China's creative industries : clusters and performances

A working paper submitted to the Annual Conference of the Chinese Economist Association held at Cambridge University from 1st to 2nd April 2008Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Power relations, ethnicity and privatisation: A tale of a telecommunications company

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the confluence of political and economic interests of the Fijian elite in transforming state assets into private property and financial gain. Drawing on a Habermasian theoretical framework applied to a privatised state monopoly (Telecom Fiji), it is demonstrated how an implementation of privatisation concealed social and political interests. Thus privatisation provided a convenient rhetoric and tool of implementation for social and political gain by a ruling elite. For those inside the Telecom company, the ethos of public service could not withstand the messengers of capitalism with their rhetoric of the need for greater efficiency, effectiveness and consumer awareness. However, as for many other privatisation programmes around the world, the results are not reflected in the improved organisational performance or wellbeing of the ordinary citizen when state monopolies are privatised

Joining the information society : access issues for Europeans

Abstract not availableeconomics of technology ;

Determinants of social and institutional beliefs about internet acceptance within developing country’s context: A structural evaluation of higher education systems in Pakistan

This study aims to extend a model of technology acceptance to suit in developing country’s context. The model attempts to identify relationship between social and institutional factors over behavioural intention and usage. Recently, ‘acceptance and adoption of information technology (IT) in multicultural setting’ is becoming topic of interest for IS researchers. In this line, numerous theories and models are proposed to contribute in examining factors of IT acceptance and reluctance. It is argued that the models in published literature are found culturally biased, which successfully present results in only American and European context, however, their validity became questionable when they were tested in south Asian countries context. Additionally, lack of research is observed to predict individual’s cognitive behaviour of acceptance, which are influenced by social factors (i.e. peer influence and superior influence, voluntariness, experience) and institutional factors (i.e. local institutional management influence and top-level governmental policies influence). This study used Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) based on Partial Least Square (PLS) method to analyse the data. The results reveal that the proposed conceptual model achieves acceptable fit and the hypothesised paths are valid

The quantification of ICT development

Nowadays, economy and society in the age of information base on results of production chain (information-knowledge-acquaintance), the motor of processes is handling structured knowledge and communication. Quantifying and measuring of differences of the information society’s different parts raise similar problems like the question of the concept’s definition itself. Our main problem is defining information society in any other way, then we also have to measure in a different way maybe with different variables and methods. It follows that the topic contains wide range of measurable variables: several explaining variables can be listed from infrastructural parts measured in the most easiest way through knowledge-part can be measured a bit harder till hardly tangible willingness for using information. That is why most of the studies work with groups of variables and complex indexes as there is no one-dimension indicator can be measured simply and could be considered as an own one by any of the information societies. The measurement of factors generally raises different problems that can only be solved in different ways, therefore unified schemes or scenarios cannot be used for measuring a new factor. It is also important to note that it is not necessary to include all factors in everyday statistical surveys

Internal Telecommunications Control

Arkitektfirman Kolman X Boye Architects har fått uppdraget att upprätta bygglovshandlingar för ett äldreboende. Det är ännu ej bestämt i detalj hur byggnaden skall uppföras men beställaren önskar att byggnaden uppförs i träbyggnadsteknik. Äldreboendet projekteras för 54 stycken lägenheter fördelat på sex stycken våningsplan och en total bruttoarea på strax under 6000m2. Ingen lika hög träbyggnad med denna verksamhetsklass avseende brand har tidigare uppförts i Sverige. Vår uppgift och utmaning i detta arbete har varit att reda ut problematiken kring projekteringen av exteriöra detaljer för höga hus i trä. Utifrån kända problem avseende brand, akustik och fukt har sedan ett antal detaljer som påverkar det estetiska uttrycket projekterats. Detaljlösningarna för bland annat terrassbjälklag, fasadsystem och balkonger har projekterats. Målsättningen var att tillåta trä att synas i arkitekturen så långt detta har varit möjligt med hänsyn till gällande krav och föreskrifter. Våra projekterade förslag till detaljlösningar visar på möjligheten att låta trä vara en synlig del i arkitekturen även för en byggnad av denna volym och brandteknisk verksamhetsklass. Vårt arbete visar också hur kända problem med brand, akustik samt fukt i samband med träbyggnadsteknik kan undvikas. Våra förslag på detaljer kan ligga till grund för vidare projektering och upprättande av bygghandlingar för detta äldreboende i Norsborg.Architect firm Kolman X Boye Architects has been commissioned to execute permit documents for a senior housing. It has not yet been determined in detail how the building will be built, but client wants the building to be constructed in timber engineering . The senior housing is projected to accommodate 54 apartments spread over six floors and a total floor space of just under 6000m2. No equally high wooden building with this fire classification has previously been constructed in Sweden. Our task and challenge of this work has been to explain the known problems with exterior design of details in tall timber buildings. Based on the known issues regarding fire safety, acoustics and moisture have a number of details that affect the aesthetic expression been projected. Detailed solutions including terrace floor, facade systems and balconies have been projected. The goal was to allow wood to be seen in the architecture as far as this has been possible with regard to local rules and regulations. Our projected draft detailed solutions demonstrate the ability for wood to be a visible part of the architecture even for a building of this volume and fire activity class. Our work also shows how the known problems with fire, acoustic and moisture associated with wood construction can be avoided. Our proposals in detail solutions can form the basis for further planning and preparation of construction documents for this senior housing in Norsborg

Business model requirements and challenges in the mobile telecommunication sector

The telecommunications business is undergoing a critical revolution, driven by innovative technologies, globalization, and deregulation. Cellular networks and telecommunications bring radical changes to the way telecom businesses are conducted. Globalization, on the other hand, is tearing down legacy barriers and forcing monopolistic national carriers to compete internationally. Moreover, the noticeable progress of many countries towards deregulation coupled with liberalization is significantly increasing telecom market power and allowing severe competition. The implications of this transition have changed the business rules of the telecom industry. In addition, entrants into the cellular industry have had severe difficulties due to inexistent or weak Business Models (BMs). Designing a BM for a mobile network operator is complex and requires multiple actors to balance different and often conflicting design requirements. Hence, there is a need to enhance operators’ ability in determining what constitutes the most viable business model to meet their strategic objectives within this turbulent environment. In this paper, the authors identify the main mobile BM dimensions along with their interdependencies and further analysis provides mobile network operators with insights to improve their business models in this new ‘boundary-less’ landscape

Rethinking Nigeria’s Development Using African Traditional Communication Media for National Orientation

This paper examines the problem of poor orientation of most Nigerian citizens, especially the rural dwellers, occasioned by the dearth and failure of modern media in rural Nigeria; a phenomenon that has led to a major setback in participatory governance and national development in a country. The objective of the paper is to investigate the causes of modern media failure in national orientation and development in Nigeria and to examine the need to adopt traditional African media as a viable alternative in Nigeria’s national orientation and development programme especially at the grassroots. This paper assumes that African traditional communication media as effective tools have been ignored in the national orientation programmes despite their relevance to national development. The paper adopts an analytical research method to examine secondary sources of data on the constraints of modern media in rural Nigeria and the viability of African traditional media in Nigeria’s national orientation and development’s efforts. Findings reveal that most Nigerian citizens, especially rural dwellers, do not understand national orientation messages because they are broadcast in English rather than their respective languages and the broadcasts are made on modern media channels that exist in urban areas. Findings also reveal that that government’s lack of political will, high cost of setting up community media, absence of professional journalists and selfish interests of Nigerians are factors responsible for the non-existence of modern media channels in rural Nigeria. Findings also reveal that African traditional media is very compatible to the communication needs of rural Nigerians. The paper concludes that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Nigeria has had reduced effectiveness and therefore, recommends the use of African traditional communication media in addition to the use of modern media such as television, radio and print materials to accord Nigerians the necessary orientation that will commit the citizens towards the task of national development