Leveraging Internal Competency and Managing Environmental Uncertainty: Propensity to Collaborate in International Markets

Purpose – The choice of an international market entry mode involves two critical considerations, leveraging internal competencies and managing environmental uncertainties in host countries. The purpose of the paper is to explicate how these two considerations affect the propensity to collaborate in international markets. Design/methodology/approach – The paper builds on existing theories and develops hypotheses showing relations between competencies and uncertainty and collaboration in international markets. Findings – Conceptual relations show that the goals of leveraging competencies and managing environmental uncertainty in host countries have varying effects on the level of international collaboration. Originality/value – The effects are shown through the integration of different theories and empirical findings. Furthermore, the significance of collaboration in international market entry decisions is established. Directions for future research are also provided

Test of the gravitational redshift with stable clocks in eccentric orbits: application to Galileo satellites 5 and 6

The Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP) is one of the foundations of the theory of General Relativity and several alternative theories of gravitation predict violations of the EEP. Experimental constraints on this fundamental principle of nature are therefore of paramount importance. The EEP can be split in three sub-principles: the Universality of Free Fall (UFF), the Local Lorentz Invariance (LLI) and the Local Position Invariance (LPI). In this paper we propose to use stable clocks in eccentric orbits to perform a test of the gravitational redshift, a consequence of the LPI. The best test to date was performed with the Gravity Probe A (GP-A) experiment in 1976 with an uncertainty of $1.4\times10^{-4}$. Our proposal considers the opportunity of using Galileo satellites 5 and 6 to improve on the GP-A test uncertainty. We show that considering realistic noise and systematic effects, and thanks to a highly eccentric orbit, it is possible to improve on the GP-A limit to an uncertainty around $(3-4)\times 10^{-5}$ after one year of integration of Galileo 5 and 6 data.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, accepted in Classical and Quantum Gravity as a Fast Track Communicatio

Barriers of inter-organisational integration in vocational rehabilitation

Introduction: A project of vocational rehabilitation was studied in Sweden between 1999 and 2002. The project included four public organisations: the social insurance office, the local health services, the municipal social service and the office of the state employment service. The aim of this paper was to analyse perceived barriers in the development of inter-organisational integration. <br><br> Theory: Theories of inter-professional and inter-organisational integration, and theories on organisational change. <br><br> Methods: In total, 51 semi-structured interviews and 14 focus group discussions were performed with actors within the project between 1999 and 2002. A thematic approach was used for the analysis of the data. <br><br> Results: Three different main themes of barriers emerged from the data: A Uncertainty, B Prioritising own organisation and C Lack of communication. The themes are interconnected in an intricate web and hence not mutually exclusive. <br><br> Conclusions and discussion: The barriers found are all related partly to organisational change in general and partly to the specific development of organisational integration. Prioritising of own organisation led to flaws in communication, which in turn led to a high degree of uncertainty within the project. This can be seen as a circular relationship, since uncertainty might increase focus on own organisation and lack of communication. <br><br> A way to overcome these barriers would be to take the needs of the clients as a point of departure in the development of joint services and to also involve them in the development of inter-organisational integration

The change of tide in political cooperation: a limited information model of European integration

European integration follows a puzzling stop-and-go pattern that traditional international reations theories cannot fully explain. The predominating paradigms only account for either the achievements or the setbacks of the integration process. An information based explanation makes it possible to move beyond structural accounts provided by realist and functionalist scholarship. Such an approach yields solid micro-level foundations of international bargaining and focuses on leaders' use of threats in negotiations about regional cooperation. Situations involving governments agreeing on the necessity of further integration, but disagreeing about its level, create room for strategic manipulation of information asymmetries. This type of uncertainty stems from the manipulator's information and control advantages concerning domestic costs. The analysis of different summit meetings demonstrates the empirical relevance of such maneuvers for the dynamics of European integratio

Dwelling in Time, Dwelling in Structures: Disintegration in World Politics

This dissertation aims to propose a general theory of disintegration. This subject is not treated directly by some theoretical accounts and mistreated by others. European integration theories are fashioned to explain the greater integration process while game-theoretic approaches to withdrawals and secessions, even if treating disintegration directly, fail to include critically responsible factors. This dissertation offers a constructive criticism of both accounts. Since neither turning integration theories symmetrically around nor direct, game-theoretic assessment of disintegration help to provide sufficient explanation, it is suggested that the problem of symmetrical reversal and rational conduct must be revised. Disintegration fails to follow the rules suggested by symmetrical reversal of integration. Therefore, it requires independent theoretical account which would pay attention to new, unique factors. Many withdrawal and secession games include these factors but at the price of paralysis of conduct. This dissertation’s argument is that these new factors should be identified and described narratively in order to understand why this conduct becomes troublesome. It is suggested that the problem is located in uncertainty about payoffs’ value and nature. Since actors of disintegration game bargain over different issues rather than upon integration and since these issues often assume non-quantifiable values, disintegration becomes qualitatively different from integration, integration theories prove to be unfit, and game-theoretic accounts need more cautious application. Case studies introduced in three structures of analysis – states, intergovernmental organizations and the European Union – aim to test and confirm subsequent elements of the proposed theory. The constructive criticism of both integration theories and withdrawal/secession games aim to make the general theory of disintegration applicable to many different forms of political structure. As a conclusion, this dissertation points out strengths of this new account on disintegration and encourages researchers to further extend its framework. The theory can help policymakers to understand negotiations better and to learn how to accommodate the risk. Academic researchers should be able to provide reliable analyses so that public opinion is not be shaped by the fear of the unknown and misinterpreted

Strong lensing by DHOST black holes

The deflection of light in the strong field limit is an important test for alternative theories of gravity. However, solutions for the metric that allow for analytic computations are not always available. We implement a hybrid analytic-numerical approximation to determine the deflection angle in static, spherically symmetric spacetimes. We apply this to a set of numerical black hole solutions within the class of theories known as Degenerate Higher Order Scalar-tensor Theories. Comparing our results to a more time consuming full numerical integration, we find that we can accurately describe the deflection angle for light rays passing at arbitrary distances from the photon sphere with a combination of two analytic-numerical approximations. Furthermore, we find a range of parameters where our DHOST black holes predict strong lensing effects whose size is comparable with the uncertainty in the properties of the supermassive black hole in M87 reported by the Event Horizon Telescope, showing that strong lensing is a viable alternative to put constraints on these models

Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making

Does gravity affect decision-making? This question comes into sharp focus as plans for interplanetary human space missions solidify. In the framework of Bayesian brain theories, gravity encapsulates a strong prior, anchoring agents to a reference frame via the vestibular system, informing their decisions and possibly their integration of uncertainty. What happens when such a strong prior is altered? We address this question using a self-motion estimation task in a space analog environment under conditions of altered gravity. Two participants were cast as remote drone operators orbiting Mars in a virtual reality environment on board a parabolic flight, where both hyper- and microgravity conditions were induced. From a first-person perspective, participants viewed a drone exiting a cave and had to first predict a collision and then provide a confidence estimate of their response. We evoked uncertainty in the task by manipulating the motion’s trajectory angle. Post-decision subjective confidence reports were negatively predicted by stimulus uncertainty, as expected. Uncertainty alone did not impact overt behavioral responses (performance, choice) differentially across gravity conditions. However microgravity predicted higher subjective confidence, especially in interaction with stimulus uncertainty. These results suggest that variables relating to uncertainty affect decision-making distinctly in microgravity, highlighting the possible need for automatized, compensatory mechanisms when considering human factors in space research

Personal determinants of organic food consumption: a review

Purpose - A lot of literature is available that discusses personal determinants of organic food consumption. However different models and determinants are used in the literature. This paper aims to provide an overview, within a framework linking Schwartz' values theory and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Also it seeks to focus on the importance of affective attitude, emotions, personal norm, involvement and uncertainty related to organic food consumption. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is based on secondary data sources, namely the literature concerning personal determinants of organic food consumption. Findings - Both the values theory and the theory of planned behaviour have been referred to as relevant theories for better understanding consumers' choice for organic food. Organic food consumption decisions can be explained by relating attributes of organic food with more abstract values such as "security", "hedonism", "universalism", "benevolence", "stimulation", "self-direction" and "conformity". Appealing to these values can positively influence attitudes towards organic food consumption. Besides attitude, subjective and personal norm and (perceived) behavioural control influence consumption of organic food. Research limitations/implications - More research related to the role of uncertainty (reduction) during the process of buying organic food is recommended. Practical implications - Relatively little research has examined the affective component of attitude and emotions in relation to organic food consumption, while these may play an important role as drivers of involvement and thus help to jolt food purchasers out of their routine of buying conventional food and set a first step to adopt organic food. Originality/value - To the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper providing a comprehensive overview and linking the literature on organic food consumption to the values theory and the theory of planned behaviour, including the role of personal norm and focusing on emotions. The proposed integration of mental processing in an organic food consumption model leads to interesting hypotheses and recommendations for policy makers, researchers and stakeholders involved in the organic food market

Knowledge transfer in cross-border post-acquisition integration

This study examines effective knowledge transfer in post-acquisition integrations. Although research already exists on knowledge transfer, significant gaps could be found in the literature, especially in the context of cross-border acquisition integrations. The aim of this study is to identify how can knowledge be transferred effectively in cross-border acquisition integrations. The sub-questions of this thesis are to find out why effective knowledge transfer is vital in integrations; what characteristics influence the transfer of knowledge and which transfer mechanisms should be chosen to ensure effective knowledge transfer. In order to attain the aim of this study, a framework was conducted based on the existing theories and findings of earlier literature. The theoretical framework combined knowledge transfer with different integration measures. Based on the theoretical framework and operationalization table, six expert interviews were conducted during three weeks in February 2019. The interviewees were chosen based on their expertise in the subject. All of the interviews were transcribed and analyzed through thematic analysis. Based on the transcribed interview material, thematic networks were built to be used for the analysis of this study. The empirical research of this study reinforced the existing theories to a large extent but gave also new viewpoints on the factors influencing effective knowledge transfer. It was concluded that knowledge transfer is an important element of integrations and depending on the level of the integration, significant amount of knowledge must be transferred in the integrations. If the transfer of knowledge is not effective or encounters challenges, it can affect the entire acquisition integration outcome. Consistent and clear communication is vital in order to build trust and a beneficial relationship between the acquisition parties. The better the communication achieved is, the more knowledge is transferred. Communication was concluded to be of great importance especially in the context of cross-border post-acquisition integration. Furthermore, surveillance is added to the influence factors to be an important aspect, since integrations often involve uncertainty among the employees. This uncertainty can also be decreased by effective communication. Additionally, building social communities to transfer knowledge, especially tacit one, is highlighted to be an effective mean. However, one should not merely rely on one transfer mechanism as the most effective way is often times a combination of more than one. Future research is encouraged to be able to gain more insight on this topic