46,978 research outputs found
Applying a Sectoral System of Innovation (SSI) Approach to the Australian Red Meat Industry with Implications for Improving Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Australian Agrifood Industry
This paper describes an action research study conducted over four years (2002-2006) in the Australian red meat industry. The study aimed to extend the body of knowledge on innovation and entrepreneurship. It also sought to explore options for improving practice through interventions that would accelerate the development of innovation culture and capabilities. A conceptual framework was developed leading to a new Systems Innovation Intervention Framework. The framework was subsequently implemented via 30 individual pilots. The outcomes of the research study were tested for relevance more broadly within the Australian food industry and high levels of acceptance were reported.innovation, sectoral innovation systems, innovation system failures, intervention strategies, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Q10, Q16,
Is agile project management applicable to construction?
This paper briefly summarises the evolution of Agile Project Management (APM) and differentiates it from lean and agile production and âleagileâ construction. The significant benefits being realized through employment of APM within the information systems industry are stated. The characteristics of APM are explored, including: philosophy, organizational attitudes and practices, planning, execution and control and learning. Finally, APM is subjectively assessed as to its potential contribution to the pre-design, design and construction phases.
In conclusion, it is assessed that APM offers considerable potential for application in predesign and design but that there are significant hurdles to its adoption in the actual construction phase. Should these be overcome, APM offers benefits well beyond any individual project
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MAST: Mental Ambidexterity in Strategic Thinking
There are two fundamental ways to think about what strategy is. The first one is strategy as a plan of action for reaching one or several goals. The second one is strategy as discipline, a formalized body of knowledge. The latter can be understood as the set of governing ideas that guide managers in the identification of opportunities for value creation and the realization of that value. In the present article, we argue that these ideas tend to fall into two main paradigms, which come with two metaphors about managers: managers as commanders and managers as designers. We further argue that these represent two fundamental ways of thinking, which in turn become ways of âseeingâ and even feeling. Is one better than the other? We suggest that is not the right question to ask. Rather it is important to appreciate that these are worldviews that affect how we interpret our day-to-day reality and our ability to see opportunities. We introduce the notion of Mental Ambidexterity in Strategic Thinking (MAST) and define it as the ability to hold both views of the worldâthat of the commander and that of the designerâ and play with them simultaneously, rather than focusing solely on one and rejecting the other. MAST is an individual level capability; it is a flexible, non-ideological and fluid mode of cognition. At the core, it is characterized by switching flexibility back and forth between rational decisionmaking among alternatives, and creation of new alternatives, between what is and what could be. We illustrate three principles â i) intellectual humility, ii) contingent thinking and iii) poke into ambiguity â that act as catalysts for individuals to develop MAST capabilities
Understanding the Role of Objects in Interactive Innovation
The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of objects in interactive innovation, i.e. interaction for innovation among core inside innovators, peripheral inside innovators and outside innovators. Going beyond the predominant usage of âboundary objectsâ we argue that a pluralistic approach of objects is needed to better understand and trace the different â and shifting â roles that objects play in interactive innovation. To do so, we develop a framework of the role of objects in interactive innovation. This framework is applied while designing the âIP Industry Baseâ (IPIB) project for interactive innovation. The IPIB is an innovative analytical database in the field of competitive intelligence (CI). From the lessons learned in this project, we discuss what needs to be considered for the conscious development of objects to foster interactive innovation in the context of highly innovative software development projects
Supporting decision making process with "Ideal" software agents: what do business executives want?
According to Simonâs (1977) decision making theory, intelligence is the first and most important phase in the decision making process. With the escalation of information resources available to business executives, it is becoming imperative to explore the potential and challenges of using agent-based systems to support the intelligence phase of decision-making. This research examines UK executivesâ perceptions of using agent-based support systems and the criteria for design and development of their âidealâ intelligent software agents. The study adopted an inductive approach using focus groups to generate a preliminary set of design criteria of âidealâ agents. It then followed a deductive approach using semi-structured interviews to validate and enhance the criteria. This qualitative research has generated unique insights into executivesâ perceptions of the design and use of agent-based support systems. The systematic content analysis of qualitative data led to the proposal and validation of design criteria at three levels. The findings revealed the most desirable criteria for agent based support systems from the end usersâ point view. The design criteria can be used not only to guide intelligent agent system design but also system evaluation
Effectiveness of R&D project selection in uncertain environment: An empirical study in the German automotive supplier industry
This paper presents results of an empirical large-scale study on uncertainty reduction of R&D projects and R&D project selection. The empirical field is the German automotive supplier industry. We explore R&D project selection practices in this specific industry and briefly contrast our findings with the academic research and management literature in this field. We concentrate on answering three research questions (with focus on questions no. 1 and 2): I. Which information and related uncertainties are crucial for the product selection decision to the R&D decision makers? II. How do R&D decision makers today cope with typical challenges related to reducing uncertainty? Where do they face major problems and how effective are they? III. What are major implications for managing the Fuzzy Front End (FFE) of innovation process in industry practice and respectively for further academic research in this field? Key findings are that on the one hand certainty about fields of product applications, target markets and production feasibility are most important criteria for initial product selection decisions. On the other hand market and cost related uncertainties (e.g. sales volume, product price, cost per unit) cannot be satisfyingly reduced in practice before project approval for development or definite termination of projects. Although different uncertainty profiles exist within the process of project evaluation, most companies do not systematically choose available product selection methods and tools according to specific uncertainty situations. Intuition still plays a major role in R&D product selection. Some first conclusion drawn from this research are: A sufficient level of resources (including financial and methodological know-how), a systematic use of suitable project selection instruments, and a fit with the company specific as well as the OEMs' product/brand strategies can be potential levers for more effective uncertainty reduction before product decision. --
Solutions for decision support in university management
The paper proposes an overview of decision support systems in order to define the role of a system to assist decision in university management. The authors present new technologies and the basic concepts of multidimensional data analysis using models of business processes within the universities. Based on information provided by scientific literature and on the authorsâ experience, the study aims to define selection criteria in choosing a development environment for designing a support system dedicated to university management. The contributions consist in designing a data warehouse model and models of OLAP analysis to assist decision in university management.university management, decision support, multidimensional analysis, data warehouse, OLAP
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Building capacity in climate change policy analysis and negotiation: methods and technologies
Capacity building is often cited as the reason âwe cannot just pour money into developing countriesâ and why so many development projects fail because their design does not address local conditions. It is therefore a key technical and political concept in international development.
Some of the poorest countries in the world are also some of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Their vulnerability is in part due to a lack of capacity to plan and anticipate the effects of climate change on crops, water resources, urban electricity demand etc. What capacities do these countries lack to deal with climate change? How will they cope? What steps can they take to reduce their vulnerability?
This innovative and high-profile research project was part of a larger project (called C3D) and conducted with non-governmental organisations in Senegal, South Africa and Sri Lanka. The research involved several participatory workshops and a questionnaire to all three research centres
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