Smart specialisation for regional economic transformation

The aim of this paper is to provide a quick yet comprehensive understanding of the nature and logic of smart specialisation as a place-based strategy for economic transformation and development. The origin and characteristics of the smart specialisation approach in the European Union are presented together with the main challenges for a successful implementation. Smart specialisation is about identifying and pursuing sub-sectoral and inter-sectoral activities, which can be explored by existing but also new entrant firms, where technology can facilitate either radical innovation, or the incremental utilisation of existing skills/strengths in new niches, fostering regional and national technology-savvy economic transformation. Stakeholder involvement through an entrepreneurial discovery process is a defining feature of this approach.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt

An Investigation on Benefit-Cost Analysis of Greenhouse Structures in Antalya

Significant population increase across the world, loss of cultivable land and increasing demand for food put pressure on agriculture. To meet the demand, greenhouses are built, which are, light structures with transparent cladding material in order to provide controlled microclimatic environment proper for plant production. Conceptually, greenhouses are similar with manufacturing buildings where a controlled environment for manufacturing and production have been provided and proper spaces for standardized production processes have been enabled. Parallel with the trends in the world, particularly in southern regions, greenhouse structures have been increasingly constructed and operated in Turkey. A significant number of greenhouses are located at Antalya. The satellite images demonstrated that for over last three decades, there has been a continuous invasion of greenhouses on all cultivable land. There are various researches and attempts for the improvement of greenhouse design and for increasing food production by decreasing required energy consumption. However, the majority of greenhouses in Turkey are very rudimentary structures where capital required for investment is low, but maintenance requirements are high when compared with new generation greenhouse structures. In this research paper, life-long capital requirements for construction and operation of greenhouse buildings in Antalya has been investigated by using benefit-cost analysis study

Knowledge Capturing in Design Briefing Process for Requirement Elicitation and Validation

Knowledge capturing and reusing are major processes of knowledge management that deal with the elicitation of valuable knowledge via some techniques and methods for use in actual and further studies, projects, services, or products. The construction industry, as well, adopts and uses some of these concepts to improve various construction processes and stages. From pre-design to building delivery knowledge management principles and briefing frameworks have been implemented across project stakeholders: client, design teams, construction teams, consultants, and facility management teams. At pre-design and design stages, understanding the client’s needs and users’ knowledge are crucial for identifying and articulating the expected requirements and objectives. Due to underperforming results and missed goals and objectives, many projects finish with highly dissatisfied clients and loss of contracts for some organizations. Knowledge capturing has beneficial effects via its principles and methods on requirement elicitation and validation at the briefing stage between user, client and designer. This paper presents the importance and usage of knowledge capturing and reusing in briefing process at pre-design and design stages especially the involvement of client and user, and explores the techniques and technologies that are usable in briefing process for requirement elicitation

A proactive and entrepreneurial international market approach: Some evidence in the Portuguese hotel sector

Internationalization is a process of such complexity that its explanation, in terms of one single theoretical perspective is difficult. Drawing on a comprehensive multi-case study, this doctoral thesis explores the influence environmental and organizational stimuli as determinants of Portuguese hotel firms’ international engagement. It also proposes to understand the linkage between the antecedent firm motivational stimuli factors with, time of entry, market selection and entry mode strategies. The strategy regarding the epistemological position is via a deductive research approach, where is identify, and tests, in the field, the propositions initially proposed, for further development. A previously used framework was adopted to structure the factors involved, thus ensuring that all comprehensive evidence was obtained through empirical research. Having its foundations in Barney´s resource-based theory and International Entrepreneurship principles within Dunning's eclectic model determinants, this model sheds light on firm´s resources and competences as determinants factors for the decision to go abroad, pointing the ownership and location advantages as main determinants factors of internationalization strategy decisions. Due to the limited number of the total population, a non-probability purposive sampling method was adopted. This study is mainly based on semi-structured interviews to top level managers, responsible for the internationalization process and supplemented by confirmatory questionnaires, memos, press releases, media articles and in-situ observations. Accordingly, a within and cross-case analysis was applied for the deduction of facts. From the data analysis, it is seen that that the internal competences and the firm’s managerial entrepreneurial profile were important stimuli for the Potuguese hotel grups becoming involved in international activities. Accordingly, it was found that the combination of proactive, internal and external, stimuli drives initially, the Portuguese hotel groups to international market. It was the junction of these proactive stimuli, within an entrepreneurial vision from managers that triggered the process of internationalization. An evolution of the nature´s motivational stimuli was also found given the level of international engagement and the development of market environment. Hence, from an opportunistic market seeker motivation, the Portuguese hotel firms turned to efficiency seeking motivation, less based on tacit competences exploitation and more focused in network and coordination competences, emerging a systematic market exploitation taking into account the new profile of demand and firm growth ambitions in international market. It was also found that, in the early stages of international engagement a positive linkage between the firm proactive stimuli factors and the Portuguese firm international strategies. From the contributions that emerged from the work, stood out, in the theoretical field the achievement of a deeper knowledge, of the motivational, and stimuli factor, on the internationalization process and the importance of manager´s proactive attitude as key determinant of the linkage between the company's competitive advantages and strategies of internationalization. Concerning the practical implications, a better understanding of the key resources and competencies to exploring market opportunities, can be an aid to hotel firms companies that are considering expanding to other markets, thus, preventing the dispersion and improper use of scarce firm assets.A internacionalização é um processo de tal complexidade que a sua explicação é difícil em termos de uma única perspetiva teórica. Baseado num estudo multi-caso, esta tese de doutoramento explora a influência dos estímulos ambientais e organizacionais como determinantes do envolvimento das empresas hoteleiras portuguesas no mercado internacional. Também propõe compreender a ligação entre os estímulos motivacionais e as estratégias relativas ao processo de internacionalização. A abordagem epistemológica do estudo é maioritariamente dedutiva, onde o pesquisador identifica e testa no campo, as proposições inicialmente propostas. Assim e em conformidade, foi adotada uma matriz previamente estruturada, garantindo que todas as variáveis do modelo fossem obtidas através de uma pesquisa empírica. Tendo nos seus fundamentos a Teoria Baseada nos Recursos de Barney, integrando os princípios do Empreendedorismo Internacional e utilizando as determinantes do modelo eclético de Dunning para explicar as estratégias de internacionalização, este modelo lança luz sobre os recursos e competências da empresa como determinantes na decisão de sair para o estrangeiro, apontando as vantagens de propriedade e de localização, como principais fatores decisivos nas estratégias de internacionalização. Devido ao número limitado da população, foi adotado um método de amostragem nãoprobabilístico. A recolha de dados, foi baseada em entrevistas semiestruturadas a gestores e responsáveis pelo processo de internacionalização. Posteriormente foi complementada por um questionário confirmatório, memorandos, comunicados, artigos de imprensa e observações. A estruturação e análise dos dados foram obtidas através de uma análise caso a caso e de cruzamento de todos os casos, seguindo as questões de investigação, as dimensões do estudo e as variáveis do modelo. A partir da análise de dados, foi observado que os participantes do estudo identificaram como estímulos importantes para o envolvimento internacional, as competências internas, o perfil do gestor e as oportunidades de mercado. Por conseguinte, verificou-se que a combinação de estímulos organizacionais e ambientais com uma natureza proactiva motivou os grupos hoteleiros portugueses a se envolverem no mercado internacional. Foi também observado, uma evolução da natureza dos estímulos motivacionais, consequência de um maior envolvimento internacional das empresas hoteleiras e evolução das condições económicas do mercado doméstico e internacional. Assim, partindo inicialmente de uma abordagem oportunista ao mercado internacional, as empresas hoteleiras portuguesas passaram a adotar uma abordagem mais sistematizada, tendo em conta a dinâmica dos mercados e as suas ambições de crescimento. Observou-se também que, nas fases iniciais de envolvimento internacional existe uma ligação entre os estímulos motivacionais e as estratégias de internacionalização. Das contribuições teóricas do trabalho destacam-se a obtenção de evidências sobre a importância, dos estímulos motivacionais no processo de internacionalização e da atitude proactiva do gestor como determinante na ligação entre as vantagens competitivas da empresa e as estratégias de internacionalização. Quanto às implicações práticas, e tendo em conta as contingências e o desenvolvimento dos mercados, destacam-se a compreensão e a importância dos recursos e competências das empresas hoteleiras na exploração das oportunidades no mercado internacional, sendo uma mais-valia para as empresas hoteleiras Portuguesas que estão a considerar expandir-se para outros mercados

Application of systems thinking in evaluating the efficacy of whistle-blowing policy in the contact centre department : Eskom Eastern Region.

Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.Workplace corruption is a serious problem in South Africa which threatens to undermine our hard earned democracy. The devastating effects of workplace corruption are immeasurable and can lead to a major downfall of the sound economic development that people of this country have achieved. Awarding of tenders to incompetent and ill-prepared tenderers, recruiting and unfairly appointing unqualified candidates, contravening Health and Safety laws and endangering lives of the public are but few of the examples of corrupt activities that individuals and organizations commit. Disclosure of information about organizational malpractice is known as whistle-blowing. Individual employees are usually the first ones to know if any wrongdoing is taking place. It is choices that these individuals make which determine whether wrongdoing continues unnoticed or is exposed early enough. Whistle-blowing has been identified as an important tool that can assist organizations to detect internal problems and ultimately stop them before they become an emergency. In an effort to promote a culture of whistle-blowing, South Africa has developed legislation which seeks to address the problem of workplace corruption. The Protected Disclosures Act (No. 26 of 2000), otherwise known as the 'Whistle-blowers Act' makes provisions in terms of which employees in both the public and private sector who disclose information of corrupt conduct by their employers of fellow employees, are protected from occupational detriment. Eskom has its own whistle-blowing policy which in line with the requirements of the Protected Disclosures Act, seeks to address the problem of corruption within the organization. However, the increasing level of workplace corruption since the adoption of the Whistle-blowing policy seems to be alarming in the Eastern region. Certain Eskom departments in the Eastern Region, particularly the Contact Center, have lost a significant number of their staff to dismissals as a result of corruption and fraud. This is an indication that Eskom has committed itself as to be a corrupt free organization. However dismissing corrupt individuals cannot always be the best solution as it often has devastating effects to the organization in the long run. The application of Systems thinking tools, particularly the diagrams has been used in the study in order to uncover the underlying issues resulting to observed symptoms around whistle-blowing. Using a systematic approach this study investigated the views of managerial employees, non managerial employees and trade union leaders with regard to efficacy of the whistle-blowing policy in the Eastern Region. Managerial employees who were interviewed showed relative lack of understanding of the whistle-blowing policy and implications thereof. Non managerial workers who were interviewed during the course of this study also showed fear and preoccupation about saving their jobs rather than risk losing their careers by being conquerors of corruption. The findings further showed that organizational culture seems to concentrate mainly on understanding customer needs. This practice indicates that externally generated change takes precedence over proactive internal development. As Eskom is driven by the need to adapt to its ever-changing environment (in order to survive) this reduces the focus on internal developments, that is, creating the environment that is conducive for whistle-blowing to flourish. There does not seem to be effective mechanisms in place that could facilitate the disclosure of organizational misconduct in such a manner that it would benefit both individual (employees) disclosing wrongdoing and Eskom. Unintended consequences of dismissals seem also to be overlooked. The research concludes by recommending the greater use of the policy. This would entail intervention by top management, vigorous awareness campaigns and demystification of whistle-blowing

Expectations and expertise in artificial intelligence: specialist views and historical perspectives on conceptualisation, promise, and funding

Artificial intelligence’s (AI) distinctiveness as a technoscientific field that imitates the ability to think went through a resurgence of interest post-2010, attracting a flood of scientific and popular expectations as to its utopian or dystopian transformative consequences. This thesis offers observations about the formation and dynamics of expectations based on documentary material from the previous periods of perceived AI hype (1960-1975 and 1980-1990, including in-between periods of perceived dormancy), and 25 interviews with UK-based AI specialists, directly involved with its development, who commented on the issues during the crucial period of uncertainty (2017-2019) and intense negotiation through which AI gained momentum prior to its regulation and relatively stabilised new rounds of long-term investment (2020-2021). This examination applies and contributes to longitudinal studies in the sociology of expectations (SoE) and studies of experience and expertise (SEE) frameworks, proposing a historical sociology of expertise and expectations framework. The research questions, focusing on the interplay between hype mobilisation and governance, are: (1) What is the relationship between AI practical development and the broader expectational environment, in terms of funding and conceptualisation of AI? (2) To what extent does informal and non-developer assessment of expectations influence formal articulations of foresight? (3) What can historical examinations of AI’s conceptual and promissory settings tell about the current rebranding of AI? The following contributions are made: (1) I extend SEE by paying greater attention to the interplay between technoscientific experts and wider collective arenas of discourse amongst non-specialists and showing how AI’s contemporary research cultures are overwhelmingly influenced by the hype environment but also contribute to it. This further highlights the interaction between competing rationales focusing on exploratory, curiosity-driven scientific research against exploitation-oriented strategies at formal and informal levels. (2) I suggest benefits of examining promissory environments in AI and related technoscientific fields longitudinally, treating contemporary expectations as historical products of sociotechnical trajectories through an authoritative historical reading of AI’s shifting conceptualisation and attached expectations as a response to availability of funding and broader national imaginaries. This comes with the benefit of better perceiving technological hype as migrating from social group to social group instead of fading through reductionist cycles of disillusionment; either by rebranding of technical operations, or by the investigation of a given field by non-technical practitioners. It also sensitises to critically examine broader social expectations as factors for shifts in perception about theoretical/basic science research transforming into applied technological fields. Finally, (3) I offer a model for understanding the significance of interplay between conceptualisations, promising, and motivations across groups within competing dynamics of collective and individual expectations and diverse sources of expertise

Integrated decision support model for global sourcing

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-109).Over the last decade, the U.S. aircraft industry has experienced increasing levels of international integration as companies seek to access global talent and resources, cut production costs, spread financial risk, and secure access to airplane markets throughout the world. In an increasingly complex environment, decision makers seek an effective framework to evaluate the true benefits, costs and risks of sourcing alternatives-both relating to the short-term effects of selecting particular suppliers or groups of suppliers, as well as the long-term effects of redrawing their firm boundary and developing a more vertically disintegrated supply chain. This thesis is an examination of strategic sourcing decision practices at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, based on a six-month internship study with the Future Airplane Production group in Seattle, Washington. In this thesis we will discuss the application of strategic analysis, lean operational analysis, managerial accounting, and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to improve existing sourcing analysis practices. An integrated decision support model is introduced to represent key sourcing decision factors, their relative importance, and the expected benefits, costs and risks to stakeholders related to each factor (comparing two sourcing alternatives). Using a weighted average, the model expressly indicates the relative value of each alternative. The model is applied to two case studies involving local insourcing and offshore outsourcing, respectively. This study demonstrates the need for incorporating explicit valuation of 'softer' strategic, operational and risk components along with the 'hard' financial analysis when making sourcing decisions.by Victor A. Mroczkowski.S.M.M.B.A

Pameran Reka Cipta, Penyelidikan dan Inovasi (PRPI) 2009

PRPI 2009 kini telah memasuki tahun penganjurannya yang ke-7. Pameran penyelidikan di UPM telah bermula sejak tahun 1997 semasa Exhibition & Seminar Harnessing for Industry Advantage. Pada tahun 2002, Pameran Reka Cipta dan Penyelidikan (PRP) buat pertama kali telah diadakan dengan menggunakan konsep pertandingan hasil projek penyelidikan yang telah dijalankan oleh para penyelidik UPM. Kejayaan penganjuran PRP 2002 telah merintis usaha untuk menjadikannya sebagai aktiviti tahunan UPM dan ianya terus berkembang sejajar dengan nama baharunya yang ditukar kepada Pameran Reka Cipta, Penyelidikan dan Inovasi yang bermula penganjurannya pada tahun 2005. Sebagai kesinambungan daripada kejayaan penganjuran PRPI 2006, 2007 dan 2008 yang lalu dan status UPM sebagai salah sebuah Universiti Penyelidikan, PRPI 2009 kali ini yang merupakan pameran penyelidikan yang terbesar di UPM terus dilaksanakan dengan aspirasi dan semangat yang lebih jitu. Pameran ini juga menjadi pelantar kepada para penyelidik untuk mengenengahkan hasil penyelidikan yang dijalankan dan penemuan baharu kepada umum. Di samping itu ianya juga menjadi penanda aras terhadap kualiti sesuatu projek penyelidikan bagi melayakkan para penyelidik UPM untuk menyertai pameran di peringkat kebangsaan dan seterusnya antarabangsa. Adalah diharapkan pelaksanaan PRPI 2009 ini akan dapat menyemarakkan budaya penyelidikan di kalangan staf dan juga pelajar UPM sekaligus menjadikan UPM sebagai Universiti Penyelidikan yang cemerlang di negara ini