Have Your Cake and Eat it Too? Managing Knowledge in Hybrid Agile-Traditional Development Projects

This research examines how knowledge management elements of systems development projects are adapted to correspond with the increasing use of agile practices. Using a single, longitudinal case study, we draw on interview data from an initial CRM implementation that used a traditional approach, followed by a second project phase employing a hybrid agile-traditional approach. Oriented using the concept of ambidexterity, our findings suggest that some knowledge management elements remained traditional, others became strongly agile, and some integrated both approaches together in a hybrid manner. Our study aids practitioners by providing insights into the opportunities and pitfalls of managing knowledge within hybrid development projects. For researchers, this paper applies the concept of ambidexterity in an agile development context as it relates to knowledge management. Our findings extend the literature on the incremental trade-offs that companies face when attempting to simultaneously explore and exploit two development approaches

Real and virtual convergences: the LOCUS Project: playful connected rural territories

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Making Regulation Robust in the Innovation Era

The next few years in regulatory history will be pivotal.On one hand, we are witnessing renewed interest in robust state action in the economy and society. Battered by a poorly managed global pandemic and the undeniable persistence of racism and discrimination; terrified about the consequences of climate change; having suffered through years of political tumult and populist anger following a disastrous financial crisis; and having recognized once again that there is more to a person’s value than their economic productivity – it seems clear that over recent decades, public policy swung too far away from the humane, collective, and dignity-affirming priorities that underpinned the postwar Welfare State.At the same time, we know that we cannot simply return to the mid-twentieth century. Innovation is too fast-moving now, and conditions too complex and heterogeneous, to imagine that a replica of the postwar Welfare State would function property. Regulation operates at the front lines of policy now. And today, some of the greatest challenges that regulation faces stem from the speed, extent, and nature of human-driven change. Workable twenty-first century regulatory models will have to contend with the destabilizing, ongoing effects of innovation.After reviewing some Welfare State and Regulatory State history, this chapter suggests that innovation raises three fundamental analytical problems for regulation: information and data problems, visibility problems, and legibility problems. It then sets out five regulatory priorities that will be essential, if a forceful contemporary state is to be resilient in the face of innovation, while maintaining credibility and agency in the service of public priorities

Horizontal strategy in a diversified corporation

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-125).Competition in the business world is becoming harsher as markets shrink due to the financial crisis of the late 2000s. Firms have to leverage their core competencies to survive by attracting more customers and attaining more efficient operations. In such circumstances, diversified corporations that run multiple businesses have opportunities to differentiate themselves by implementing horizontal strategies. Unfortunately, a horizontal strategy never happens spontaneously. There must be strong control and solid process to realize synergy. Furthermore, there are no generalized or standardized methods for developing and implementing a horizontal strategy. Executing this kind of corporate strategy is very difficult in the real world. However, if the firm could establish a solid infrastructure to implement a horizontal strategy, it would be a sustainable competitive advantage that could not be easily imitated. In fact, there are many firms that enjoy synergy by implementing a horizontal strategy using various approaches. They differentiate their products and services, reduce operating costs, attract and involve customers, and create high barriers to prevent invasion by rivals. A horizontal strategy is a powerful business tool that enhances a firm's capabilities and increases its corporate value. In this thesis, I will investigate several historical theories of horizontal strategy and attempt to integrate their core concepts. I will examine four actual diversified corporations to determine how they utilize their horizontal strategy, while also identifying their critical driving forces and challenges. Then I will propose a practical process for creating and implementing a horizontal strategy. In my proposal, I will also recommend appropriate evaluation system and strong leadership because the lack of them frequently results in failure.by Hiroaki Takaoka.M.B.A

Creativity Connects: Trends and Conditions Affecting U.S. Artists

As the demographics of our country shift, the population of artists is growing and diversifying, as are norms about who is considered an artist by the arts sector and the general public. Artists are working in different ways—in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary contexts, as artists in non-arts settings, and as entrepreneurs in business and society. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census national data sets on artists have become more refined in the past decade, but arguably do not capture information on the full range of artists working today. Artists that may be omitted from these data sets include those who may not seek income from their work and those who use their artistry as part of another occupation. As the nature of artistic practice evolves, many of the existing systems that train and support artists are not keeping pace. Artists are always influenced by larger socio-economic trends and respond to them in how they make their work and construct their lives. This research found four main trends influencing artists today:Technology is profoundly altering the context and economics of artists' work. New technological tools and social media have influenced the landscape for creation, distribution, and financing of creative work. There are benefits for many artists, including lowered costs of creating and the ability to find collaborators and new markets. There are also significant new challenges, such as an increasingly crowded marketplace, copyright issues, and disruptions to traditional revenue models.Artists share challenging economic conditions with other segments of the workforce. Making a living as an artist has never been easy, but broader economic trends such as rising costs of living, greater income inequality, high levels of debt, and insufficient protections for "gig economy" workers are putting increasing pressure on artists' livelihoods. Artists also face unique challenges in accessing and aggregating capital to propel their businesses and build sustainable lives.Structural inequities in the artists' ecosystem mirror those in society more broadly. Race-, gender- and ability-based disparities that are pervasive in our society are equally prevalent in both the nonprofit and commercial arts sectors. Despite the increasing cultural and ethnic diversity of the country and the broadening array of cultural traditions being practiced at expert levels, the arts ecosystem continues to privilege a relatively narrow band of aesthetic approaches.Training and funding systems are not keeping pace with artists' evolving needs and opportunities. Artist training and funding systems have not caught up to the hybrid and varied ways that artists are working today. Artist-training programs are not adequately teaching artists the non-arts skills they need to support their work (business practices, entrepreneurship, and marketing) nor how to effectively apply their creative skills in a range of contexts. Funding systems also lag in responding to the changing ways that artists are working today

The Journey is the Reward: Internationalization as a Strategy for the Development of Startup Support Organizations

Abstract Increasing startup activity in all parts of the world triggered a simultaneous growth of a new industry: startup support. Startup support organizations (SSOs) offer a range of support services for new ventures such as flexible co-working space and shared equipment as well as assistance in developing business, marketing and communication strategies or raising capital. Startup programs are not only developed in one specific geography, the same SSO brand often opens multiple locations across the globe. While research is continuously observing the developments of SSOs per se, the lack of research on the impact of internationalization within this domain motivated this thesis. With SSOs evolving and expanding, this study describes a new form of governance that emerges within the SSO industry. For the balance of operational excellence and a continuous learning progress, the division between a global and a local layer of the same SSO brand is a crucial starting point. While the global entity solely ensures the transfer and documentation of knowledge, branding guidelines and core values of the SSO brand, local entities represent the interface between SSO brand and external stakeholders such as startups, corporate partners, and mentors. The global entity is disconnected from operational tasks and exclusively caters to all local entities globally. The study is a qualitative approach to identifying best practices of different SSO brands, which restructured their organizations as a result of their internationalization processes. It contributes to an ongoing analysis of contemporary SSO developments. The study also contains important managerial implications for SSO managers who are in the process of internationalizing their organization

Essentials of Project Management

The Essentials of Project Management is designed specifically for college students enrolled in a business program including business accounting, administration, supply chain and human resources. The text is organized into fourteen chapters covering the project management process and the role of the project manager in implementing such a process. The book includes business case studies and interactive exercises in each chapter. This educational resource is conveniently presented in a variety of AODA-compliant formats and written in a reader-friendly style. The book is designed to help students build understanding of the importance and applications of project management

Perspectives on Regional Food Tourism Development: The Case of Food Producers and Tourists in East Coast Malaysia (ECM)

This study explores the development of food tourism in East Coast Malaysia (ECM), focusing on the dual aspects of food production and food consumption. The role of locally produced food is directly connected to tourism because it can enhance the tourist experience and create additional economic activity in and around the destination (Boesen, Sundbo and Sundbo, 2017). This thesis focuses on the case of East Coast Malaysia (ECM), which as a tourist destination has not grasped the potential for food tourism to contribute to regional development within the local food and tourism networks. The literature linking producer and tourist inter-relationships to create tourism development is still sparse. This study adds the understanding of the broader aspect of food tourism studies focusing more on food production and consumption insights in influencing food tourism development. This integration is important to ensure local food is available to tourists and capable of creating exchange values for tourists as well as local producers. Additionally, the importance of food production and consumption linkages is an integral part of the food tourism sector, resultant from food as the main attraction that becomes an important tourist product. This thesis adopts a mixed-method approach based on a survey (N=204) of international tourists and semi-structured interviews (N=13) of food producers in the ECM states of Pahang and Terengganu. The results identified that ECM food producers need to be more engaged with tourist experiences in order to boost visitor numbers and it has a direct impact to re-shape local food production. Furthermore, the food tourism production process is an important influence on the development of ECM food tourism. The findings show that food production results in several key outcomes for economic development: product diversification and innovation, insource vs. outsource production, marketing techniques and tools, niche vs. mass market, supply chain and food network and Internationalization. Additionally, tourist food consumption (TFC) is highly influenced by the food experience factor that links tourists' country of origin, the frequency of visit, type of accommodation and estimated expenditure on food. Chi-square test based on tourist level of interest in Malaysian food, showed that 62.7% of tourists had a moderate or casual interest in local food, but they have a better knowledge of Malaysian food in contrast to other food tourist groups. Cluster analysis identifies three different types of tourists; active, dynamic and opportunist enthusiasts, based on tourists’ perception of local food, and variations of food tourists’ characteristics. Therefore, this study suggests that food tourism production-consumption integration is important to support ECM food tourism development, and co-creating an ‘added-value’ to the regional tourism industry