Stakeholder Perspectives on Opportunities and Challenges in Achieving Sustainable Growth of the Blue Economy in a Changing Climate

Coastal marine environments provide livelihoods as billions of people around the world depend greatly on sustainability efforts in the Blue Economy. In this study, we investigated how stakeholders from important Blue Economy sectors along the German North Sea coast perceive the impacts of climate change on their daily work life and the growth of the Blue Economy. In a two-stage approach we first conducted two stakeholder workshops with representatives from the regional sea food sector, science, NGOs and local authorities, in order to identify important issues linked to climate change affecting environment, society, economy and policy. In the second stage, we conducted semi-structured interviews with key knowledge holders from the Blue Economy, to evaluate and validate the most important issues identified during the first stage, and the impacts on the respective sectors. The workshop participants identified perceptible effects of climate change on their marine environment. Early career scientists showed that they possess a clear focus on measures for climate change adaptation, transdisciplinary approaches and knowledge transfer. The interviews revealed that the climate change effects could be perceived as both negative and positive, depending on the sector. Other issues, especially political decisions and developments are perceived to have a greater immediate impact on the Blue Economy than the slow progress of climate change effects. Additionally, increased human activities, in the form of new or intensified uses like marine renewable energy generation, have a greater influence and lead to conflicts between the Blue Economy sectors. Our study showed that economic and societal stakeholders in Germanys North Sea region are aware of climate change and already perceive its effects on their businesses. Synergies and conflicts between the sectors and political decisions might influence sustainable growth of the Blue Economy in highly contested regions, such as the North Sea basin, much stronger than the effects of climate change. This calls for a more flexible and adaptive approach to policymaking, taking into account the changing environmental, social and economic realities

Structuring the Front-End of Innovation: An Empirical Analysis of the Role of Perceived Contextual Factors on Intended Applications and Proficiency of Innovation Fields

The global economy has gained momentum in recent years, with advances in technology and digitalization leading to shorter product life cycles, increased competition, and transformed industries. These circumstances call for the need for constant innovation. Organizations are required to act and adapt quickly to technological changes, dynamic markets, competitive threats, and rapidly altering customer needs, without losing focus of their established business. Two notions are important for organizations in this setting: (1) reaching ambidexterity and (2) structuring the front-end of innovation. Ambidextrous companies, which own the ability to balance between innovation activities that exploit current competencies (exploitation) and those that explore new competencies (exploration), are more successful than companies which concentrate on only one of these activities (Gibson & Birkinshaw, 2004; He & Wong, 2004; Jansen, Van Den Bosch, & Volberda, 2006; Katila & Ahuja, 2002; C. Kim, Song, & Nerkar, 2012). However, both exploration and exploitation require the allocation of resources, causing a trade-off, which makes it difficult to perform the combination of both (Greve, 2007; Levinthal & March, 1993). Previous research does not focus on how organizations can adapt their innovation activities in order to reach ambidexterity (Cantarello, Martini, & Nosella, 2012; Judge & Blocker, 2008; Z. Wei, Yi, & Guo, 2014). Managing innovations poses an increasingly daunting task for organizations, demanding different requirements regarding the innovation management process. Managing innovation through a structured innovation process facilitates the creation and planning of innovation to transform ideas into marketable products. The first stage of this process – the front-end of innovation – is of significant meaning, since activities in the front-end of innovation are strongly linked to innovation success (Dwyer & Mellor, 1991; Markham, 2013; Moenart, De Meyer, Souder, & Deschoolmeester, 1995; Reid & de Brentani, 2004). The creation of value and competitive advantage takes primarily place in the front-end of innovation, and the actual costs of mismanagement can only be discovered at later stages (Markham, 2013; Reid & de Brentani, 2004; P. Smith & Reinertsen, 1991). A concept to foster ambidexterity and structure the front-end of innovation described mainly by practitioners are so-called innovation fields (Cooper, Edgett, & Kleinschmidt, 2004; Crawford, 1980; Hambrick & Fredrickson, 2001; Khurana & Rosenthal, 1998; Reid & de Brentani, 2004; Talke, Salomo, & Rost, 2010). Innovation fields establish guidelines that determine search strategy, scope, depth, and locus of innovation search by setting search boundaries. Literature describes different types of applications for innovation fields such as strategic purposes, ideation, lifting synergies, technology intelligence and portfolio extension. With innovation fields, organizations (1) can structure the front-end of innovation and align corporate objectives to innovation activities and (2) have an instrument at hand to facilitate the shift of resources and to prioritize innovation activities according to the balance between exploitation and exploration, thereby fostering ambidexterity. However, research on innovation fields is scarce, thus, the objective of this dissertation is to examine how and why perceived contextual factors influence the intended application and perceived proficiency of innovation fields in the front-end of innovation. The theoretical foundation is based on the theory of organizational learning. A research framework is derived from acknowledged literature, focusing on (1) strategic orientation, (2) organizational context and (3) external environment as main contextual factors influencing the intended application of innovation fields. An explorative research design is followed, composed of an embedded single case study design using a mixed-methods approach. As a case, a corporate R&D division of a Germany-based company is selected. First, a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews is conducted, followed by a quantitative survey to get a more comprehensive picture of the role of perceived contextual factors influencing intended innovation field applications and proficiency. Based on the underlying empirical research, distinct differences regarding perceived contextual factors and their influence on intended innovation field applications and proficiency have been identified. Notably, the perceived contextual factors vary across the different types of applications for innovation fields. Overall, the strategic orientation and external environment have a strong influence on the intended innovation field applications and proficiency, while organizational context only play a minor role. Furthermore, the findings substantiate the use of different types of applications for innovation fields in the front-end of innovation. This study contributes to theory by creating a research framework linking perceived contextual factors to intended innovation field applications and proficiency. Finally, this dissertation delivers a comprehensive description of innovation field applications. The findings enhance the existing body of knowledge regarding innovation research, specifically regarding the front-end of innovation and innovation fields as well as organizational learning. Besides the advancement of scientific knowledge, managerial implications are drawn for the application of innovation fields in a corporate context

EU Competition Policy, Vertical Restraints, and Innovation: An Analysis from an Evolutionary Perspective

The EU competition policy in regard to vertical restraints is mainly based upon neoclassical efficiency-oriented reasonings, leading to a neglect of the innovation dimension. This paper analyses to what extent evolutionary theories of competition and innovation economics can be used to derive additional, new criteria for the assessment of vertical restraints. It is shown that Neo- Schumpeterian and Hayekian approaches to competition and innovation economics as well as knowledge-based theories of the firm are capable to provide a basis for a different framework for analysing the impact of vertical agreements. Specific evolutionary arguments, such as subjective and local knowledge, the heterogeneity of knowledge bases of firms, communication and learning problems, and the complementarity of knowledge (systemic innovations) can be used for deriving additional, new assessment criteria for vertical restraints. The analysis is made against the background of the most recent reforms of EU competition rules in regard to vertical restraints. It also shows how evolutionary approaches to competition and innovation might be used for competition policy.European competition policy, vertical restraints, evolutionary economics, innovation economics.

Elasticity sampling links thermodynamics to metabolic control

Metabolic networks can be turned into kinetic models in a predefined steady state by sampling the reaction elasticities in this state. Elasticities for many reversible rate laws can be computed from the reaction Gibbs free energies, which are determined by the state, and from physically unconstrained saturation values. Starting from a network structure with allosteric regulation and consistent metabolic fluxes and concentrations, one can sample the elasticities, compute the control coefficients, and reconstruct a kinetic model with consistent reversible rate laws. Some of the model variables are manually chosen, fitted to data, or optimised, while the others are computed from them. The resulting model ensemble allows for probabilistic predictions, for instance, about possible dynamic behaviour. By adding more data or tighter constraints, the predictions can be made more precise. Model variants differing in network structure, flux distributions, thermodynamic forces, regulation, or rate laws can be realised by different model ensembles and compared by significance tests. The thermodynamic forces have specific effects on flux control, on the synergisms between enzymes, and on the emergence and propagation of metabolite fluctuations. Large kinetic models could help to simulate global metabolic dynamics and to predict the effects of enzyme inhibition, differential expression, genetic modifications, and their combinations on metabolic fluxes. MATLAB code for elasticity sampling is freely available

Knowing What We Know about IT and Business Value: Cause for Concern about Endogeneity Problems and Potential Solutions

Do IT investments deliver business value? This long-standing question of IS interest is a causal question. Answers to this question are often sought through the use of econometric methods, which require careful attention to the issue of endogeneity for valid causal inference. Yet, concerns about endogeneity problems in econometric research persist despite the many quantitative techniques available for addressing them. Recent publications in strategic management and accounting have offered a few non-quantitative solutions, such as better writing and reviewing norms, better theory selection, and use of descriptive quantitative and qualitative methods. Not considered in these prescriptions is a relatively little-known category of explicitly causal case study research methods that originated in sociology and political science. This paper describes these methods, shows how they address endogeneity problems, and explores how they might complement statistical methods in the study of IT business value

Comparative studies of offices pre and post — how changing spatial configurations affect organisational behaviours

Understanding the way in which design interventions in an office affect everyday users, and thus shape organisational behaviour, should be high on the agenda for architects, designers and consultants alike. Surprisingly, this seems rarely to be the case. Here we aim to help close this gap by studying a variety of organisations in depth both before and after an office move from the point of view of design practice. This paper thus aims at understanding how a newly designed office is seen, used and filled with life by staff, so that planners can continuously and systematically reflect on and learn from experience, and create effective and well-used workplaces for the future. The research and reflective practice presented in this paper resulted from a collaboration on 'Effective Workplaces' between The Bartlett School of Graduate Studies at University College London and Spacelab architects. Insights from in-depth case studies conducted over the last four years on various corporate clients in the media sector in the UK will be drawn upon. The studies each compared an organisation before and after it moved into a Spacelab-designed office. Two different lines of argument will be presented: firstly, results of the pre-post comparison of organisations before and after moving into a newly designed space suggest that physical space influences the way in which organisations communicate, interact, and perform in many ways. Secondly, the practical side of evidence-based design will be discussed. It can be seen that designers would do things differently if they had had the specific evidence prior to the design process. At the same time, difficulties arise in conducting 'evidence-based' practice, for example the problem of time in a business environment where designers are often asked to deliver solutions within days or weeks, whereas gaining a good understanding of a complex organisation may take months. These issues will be reflected on. General conclusions on the use and usefulness of Space Syntax in an architectural practice will be drawn

Research as Preparation for Practice-based Research

At United States online doctoral institutions, many doctoral candidates focus their dissertation research on study problems that emerge from professional practice, which may serve as a vital first experience and preparation for continued practitioner or practice-based research. Although there have been many definitions offered as to what constitutes workplace research, this scholarly reflection explores three essential considerations for duality (dual roles), positionality, and stance in a doctoral dissertation research problem originating from a doctoral candidate’s workplace setting or professional practice. As a doctoral scholar with a dual role as a workplace professional and doctoral candidate, the doctoral candidate must often shift perspective and negotiate the concurrent dual or multiple identities of workplace professional, doctoral learner, scholar, and independent researcher. When accomplished, workplace dissertation research may also serve to evolve the candidate’s enhanced perspectives, thereby preparing the candidate for continued practice-based research within the discipline that, in turn, may also expand the candidate’s views and solutions to post-doc workplace problems. For this scholarly reflection, we defined dual roles, positionality, and stance within the practitioner and practice-based research literature, and further describe our reflections of the experiences as two recent doctoral graduates and our dissertation committee chair. We used Moustakas’ critical self-analysis as a scholarly reflective mechanism in context with a critical review of the current literature to consider preparation for practice-based research through workplace dissertation research, and purport that these constructs need further exploration to better prepare doctoral candidates for practice-based research and to generate new knowledge during and following doctoral degree attainment