Combining information seeking services into a meta supply chain of facts

The World Wide Web has become a vital supplier of information that allows organizations to carry on such tasks as business intelligence, security monitoring, and risk assessments. Having a quick and reliable supply of correct facts from perspective is often mission critical. By following design science guidelines, we have explored ways to recombine facts from multiple sources, each with possibly different levels of responsiveness and accuracy, into one robust supply chain. Inspired by prior research on keyword-based meta-search engines (e.g., metacrawler.com), we have adapted the existing question answering algorithms for the task of analysis and triangulation of facts. We present a first prototype for a meta approach to fact seeking. Our meta engine sends a user's question to several fact seeking services that are publicly available on the Web (e.g., ask.com, brainboost.com, answerbus.com, NSIR, etc.) and analyzes the returned results jointly to identify and present to the user those that are most likely to be factually correct. The results of our evaluation on the standard test sets widely used in prior research support the evidence for the following: 1) the value-added of the meta approach: its performance surpasses the performance of each supplier, 2) the importance of using fact seeking services as suppliers to the meta engine rather than keyword driven search portals, and 3) the resilience of the meta approach: eliminating a single service does not noticeably impact the overall performance. We show that these properties make the meta-approach a more reliable supplier of facts than any of the currently available stand-alone services

Operational guidelines for assessing the impact of agricultural research on livelihoods. Good practices from CIMMYT

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Make or Buy in a mature industry? Models of client-supplier relationships under TCT and RBV perspectives

In this paper, we use the transaction cost theory (TCT) and the resource-based view (RBV) to discuss three propositions on the models of client-supplier relationships in mature industries. The two theories seem to advance different organizational forms of the client-supplier relationships, and in some instances contradictory. How should firms organize to prosper and grow, namely in the international markets? Through the case study of three Portuguese packaging firms, with primary (interviews) and secondary data, we discuss how the three firms deploy three distinct strategic organization models in a mature industry. One firm utilizes market-based governance mechanisms, and concentrates its production in a few selected locations. Another firm vertically integrates almost the entire value chain of the product to provide full service to its clients. The third firm operates in a model of integrated outsourcing, with the installation "wall to wall" to its clients. The models client-supplier assumed by these firms are based on efficient, stable, and trustworthy relationships, that permit the focus on their core competences and the reduction of the transaction costs. Firms? superior performance requires a proper alignment of hierarchical and relational governance taking in consideration the dimensions of the transactions.Client-supplier relationship models; Outsourcing; TCT; RBV; Strategic Governance

Unpacking capabilities underlying design (thinking) process

Engineering graduates must know how to frame and solve non-routine problems. While design classes explicitly teach problem framing and solving, it is lacking throughout much of the rest of the engineering curriculum and is often relegated to capstone classes at the end of the students’ educational experience. This paper explores problem framing and solving through the lens of experiential learning theory. It captures core problem framing and solving approaches from critical, design and systems thinking and concludes with a table of learning outcomes that might be drawn upon in designing an engineering curriculum that more fully develops the problem framing and solving capabilities of its students

Youth alcohol and drug good practice guide 1: A framework for youth alcohol and other drug practice

This Guide outlines a framework for working with young people whose AOD use creates significant vulnerability to current or future harm. The target audience is practitioners who work with young people who have problematic AOD use and the managers of these practitioners. Areas of content include the elements of a framework for AOD practice, an appreciation of the developmental, social and institutional location of young people, key concepts and understandings regarding good youth centered context responsive practice, and key policy constructs and directions

BIG DATA ANALYTICS TOOLS: A BIBLIOMETRIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Analytics as a field is rapidly growing because of businesses need to tackle increasingly large and complex datasets to gain a competitive edge in the business environment. Currently there are two distinct types of analytics technologies: proprietary and open-source. Each has their distinct strengths and weaknesses, but which is relevant in today business environment? Questions like this are important for businesses wanting utilize these technologies in order to become larger and more efficient. This research answered this question and it was found that both proprietary and open-source technologies are equally relevant in current analytics research. Because of this, businesses should be more aware of the analytics field and how both types of technologies could benefit their current operations and should strategically utilize both types to meet their specific data needs

Strategies for sustainable socio-economic development and mechanisms their implementation in the global dimension

The authors of the book have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to effectively use modern approaches to developing and implementation strategies of sustainable socio-economic development in order to increase efficiency and competitiveness of economic entities. Basic research focuses on economic diagnostics of socio-economic potential and financial results of economic entities, transition period in the economy of individual countries and ensuring their competitiveness, assessment of educational processes and knowledge management. The research results have been implemented in the different models and strategies of supply and logistics management, development of non-profit organizations, competitiveness of tourism and transport, financing strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises, cross-border cooperation. The results of the study can be used in decision-making at the level the economic entities in different areas of activity and organizational-legal forms of ownership, ministries and departments that promote of development the economic entities on the basis of models and strategies for sustainable socio-economic development. The results can also be used by students and young scientists in modern concepts and mechanisms for management of sustainable socio-economic development of economic entities in the condition of global economic transformations and challenges

Haasteet ja jännitteet syntyvissä tehdasteollisuuden dataa jakavissa verkostoissa

The increase of Big Data collected from digitalised products and services is driving companies towards seeking additional value through Big Data analysis. For many companies, this requires competences they do not have. Additionally, more value would be gained by gathering and using data from their value chain as well as their own. These two aspects are driving companies to form networks and ecosystems of organisations sharing data to co-create value. This thesis studies the challenges emerging networks or ecosystems face when seeking to cocreate value by sharing data. In this thesis new theoretical understanding on challenges and tensions in emerging networks is built, and the specific challenges data sharing for value co-creation brings are investigated through a literature review and an empirical study. Based on these, practical guidelines on how to approach data sharing in a similar situation are constructed. In its theoretical framework, this thesis combines literature about value networks and ecosystems with literature about data sharing and data as goods. This framework is complemented with theories of forming a shared understanding and data markets. The empirical case study of this thesis examines a single case of an emerging value network in the pulp industry, where the members of a value chain are seeking to transform their business by providing additional value with Big Data analysis. Three managers from three of the relevant companies in the network were interviewed. This thesis adds to theory by providing a framework of interlinked challenges and tensions that relate to emerging networks and ecosystems or data sharing, that has been synthesised from various literature and tested in an empirical study. The results of this thesis suggest that a network experiences both challenges and tensions related generally to working in networks and data sharing and that members of the network perceive challenges and tensions differently. The results also provide ways of mitigating these perceived challenges.Digitalisoiduista tuotteista ja palveluista kerätyn Big Datan määrän kasvaessa yhä useammat yritykset ovat ajautuneet etsimään lisäarvon tuottoa Big Data -analyysistä. Monilta yrityksiltä kuitenkin puuttuu tämän analyysin vaatima tietotaito, ja lisäksi lisäarvoa tuottaisi datan tuominen heidän arvoketjustaan. Nämä asiat ajavat yrityksiä muodostamaan arvoverkostoja ja ekosysteemeitä, jotka jakavat dataa yhteisluodakseen arvoa. Tämä tutkimus perehtyy haasteisiin, joita muodostuvat arvoverkostot tai ekosysteemit kohtaavat, kun ne pyrkivät yhteisluomaan arvoa jakamalla dataa. Tutkimuksessa luodaan kirjalliskatsauksen ja empiirisen tutkimuksen avulla uutta teoreettista ymmärrystä haasteista ja jännitteistä muodostuvissa arvoverkostoissa, sekä niistä ominaishaasteista, joita datan jakaminen verkostossa tuo mukanaan. Tutkimus tuottaa myös suosituksia siitä, miten vastaavissa tilanteissa datan jakamista verkostossa tulisi lähestyä. Tutkimuksen teoreettisessa pohjassa yhdistetään kirjallisuutta arvoverkostoista ja ekosysteemistä kirjallisuuteen datan jakamisesta ja datasta hyödykkeenä. Teoriapohjaa täydentävät yhteisen ymmärryksen luomisen sekä datamarkkinoiden kirjallisuus. Tutkimuksen empiirisessä osassa taas tarkastellaan yksittäisenä tapaustutkimuksena yhtä muodustumassa olevaa puunjalostosteollisuuden arvoverkostoa, jossa arvoketjun jäsenet pyrkivät muuttamaan liiketoimintaansa tuottamalla lisäarvoa Big Data -analyysin avulla. Tutkimusta varten tehtiin kolme haastattelua kolmen arvoverkoston yritysten edustajan kanssa. Tutkimuksessa kehitetään teoriakehys muodostuvan dataa jakavan arvoverkoston yleisistä ja dataan liittyvistä haasteista ja jännitteistä. Teoriakehyksessä muodostetaan yhteyksiä haasteiden ja jännitteiden välille teorian ja empirian perusteella. Tämän tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, että arvoverkoston eri jäsenet eivät koe verkoston haasteita samoin, ja että dataa jakava arvoverkosto kokee sekä yleisesti verkostossa työskentelemiseen, että datan jakamiseen liittyviä haasteita ja jännitteitä. Tulokset lisäksi tarjoavat tapoja helpottaa näitä haasteita

Organizations driving positive social change:a review and an integrative framework of change processes

Academic and practitioner interest in how market-based organizations can drive positive social change (PSC) is steadily growing. This paper helps to recast how organizations relate to society. It integrates research on projects stimulating PSC – the transformational processes to advance societal well-being – which is fragmented across different streams of research in management and related disciplines. Focusing on the mechanisms at play in how organizations and their projects affect change in targets outside of organizational boundaries, we 1) clarify the nature of PSC as a process, 2) develop an integrative framework that specifies two distinct PSC strategies, 3) take stock of and offer a categorization scheme for change mechanisms and enabling organizational practices, and 4) outline opportunities for future research. Our conceptual framework differentiates between surface- and deep-level PSC strategies understood as distinct combinations of change mechanisms and enabling organizational practices. These strategies differ in the nature and speed of transformation experienced by the targets of change projects and the resulting quality (pervasiveness and durability), timing, and reach of social impact. Our findings provide a solid base for integrating and advancing knowledge across the largely disparate streams of management research on Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Entrepreneurship, and Base of the Pyramid, and open up important new avenues for future research on organizing for PSC and on unpacking PSC processes