Scotland’s international competitiveness within Western Europe

The paper measures regional competitiveness of Scotland in comparison to ten EU regions and small countries using the International Benchmarking Index Family (‘IB Index Family’) developed by BAK Basel Economics.1 The IB Index Family contains an index with three dimensions of competitiveness: Performance, Attractiveness and Structural Potential. The Performance Index measures recent economic success; the Attractiveness Index measures how well a region is an attractive location to companies and highly-qualified individuals; and the Structural Potential Index estimates future potential economic growth based on current economic structure. The application of the IB Index Family provides a first-step into a more in-depth benchmarking of the competitiveness of a region, which is necessary when working towards detailed policy conclusions. The paper explains these measurement tools and applies them in a short benchmarking analysis of Scotland and ten EU regions and small nations (e.g. Ireland, Norway, Western Sweden etc.)

Estimation of general Hamiltonian parameters via controlled energy measurements

The quantum Cram\'er-Rao theorem states that the quantum Fisher information (QFI) bounds the best achievable precision in the estimation of a quantum parameter $\xi$. This is true, however, under the assumption that the measurement employed to extract information on $\xi$ are regular, i.e. neither its sample space nor its positive-operator valued elements depend on the (true) value of the parameter. A better performance may be achieved by relaxing this assumption. In the case of a general Hamiltonian parameter, i.e. when the parameter enters the system's Hamiltonian in a non-linear way (making the energy eigenstates and eigenvalues $\xi$-dependent), a family of non-regular measurements, referred to as controlled energy measurements, is naturally available. We perform an analytic optimization of their performance, which enables us to compare the optimal controlled energy measurement with the optimal Braunstein-Caves measurement based on the symmetric logarithmic derivative. As the former may outperform the latter, the ultimate quantum bounds for general Hamiltonian parameters are different than those for phase (shift) parameters. We also discuss in detail a realistic implementation of controlled energy measurements based on the quantum phase estimation algorithm and work out a variety of examples to illustrate our results.Comment: revised and enlarged versio

Transgenerational innovation capability in family firms

Purpose Based on the theory of dynamic capabilities, the purpose of this study is to examine how generation influences the effect of innovation capability on family business performance. To achieve this purpose, a moderation model is tested using the generational level as the moderating variable. Design/methodology/approach This study used a sample of 106 family businesses CEOs who were surveyed by mail using the Limesurvey 2.5 platform. The results obtained were analyzed using the second-generation partial least squares (PLS) structural equation model. The MICOM (Measurement Invariance of Composite Models) approach was used to analyze the moderating effect. Findings This research sheds lights on the innovation capacity to influence the family businesses performance, and on the generational level moderating this effect. As a result, the influence of the innovation capacity in second generation family businesses performance is higher than in the first generation. Research limitations/implications This study reveals the influence that the generational level has on the effect of innovation capacity on the family business performance. A greater dispersion of ownership, more participatory decision-making, and greater CEOs commitment to leadership in second- and later-generation family businesses, are the main key drivers of this result. Originality/value In comparison to previous studies, this research provides insights into the moderating effect of the generational level on the influence of innovation capacity on the family businesses performance through the MICOM approach (Measurement Invariance of Composite Models)

Understanding Performance Differences in Small Family Firms: A Resource-Based View.

This dissertation examined the resource-based view of the firm to explain performance differences among family businesses. How do resources impact strategy and performance in the family firm and what resources are important to strategy and performance in the family firm were the primary research questions. Hypothesized relationships between reputation and financial resources, between human resources, financial resources, and physical resources and strategic perspective, and between strategic perspective and performance were tested in sample of family owned/operated retail jewelry stores. Structural equation modeling (LISREL 8) was used to develop a measurement model and structural model to test the patterns of relationships between the study\u27s constructs. Although indirect effects of resources on performance were the primary focus of the study, both direct and indirect effects were tested. Support was found for hypotheses linking human resources, measured as information processing capacity, and strategic perspective and strategic perspective and performance. In the nested model comparison process, an additional linkage, between reputation and performance, found support. Results generally supported the resource-based view of the firm, thus validating its usefulness as a theoretical base for the study of family firms. For this sample, results indicated that some resources are more critical to firm performance than others, suggesting that successful firms can profit from configuring resources to exploit key resources. Further, family firms that use their information processing capacity to broaden their strategic perspective exhibit stronger performance. Finally, the effect of resources in performance can be both direct and indirect, as was the case here with reputation

Performance and measurement of a community-based distribution model of family planning services in Pakistan

Introduction: Community-based distribution (CBD) has been successfully applied to family planning (FP) services worldwide. It forms the basis for the large lady health worker (LHW) programme in Pakistan which serves a limited number of women with contraception services. Thus, the concept has seen limited application in Pakistan. We present the outcomes of a CBD model that was implemented in 49 districts across Pakistan by a non-government organization (NGO).Methods: The Marie Stopes Society (MSS) developed a CBD model around its fixed centres and reached around half a million married women of reproductive age (MWRA) with services. The services provided included outreach, counselling, condoms, pills, injections, and referrals for intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs) and other reproductive health services. Services were provided in peri-urban locations for a subsidized fee using a businesslike target setting approach. The results of the programme were assessed by triangulating inception records against a cross-sectional end-of-project survey and service delivery records.Results: The contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) had increased from 38% to 51% by project-end with modern method use increasing by 50-200% and traditional method use remaining unchanged. Unmet need and self-reported pregnancy rates fell correspondingly. Approximately 73,500 new users were added to the initial user registered numbers to a total of 132,300; MSS accounted for 53,000 per year at the end of the project, which matched the commodities supplied by the NGO.Conclusions: The MSS CBD model presents a viable option for scaling effective FP services that may be replicated and scaled up with either donor support or by contracting out by the government. Triangulation of multiple data sources can provide more in-depth assessment of service delivery programmes and provide inferences that can inform service delivery

Forward Performance Measurement with Applications in Indifference Valuation

In this thesis, we present basic ideas and key results for forward performance measurement. Besides, we provide an explicit construction of the optimal processes of a class of time-monotone forward performance processes. Moreover, starting with a two parameter family risk tolerance function, we construct a class of forward performance processes. By letting the parameter go to zero, we obtain the forward exponential utility. Finally, using the forward exponential utility, we solve the integrated portfolio management problem by the so-called utility-based approach and compare it with its classical backward indifference counterpart