An Economic Framework For Resource Management And Pricing In Wireless Networks With Competitive Service Providers

A paradigm shift from static spectrum allocation to dynamic spectrum access (DSA) is becoming a reality due to the recent advances in cognitive radio, wide band spectrum sensing, and network aware real--time spectrum access. It is believed that DSA will allow wireless service providers (WSPs) the opportunity to dynamically access spectrum bands as and when they need it. Moreover, due to the presence of multiple WSPs in a region, it is anticipated that dynamic service pricing would be offered that will allow the end-users to move from long-term service contracts to more flexible short-term service models. In this research, we develop a unified economic framework to analyze the trading system comprising two components: i) spectrum owner--WSPs interactions with regard to dynamic spectrum allocation, and ii) WSP--end-users interactions with regard to dynamic service pricing. For spectrum owner--WSPs interaction, we investigate various auction mechanisms for finding bidding strategies of WSPs and revenue generated by the spectrum owner. We show that sequential bidding provides better result than the concurrent bidding when WSPs are constrained to at most single unit allocation. On the other hand, when the bidders request for multiple units, (i.e., they are not restricted by allocation constraints) synchronous auction mechanism proves to be beneficial than asynchronous auctions. In this regard, we propose a winner determination sealed-bid knapsack auction mechanism that dynamically allocates spectrum to the WSPs based on their bids. As far as dynamic service pricing is concerned, we use game theory to capture the conflict of interest between WSPs and end--users, both of whom try to maximize their respective net utilities. We deviate from the traditional per--service static pricing towards a more dynamic model where the WSPs might change the price of a service almost on a session by session basis. Users, on the other hand, have the freedom to choose their WSP based on the price offered. It is found that in such a greedy and non-cooperative behavioral game model, it is in the best interest of the WSPs to adhere to a price threshold which is a consequence of a price (Nash) equilibrium. We conducted extensive simulation experiments, the results of which show that the proposed auction model entices WSPs to participate in the auction, makes optimal use of the common spectrum pool, and avoids collusion among WSPs. We also demonstrate how pricing can be used as an effective tool for providing incentives to the WSPs to upgrade their network resources and offer better services

Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks

Being infrastructure-less and without central administration control, wireless ad-hoc networking is playing a more and more important role in extending the coverage of traditional wireless infrastructure (cellular networks, wireless LAN, etc). This book includes state-of-the-art techniques and solutions for wireless ad-hoc networks. It focuses on the following topics in ad-hoc networks: quality-of-service and video communication, routing protocol and cross-layer design. A few interesting problems about security and delay-tolerant networks are also discussed. This book is targeted to provide network engineers and researchers with design guidelines for large scale wireless ad hoc networks

Contrasting catching-up histories of the Korean and the Japanese heavy electrical industries in the 1970s-2000s

The thesis is motivated by contrasting catching-up performances of the Korean heavy electrical industry (HEI) across nuclear power and gas turbine, which have serious ramifications for energy policy as well as catching-up studies. When the opposite performance of Japanese counterparts across the two technologies is compared to the Korean case, the existing catching-up literature based on firm capabilities and sectoral approaches does not offer direct answers. Also, while most of government energy policies are focused on research and development (R&D) efforts, they pay little attention to a wide set of institutions, which might constrain and incentivise a specific technology catching-up. The idiosyncratic catching-up experiences and potential mismatch between catching-up policies and the institutional factors of the Korean HEI urge comparative and institutional perspectives for a generalisable claim. Therefore, the thesis adopts a partial comparative case study between the Korean HEI and the ‘earlier’ latecomer, namely Japanese HEI, as a reference case with mostly secondary evidences based on a broad version of national system of innovation system (NSI) approach (Freeman 1987; Lundvall 1988; Lundvall et al., 2002). The adopted NSI framework assumes a potential dichotomy of cross-technology and cross-nation performance attributes to contrasting institutional set-ups. It focusses on two salient institutions of the electricity supply industry (ESI), including business and environmental regulations, and their impact on the catching-up performances across the two technologies. It finds historically evolved ESI-HEI relationships based on the specific institutional set of ESI substantially influenced the dichotomy of cross-nation and cross-technology catching-up performances, regardless of R&D expenditures and relative technological capabilities of HEI firms. The result supplements the NSI literature by linking the variation of a set of institutions with catching-up performance variations. It also offers strategic implications to catching-up countries, such as the potential necessity for institutional reforms of the ESI in pursuing energy technology catching-up policies

Twenty K.R. Narayanan Orations

"The Australia South Asia Research Centre (ASARC) was established in 1994 in one of the premier universities of the world—The Australian National University (ANU). Apart from its research and doctoral training activities, ASARC also needed a public forum with a global reach to involve the best minds working on economic development in India as well as to honour its founder, Dr K.R. Narayanan, President of the Republic of India. The K.R. Narayanan Oration series was developed in response to these twin needs. The first oration was held in 1994 and the latest (the 20th) was held in 2018. The first 10 orations were published by ANU Press in 2006. This new edition updates the volume to include all 20 orations delivered so far and provides an updated introduction. All these orations have been delivered by leading academics, scientists and policymakers deeply involved in the transformation of the Indian economy. This collection of the Narayanan Orations is thus at once both an expert account of key aspects of the economic development process in India and a peek into India's potential in the future. As such, the publication of this volume marks a watershed in the intellectual debate on India’s economic reforms program and should be welcomed by all those interested in the economic development of the country.

The drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility in the supply chain. A case study.

Purpose: The paper studies the way in which a SME integrates CSR into its corporate strategy, the practices it puts in place and how its CSR strategies reflect on its suppliers and customers relations. Methodology/Research limitations: A qualitative case study methodology is used. The use of a single case study limits the generalizing capacity of these findings. Findings: The entrepreneur’s ethical beliefs and value system play a fundamental role in shaping sustainable corporate strategy. Furthermore, the type of competitive strategy selected based on innovation, quality and responsibility clearly emerges both in terms of well defined management procedures and supply chain relations as a whole aimed at involving partners in the process of sustainable innovation. Originality/value: The paper presents a SME that has devised an original innovative business model. The study pivots on the issues of innovation and eco-sustainability in a context of drivers for CRS and business ethics. These values are considered fundamental at International level; the United Nations has declared 2011 the “International Year of Forestry”

Evolving an efficient and effective off-the-shelf computing infrastructure for schools in rural areas of South Africa

Upliftment of rural areas and poverty alleviation are priorities for development in South Africa. Information and knowledge are key strategic resources for social and economic development and ICTs act as tools to support them, enabling innovative and more cost effective approaches. In order for ICT interventions to be possible, infrastructure has to be deployed. For the deployment to be effective and sustainable, the local community needs to be involved in shaping and supporting it. This study describes the technical work done in the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL), a long-term ICT4D experiment in the Mbashe Municipality, with a focus on the deployment of ICT infrastructure in schools, for teaching and learning but also for use by the communities surrounding the schools. As a result of this work, computing infrastructure was deployed, in various phases, in 17 schools in the area and a “broadband island” connecting them was created. The dissertation reports on the initial deployment phases, discussing theoretical underpinnings and policies for using technology in education as well various computing and networking technologies and associated policies available and appropriate for use in rural South African schools. This information forms the backdrop of a survey conducted with teachers from six schools in the SLL, together with experimental work towards the provision of an evolved, efficient and effective off-the-shelf computing infrastructure in selected schools, in order to attempt to address the shortcomings of the computing infrastructure deployed initially in the SLL. The result of the study is the proposal of an evolved computing infrastructure model for use in rural South African schools

Catching up or being dependent: the growth of capabilities among indigenous technological integrators during Chinese development

The thesis appraises certain key processes – albeit rather limited in number and scope – widely assumed to be associated with assessing the role of technological capability building in developing country (DC) firms. The latter are affected by their DC status on both the demand side (e.g. by rapid growth of the economy via consumption and trade) and the supply side (of technological catch-up etc.). Such broad considerations set the scene for our specific study. In this thesis, the component of technological capabilities that we highlight by studying local integrated product providers is the capability for systemic product development. We argue that the organisational system of industrial firms in DCs plays a fundamental role in their technological learning performance. Here, the developmental context is stressed because we suggest that the knowledge about how to organise effective learning, termed 'social technology', is at least as scarce as the 'physical technology' in such contexts, compared with those prevailing in the developed countries. Therefore, when DC firms shift into a new domain, the organisational systems that they rely on often have to be created rather than simply selected. This may be because, as first-movers in their circumstances, even when they are informed by external sources, they have very little practical experience of carrying out similar actions successfully within their own contexts. Therefore, studying organisational building in their early phase could prove critical for understanding their capability building processes. Empirical studies of China‘s car-making and telecom-equipment sectors over the past three decades are taken to support theoretical exploration in this thesis. Some scholars (e.g. Bell and Pavitt, 1992) point out that, in DCs, the growth of production capacity does not automatically lead to the building of technological capability. The experiences of China‘s car-making and telecomequipment sectors are exactly in line with this point of view. From the mid 1980s, the Chinese government implemented a 'trading market for technology (TMFT)' policy, encouraging its backbone SOEs (State Owned Enterprises) to establish productive joint ventures (JVs) with MNCs (Multinational Corporations). By doing so, policy-makers expected backbone SOEs to undergo a bottom-up capability building trajectory via learning closely from their JV partners. We term these SOEs and their JVs the 'Group-A firms' in our research. Contrary to the expectations of policy-makers, Group-A firms were locked into the manufacturing segment even after twenty years of TMFT practices, and seldom had new systemic products developed indigenously, prior to 2005 at least. On the contrary, the indigenous advance of technological capability building has actually been led by some new entrants. Their development has been independent of the advocacy of TMFT. They relied on in-house developed products from the very beginning after entering the corresponding industries, and succeeded in building sustainable competitiveness. We term them the 'Group-B firms'. By comparing these Group-A and Group-B firms, we argue that there are distinctive differences in organisational learning systems between them. Four components are developed of the concept of organisational learning systems, i.e. the strategic intent, the authority over strategic resource allocation, the pattern of organisational mobilisation and learning integration, and the facilities and institutions for knowledge accumulation. For the latter three components, we succeed in generating a clear contrast between these two groups of firms. We undertake a thorough comparison of authority over strategic resource allocation by studying the constitution of their top committees. As for the patterns of learning mobilisation and organisational integration, we find distinct differences in the scope of knowledge communication of front-line engineers, and relevant institutional arrangements to mobilise, integrate and direct the content of communication. Regarding the facilities for knowledge accumulation and application, the study of their knowledge database building engenders a clear contrast, as well as the institutional arrangements to regulate and promote relevant activities within their organisations. We also discover significant connections between the organisational systems of Group-B firms and their processes of knowledge search, generation and accumulation. Three important mechanisms of new knowledge creation in Group-B firms are examined, namely learning through recruitment, learning through cooperative projects and learning through interaction with customers. Our empirical study reveals that the authority stressing the investment in new product and technology development, the cross-boundary inter-departmental platform of knowledge conversion, the comprehensive knowledge-accumulating facilities, and the institutions backing these components play fundamental roles in shaping these learning mechanisms. Therefore, the organisational differences of these two groups of firms are connected with the differences of these two subsets of firms‘ technological learning performances. Besides, we discuss the social roots of their organisational systems by historically revisiting China‘s industrial system. By doing so, for the research community that focuses on technological learning in DCs, this thesis advocates a shift of research from stressing assimilative processes of firms to giving more emphasis to organisational changes as a centrepiece of studies

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse