3,246 research outputs found

    Exploring the Influence of Collaborative Capabilities on Focal Firm Product Outcomes ;the Mediating Role of Supplier Capabilities

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    As markets become more turbulent, dynamic, and competitive, and as customers become more sophisticated and demanding, the scope of capabilities and resources needed to meet customer needs, wants, and desires are less likely to be found in any one firm. Instead, firms must develop strong collaborative capabilities. Though the benefits of interfirm collaboration for focal firms (the firms responsible for the final offering) and suppliers are reasonably well understood, effectiveness and efficiency in collaboration remain elusive for many firms. It is likely that the collaborative capabilities of both focal firms and key suppliers contribute to effective collaboration, and that the collaborative capabilities of focal firms may influence the collaborative capabilities of suppliers, which in turn influence product-market outcomes. This dissertation proposes an integrative model drawing on three prominent streams in collaboration and supply chain research. In the proposed model, supplier collaborative capabilities mediate the association between focal-firm collaborative capabilities and operational product-market outcomes (closeness of the final offering to end-user needs and delivery performance). The model is founded in the knowledge-based and dynamic capabilities views of the firm, and tested empirically with data from a sample of managers from focal firms in industries producing relatively complex final products. Evidence is found of a relationship between focal-firm collaborative capabilities and supplier capabilities, and between supplier capabilities and product-market outcomes. This study contributes to scholarship and practice in interfirm collaboration by testing an integrative model drawn from three prominent streams of collaboration and supply chain research, by clarifying the dimensions of the collaborative communications construct and investigating its relationship with operational outcomes, by investigating the mediating role of supplier capabilities on product-market outcomes, and by extendi

    Local Networks to Compete in the Global Era. The Italian SMEs Experience

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    This study is concerned with the factors that influence the cooperation among cluster-based firms. Theorists have consistently demonstrated the role and importance of economic externalities, such as knowledge spillovers, within industrial clusters. Less attention has been paid to the investigation of social based externalities, though it has been suggested that these may also accrue from geographical agglomeration. This study explores the development of cooperation between firms operating in a single industry sector and in close proximity. The results suggest that social networking has a greater influence than geographic proximity in facilitating inter-firm co-operation. A semi-structured questionnaire has been developed and the answers were analysed with a stepwise regression model.Networks, Inter-Firm Cooperation, SMEs

    Introducing the new paradigm of Social Dispersed Computing: Applications, Technologies and Challenges

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    [EN] If last decade viewed computational services as a utility then surely this decade has transformed computation into a commodity. Computation is now progressively integrated into the physical networks in a seamless way that enables cyber-physical systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT) meet their latency requirements. Similar to the concept of ¿platform as a service¿ or ¿software as a service¿, both cloudlets and fog computing have found their own use cases. Edge devices (that we call end or user devices for disambiguation) play the role of personal computers, dedicated to a user and to a set of correlated applications. In this new scenario, the boundaries between the network node, the sensor, and the actuator are blurring, driven primarily by the computation power of IoT nodes like single board computers and the smartphones. The bigger data generated in this type of networks needs clever, scalable, and possibly decentralized computing solutions that can scale independently as required. Any node can be seen as part of a graph, with the capacity to serve as a computing or network router node, or both. Complex applications can possibly be distributed over this graph or network of nodes to improve the overall performance like the amount of data processed over time. In this paper, we identify this new computing paradigm that we call Social Dispersed Computing, analyzing key themes in it that includes a new outlook on its relation to agent based applications. We architect this new paradigm by providing supportive application examples that include next generation electrical energy distribution networks, next generation mobility services for transportation, and applications for distributed analysis and identification of non-recurring traffic congestion in cities. The paper analyzes the existing computing paradigms (e.g., cloud, fog, edge, mobile edge, social, etc.), solving the ambiguity of their definitions; and analyzes and discusses the relevant foundational software technologies, the remaining challenges, and research opportunities.Garcia Valls, MS.; Dubey, A.; Botti, V. (2018). Introducing the new paradigm of Social Dispersed Computing: Applications, Technologies and Challenges. Journal of Systems Architecture. 91:83-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sysarc.2018.05.007S831029

    A Methodology for Evaluating Relational and NoSQL Databases for Small-Scale Storage and Retrieval

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    Modern systems record large quantities of electronic data capturing time-ordered events, system state information, and behavior. Subsequent analysis enables historic and current system status reporting, supports fault investigations, and may provide insight for emerging system trends. Unfortunately, the management of log data requires ever more efficient and complex storage tools to access, manipulate, and retrieve these records. Truly effective solutions also require a well-planned architecture supporting the needs of multiple stakeholders. Historically, database requirements were well-served by relational data models, however modern, non-relational databases, i.e. NoSQL, solutions, initially intended for “big data” distributed system may also provide value for smaller-scale problems such as those required by log data. However, no evaluation method currently exists to adequately compare the capabilities of traditional (relational database) and modern NoSQL solutions for small-scale problems. This research proposes a methodology to evaluate modern data storage and retrieval systems. While the methodology is intended to be generalizable to many data sources, a commercially-produced unmanned aircraft system served as a representative use case to test the methodology for aircraft log data. The research first defined the key characteristics of database technologies and used those characteristics to inform laboratory simulations emulating representative examples of modern database technologies (relational, key-value, columnar, document, and graph). Based on those results, twelve evaluation criteria were proposed to compare the relational and NoSQL database types. The Analytical Hierarchy Process was then used to combine literature findings, laboratory simulations, and user inputs to determine the most suitable database type for the log data use case. The study results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methodology

    Designing smart markets

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    Electronic markets have been a core topic of information systems (IS) research for last three decades. We focus on a more recent phenomenon: smart markets. This phenomenon is starting to draw considerable interdisciplinary attention from the researchers in computer science, operations research, and economics communities. The objective of this commentary is to identify and outline fruitful research areas where IS researchers can provide valuable contributions. The idea of smart markets revolves around using theoretically supported computational tools to both understand the characteristics of complex trading environments and multiechelon markets and help human decision makers make real-time decisions in these complex environments. We outline the research opportunities for complex trading environments primarily from the perspective o

    Contact Tracing in the Era of Covid-19: Implementation of Traditional Strategies in Novel Contexts and Innovative Approaches to Address Existing Barriers

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    Background: Contact tracing is an evidence-based intervention that became a core component of many COVID-19 response plans throughout the globe. Despite its demonstrated success within other disease contexts, early studies of COVID-19 contact tracing have reported mixed results regarding the effectiveness and impact of contact tracing on ultimate pandemic objectives such as case incidence or mortality. Yet, there remains a knowledge gap regarding contextual factors that influence implementation outcomes of contact tracing that may in turn influence its ultimate impact. The primary objective of this dissertation is to address this knowledge deficit by evaluating an emergency contact tracing program developed at the onset of the pandemic and evaluating the performance of various Bluetooth-assisted contact tracing technologies. Methods: The emergency contact tracing program evaluated throughout this dissertation was established in partnership between the New Haven Health Department and Yale School of Public Health in March, 2020. In Aim 1 (Chapter 2), I evaluate implementation outcomes including reach (proportion of cases and contacts interviewed), timeliness (time from case testing to subsequent contact tracing steps), and sustainability of volunteer workforces. Within this Aim, I use quantitative methods including descriptive cascades to identify common reasons for case and contact drop-out, descriptive time measurements to evaluate timeliness of cumulative and individual contact tracing steps, and multilevel regression analyses to evaluate factors associated with successfully reaching cases and contacts. In Aim 2, I first use focus groups with contact tracers (Chapter 3) to qualitatively explore contextual elements associated with successful delivery of contact tracing. I use thematic analysis to analyze transcripts and the RE-AIM implementation science framework to organize the identified themes. In the second half of Aim 2 (Chapter 4), I draw on interviews with COVID-19 cases and contacts to qualitatively explore elements that influence behaviors upon which the uptake of contact tracing relies. These behaviors include testing, answering phone calls, participating in interviews, and isolating/quarantining. I thematically analyze transcripts and use the COM-B model of behavior change to organize the findings. In Aim 3 (Chapter 5), I evaluate two Bluetooth technologies used in a contact tracing pilot on a university campus. The first technology is an app-based approach, while the second uses a small, portable device to record Bluetooth data. I measure the sensitivity and specificity of each technology by comparing Bluetooth contact records to daily self-report records. I then use a post-participation survey to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the experiences of technology users and explore their perspectives. Results: Of the 1,705 cases reported in Aim 1, 545 (32%) were not reached due to missing key information, and another 334 (20%) were not reached due to their declining the calls or interview invitations. Ultimately, only 826 (48%) were interviewed. Of the 2,437 contacts reported by interviewed cases, 1,597 (66%) were not reached due to missing information, and another 153 (6%) were not reached due to their declining calls or interview invitations. Ultimately, only 687 (28%) were notified of their exposure. Median time to case interview from testing was five days and time to contact notification was 8 days. Various individual-, program-, and case-cluster factors were associated with successful outreach. Support from public health nurses was needed to stabilize the emergency contact tracing workforce due to surging caseloads and limited sustainability of volunteers (median time from sign-up to retirement from program was four weeks). In Aim 2, contact tracers identified many challenges and successes of the program’s implementation and made recommendations for improvement. Successfully engaging cases and contacts (the group hereafter referred to as “clients”) appeared dependent on outreach preferences, tracer communication skills, and sources of community mistrust. Effectiveness of contact tracing appeared threatened by time delays and the difficulties of isolation and quarantine. Adoption of a volunteer workforce appeared to rely on volunteer motivations, collaborative training, and supervision. Last, implementation efficiency was influenced by available tools and coordination with other agencies, and program maintenance was threatened by the low sustainability of volunteer workforces. Interviews with clients shed light on additional elements influencing specific behaviors required in successful contact tracing, and these findings were categorized within the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior (COM-B) Model. Capability of clients to engage in tracing efforts was influenced by COVID-19 symptoms or baseline knowledge. Opportunities for engagement were influenced by structural and contextual resources and ties within social networks. Last, Motivation to engage in tracing efforts was influenced by symptoms, beliefs about deliverables and consequences of participating, trust in the health system, and emotional reactions of clients. In Aim 3, the portable device had higher sensitivity (94% vs 57%; p\u3c.001) and specificity (95% vs 87%; p=.02) compared to the app-only technology. Participants largely considered Bluetooth contact tracing to be appropriate on a university campus but felt less comfortable with using GPS or Wi-Fi technologies. Most preferred technology that was developed and managed by the university compared to a third party, and privacy concerns were common. Conclusions: This dissertation presents some of the earliest efforts to better understand the contextual factors influencing success of COVID-19 contact tracing implementation, and its use of multiple and mixed methods to explore the implementation of contact tracing allows for the triangulation of findings from each individual Aim. Lacking information required for outreach posed a major barrier to reaching cases and contacts, although individual, case-cluster, and program-level factors associated with implementation success were also noted. While volunteers appeared to be an appropriate solution to emergency workforce needs, sustainability poses a significant threat to volunteer-driven programs as demonstrated quantitatively and qualitatively. Focus group and interview participants identified many individual-, program- and systems-level contextual elements influencing contact tracing delivery and uptake. Potential solutions to barriers as well as potential intervention activities to implement are discussed within these chapters. Last, Bluetooth technologies offer promising solutions to some contact tracing barriers, but the preferences of potential technology users and feasibility of managing such hardware/software approaches will be critical for uptake and adherence

    Agriculture in the face of changing markets, institutions and policies: Challenges and strategies

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    Since the late 1980s, agriculture in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) has been under considerable adjustment pressure due to changing political, economic and institutional environments. These changes have been linked to the transition process, as well as the ongoing integration into the European Union and the world market. Reduced subsidies, increased environmental and food quality demands, as well as structural changes in the supply, processing and food retailing sector call for major structural adjustments and the improvement of farmers' managerial abilities. Though such changes always carry significant threats to farms, they also offer new opportunities for the farms' entrepreneurial engagement. Upcoming changes in the agricultural environment and their possible consequences for farm structures across Europe are thus still timely subjects. The objective of the IAMO Forum 2006 is to contribute to the success of agriculture in the CEECs, as well as their neighboring countries, in today's increasingly competitive environment. Concrete questions the conference focuses on are: What are the most suitable farm organizations, cooperative arrangements and contractual forms? How to improve efficiency and productivity? Where do market niches lie and what are the new product demands? CONTENT: Preface; Jarmila Curtiss, Alfons Balmann, Kirsti Dautzenberg, Kathrin Happe. The success of gradualism: Empirical evidence from China's agricultural reform; Jikun Huang, Johan F. M. Swinnen, Scott Rozelle. Land reform and farm restructuring in Moldova, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan: A stocktaking; David Sedik. Land market developments, imperfections, and effects in transition countries; Johan F. M. Swinnen, Pavel Ciaian, Liesbet Vranken. Farmland markets, boom/bust cycles, and farm size; Charles B. Moss, Andrew Schmitz. Duality of farm structure in transition agriculture: The case of Moldova; Zvi Lerman, Dragos Cimpoies. Organizational restructuring of the agrarian sector in Bulgaria during the pre-accession period; Julia M. Doitchinova, Ivan St. Kanchev, Albena Miteva. Governance of Bulgarian farming - Modes, efficiency, impact of EU accession; Hrabrin Bachev. Leadership may have a decisive influence on the successful transition of production cooperatives - A social capital approach; Csaba Forgács. Contractual arrangement and enforcement in transition agriculture: Theory and evidence from China; Hongdong Guo. Contractrual relationships in the Hungarian horticultural sector; Imre Ferto. Contract farming in China: Perspectives of smallholders; Hongdong Guo, Robert W. Jolly, Jianhua Zhu. Are macro policies adjusted to institutional arrangements at the micro level? Some evidence from Polish Agriculture during transition; Jan Falkowski, Dominika Milczarek. The Austrian private foundation as a legal form in farm management, with special emphasis on tax issues; Hermann Peyerl, Günter Breuer. Credit as a tool of integration between the Polish farms and buyers of their products; Alina Danilowska. Who, why and how: Problems of farmers' interest representation in Poland; Aldona Zawojska. How competitive is milk production in the Central and Eastern European countries in comparison to Western Europe? Mikhail Ramanovich, Torsten Hemme. Production and trade of animal products in selected ECO countries; Farhad Mirzaei, Olaf Heidelbach. European agriculture without direct payments - A partial equilibrium analysis; Oliver Balkhausen, Martin Banse. Measuring the degree of market power in the Ukrainian milk processing; Oleksandr Perekhozhuk, Michael Grings. Determinants of foreign direct investments in the food processing industry: An empirical analysis for Ukraine; Oksana Luka. Allocative efficiency of corporate farms in the Leningrad region; David Epstein. Pathways towards efficient levels of machinery investments needed for the sustainable development of arable farms in Bulgaria; Nikolay Naydenov. Small-scale farming in Romania - Shadow prices and efficiency; Johannes Sauer, Borbala Balint. How large is the marginal product of land in the Moscow region? Natalia Il'ina, Nikolay Svetlov. Spatial price transmission on the Turkish wheat market - An initial application; Enno-Burghard Weitzel, Ahmet Bayaner. Farm to retail price transmission on the pork market: A German-Hungarian comparison; Lajos Zoltán Bakucs, Imre Ferto, Heinrich Hockmann, Oleksandr Perekhozhuk. The nature of selected price transmissions in the agri-food chain and their consequences; Lukáš Čechura. Labor mobility in transition countries and the impact of institutions; Thomas Herzfeld, Thomas Glauben. Choosing to migrate or migrating to choose: Migration and labor choice in Albania; Carlo Azzarri, Gero Carletto, Benjamin Davis, Alberto Zezza. Rural non-farm employment in Ukraine; Oleg Nivyevskiy, Stephan von Cramon-Taubadel. Opportunities and challenges for farm household livelihood strategies: Pluriactivity in Finland and the UK; Claire Newton. Territorial aspects of enterprise development in remote rural areas of Europe; Zuzana Bednarikova, Tomas Doucha, Zdenek Travnicek. New policy approaches for rural development: The experience of two case regions in Eastern Germany; Theodor Fock --

    Agriculture in the Face of Changing Markets, Institutions and Policies: Challenges and Strategies

    Get PDF
    Since the late 1980s, agriculture in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) has been under considerable adjustment pressure due to changing political, economic and institutional environments. These changes have been linked to the transition process, as well as the ongoing integration into the European Union and the world market. Reduced subsidies, increased environmental and food quality demands, as well as structural changes in the supply, processing and food retailing sector call for major structural adjustments and the improvement of farmersâ managerial abilities. Though such changes always carry significant threats to farms, they also offer new opportunities for the farms' entrepreneurial engagement. Upcoming changes in the agricultural environment and their possible consequences for farm structures across Europe are thus still timely subjects. The objective of the IAMO Forum 2006 is to contribute to the success of agriculture in the CEECs, as well as their neighboring countries, in todayâs increasingly competitive environment. Concrete questions the conference focuses on are: What are the most suitable farm organizations, cooperative arrangements and contractual forms? How to improve efficiency and productivity? Where do market niches lie and what are the new product demands? This book contains 33 invited and selected contributions. These papers will be presented at the IAMO Forum 2006 in order to offer a platform for scientists, practitioners and policy-makers to discuss challenges and potential strategies at the farm, value chain, rural society and policy levels in order to cope with the upcoming challenges. IAMO Forum 2006, as well as this book, would not have been possible without the engagement of many people and institutions. We thank the authors of the submitted abstracts and papers, as well as the referees, for their evaluation of the abstracts from which the papers were selected. In particular, we would like to express our thanks to OLIVER JUNGKLAUS, GABRIELE MEWES, KLAUS REINSBERG and ANGELA SCHOLZ, who significantly contributed to the organization of the Forum. Furthermore, our thanks goes to SILKE SCHARF for her work on the layout and editing support of this book, and to JIM CURTISS, JAMIE BULLOCH, and DÃNALL Ã MEARÃIN for their English proof-reading. As experience from previous years documents, the course of the IAMO Forum continues to profit from the support and engagement of the IAMO administration, which we gratefully acknowledge. Last but not least, we are very grateful to the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Haniel Foundation and the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO) for their respective financial support.Agribusiness, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Farm Management, Industrial Organization, International Development, Labor and Human Capital, Land Economics/Use, Productivity Analysis,
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