group generated slightly viscous, but firm and very cohesive gels. By considering the aroma profiles that were determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, four clusters were identified. One cluster displayed a high dimethyl disulfide level, a second group of strains was highly aromatic, a third cluster led to typical "lactic" products, and the last cluster made it possible to obtain low aromatic products. None of the 35 strains proved to be β-haemolytic on the basis of the characterisation of their safety properties. The resistance to 20 antibiotics was assessed by the disc diffusion method. The 35 isolates were sensitive to 12 antibiotics, and among them, one isolate was resistant to only two antibiotics (nalixidic acid and streptomycin). The resistance to eight antibiotics was strain-dependant. Finally, this study demonstrates that some indigenous strains of E. faecium displayed interesting technological properties for cheese manufacture, together with good safety characteristics. They could be useful for the manufacture of typical products in Egypt. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. JTEC Panel report on electronic manufacturing and packaging in Japan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kelly, Michael J.; Boulton, William R. (Editor); Kukowski, John; Meieran, Gene; Pecht, Michael; Peeples, John; Tummala, Rao; Dehaemer, Michael J.; Holdridge, Geoff (Editor); Gamota, George

    1995-01-01

    This report summarizes the status of electronic manufacturing and packaging technology in Japan in comparison to that in the United States, and its impact on competition in electronic manufacturing in general. In addition to electronic manufacturing technologies, the report covers technology and manufacturing infrastructure, electronics manufacturing and assembly, quality assurance and reliability in the Japanese electronics industry, and successful product realization strategies. The panel found that Japan leads the United States in almost every electronics packaging technology. Japan clearly has achieved a strategic advantage in electronics production and process technologies. Panel members believe that Japanese competitors could be leading U.S. firms by as much as a decade in some electronics process technologies.

  18. 32 CFR 37.705 - What standards do I include for purchasing systems of for-profit firms?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... include for purchasing systems of for-profit firms? (a) If your TIA is an expenditure-based award, it... the purchasing standards in 32 CFR 34.31 to use the same requirements for TIAs, unless there are...). (b) You should allow other for-profit participants under expenditure-based TIAs to use their existing...

  19. Investment in Green Technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das Gupta, Supratim

    Since the middle of the 1970's, there has been considerable research about how to deal with exhaustible natural resources which are essential to production. In the absence of substitution possibilities, the finite stock of these resources acts as a limiting factor to continued growth of output and hence consumption possibilities. In our first chapter, we combine a finite natural resource and human capital in the production function and look at the possibility of maintaining a non-declining or sustainable level of consumption for an infinite horizon. Our results show that the return to human capital accumulation plays a key role in ensuring this objective. In our model without physical capital, we obtain a similar result where this return must be such that the fraction of time devoted to acquiring human capital each period is at least as much as the share of natural resources in output. Our second chapter focuses on the transition from a relatively cheap exhaustible natural resource (coal, gasoline) to an expensive alternative technology assumed to be in nearly unlimited supply (wind, solar). Due to significant cost differences between fossil-fuel based energy sources and these alternative (backstop) technologies, their use is not as widespread. Public subsidies to research can however bring about innovation through cheaper production techniques which would significantly reduce the operating costs of these backstop technologies. But without sufficient incentives for investment and patent protections, individual firms typically underinvest in backstop technologies relative to the socially optimal level. In our paper, we find that this underinvestment in the backstop also leads to an under-extraction of the exhaustible natural resource. This imply firms would conserve the natural resource for too long and switch later to the alternative technology relative to the socially optimal solution. We extend the chapter to include pollution as a flow variable. Pollution from aggregate use of the natural resource is seen to not affect the behavior of an individual firm whereas it significantly affects that of the social planner. For relatively low pollution cost values, the socially optimal solution involves less investment in the backstop and conserving the natural resource for a longer period compared to the case without pollution. For higher values of the pollution cost, the social planner invests more in the backstop each period and switches sooner to the backstop compared to the case without pollution. In some situations, this may involve leaving behind some stock of the natural resource in the ground. The third chapter introduces pollution (a stock variable) through a deterioration of environmental quality. The structure of the second chapter is maintained here. Comparing the true pollution cost of the resource (in terms of a poor environmental quality) and the cost of the backstop technology, it is possible for the natural resource to be relatively more expensive. This arises in a situation of a very dirty environmental quality where the additional benefit from a slightly better environment exceeds the cost of the alternative cleaner technology. In this case, the optimal solution involves using the backstop at first for a few periods before making a discrete jump to a constant mix of using both the resource and the backstop technology. Here the economy settles at a steady state of environmental quality. It similarly follows that when the quality of the environment is relatively clean to begin with, the optimal solution involves starting with the cheaper but polluting natural resource before switching to a constant mix of using both the energy sources.

  20. The Evolution of ICT Markets: An Agent-Based Model on Complex Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Liangjie; Wu, Bangtao; Chen, Zhong; Li, Li

    Information and communication technology (ICT) products exhibit positive network effects.The dynamic process of ICT markets evolution has two intrinsic characteristics: (1) customers are influenced by each others’ purchasing decision; (2) customers are intelligent agents with bounded rationality.Guided by complex systems theory, we construct an agent-based model and simulate on complex networks to examine how the evolution can arise from the interaction of customers, which occur when they make expectations about the future installed base of a product by the fraction of neighbors who are using the same product in his personal network.We demonstrate that network effects play an important role in the evolution of markets share, which make even an inferior product can dominate the whole market.We also find that the intensity of customers’ communication can influence whether the best initial strategy for firms is to improve product quality or expand their installed base.

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