Distributed product development approaches and system for achieving optimal design.

The research in this dissertation attempts to provide theoretic approaches and design systems to support engineers who are located in different places and belong to different teams or companies to work collaboratively to perform product development.The second challenge is addressed by developing a collaborative design process modeling technique based on Petri-net. Petri-net is used to describe complex design processes and to construct different design process alternatives. These alternative Petri-net models are then analyzed to evaluate design process alternatives and to select the appropriate process.In this dissertation, three major challenges are identified in realization of a collaborative design paradigm: (i) development of design method that supports multidisciplinary xi design teams to collaboratively solve coupled design problems, (ii) development of process modeling techniques to support representation and improve complex collaborative design process, and (iii) implementation of a testbed system that demonstrates the feasibility of enhancing current design system to satisfy with the needs of organizing collaborative design process for collaborative decision making and associated design activities.New paradigms, along with accompanying approaches and software systems are necessary to support collaborative design work, in a distributed design environment, of multidisciplinary engineering teams who have different knowledge, experience, and skills. Current research generally focuses on the development of online collaborative tools, and software frameworks that integrate and coordinate these tools. However, a gap exists between the needs of a distributed collaborative design paradigm and current collaborative design tools. On one side, design methodologies facilitating engineering teams' decision making is not well developed. In a distributed collaborative design paradigm, each team holds its own perspective towards the product realization problem, and each team seeks design decisions that can maximize the design performance in its own discipline. Design methodologies that coordinate the separate design decisions are essential to achieve successful collaboration. On the other side, design of products is becoming more complex. Organizing a complex design process is a major obstacle in the application of a distributed collaborative design paradigm in practice. Therefore, the principal research goal in this dissertation is to develop a collaborative multidisciplinary decision making methodology and design process modeling technique that bridges the gap between a collaborative design paradigm and current collaborative design systems.To overcome the first challenge, decision templates are constructed to exchange design information among interacting disciplines. Three game protocols from game theory are utilized to categorize the collaboration in decision makings. Design formulations are used to capture the design freedom among coupled design activities.The third challenge, implementation of collaborative design testbed, is addressed by integration of existing Petri-net modeling tools into the design system. The testbed incorporates optimization software, collaborative design tools, and management software for product and process design to support group design activities.Two product realization examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the research and collaborative testbed. A simplified manipulator design example is used for explanation of collaborative decision making and design process organization. And a reverse engineering design example is introduced to verify the application of collaborative design paradigm with design support systems in practice

Knowledge Sharing and Innovative Strategies in Organisational Collaborative Relationships: The Potential of Open Strategy

Edited version embargoed until 15.04.2020 Full version: Access restricted permanently due to 3rd party copyright restrictions. Restriction set on 15/04/2019 by AS, Doctoral CollegeToday’s challenges presented by a rapidly changing business environment can be met by collaborative relationships between businesses. Businesses can exchange or share key resources that companies are unable to develop alone. Knowledge is one of the most important organisational resources and one which businesses can share in order to increase their competitive advantages, under the right circumstances. Networks are one form of collaborative relationship being already well known and widely researched. Business ecosystems are an even broader conception of inter-company relationships. The two research streams, network theory and business ecosystem theory, complement each other. Whilst network theory focuses on structures, business ecosystem theory introduces the potential of different roles played by individual businesses in these networks and describes collaborative relationships as comprising of Keystones, Dominators, Hub-Landlords and Niche players. However, so far no comprehensive approach has been developed to describe the different business ecosystem roles, their influences and their strategies in distinct collaborative relationships. The aim of this research is to create a more detailed approach to the study of business ecosystems, focusing in particular on one role, the Keystone, operating in collaborative network relationships. In this study a literature review was first conducted, resulting in the development of a conceptual model. Expert interviews were used to enable the development of detailed multiple case studies, focusing on the Keystone role in distinctive collaborative relationships. The research offers a structured and detailed analysis of the Keystone role, its characteristics, strategies and knowledge sharing activities in different industrial sectors. Findings show that Keystones in both formally structured and more informally structured networks of collaborative relationships, behaved in similar ways. Only some minor differences were identified between the investigated Keystones. The research identified specific Keystone characteristics and their actions, used to fulfil their role and their organisational and interorganisational strategies. This thesis contributes to a greater understanding on the actions, characteristics and roles of different organisations operating within business networks and within a broader business ecosystem. Focusing on the essential role of the Keystone, the research provides a better understanding of network roles and dynamics and will facilitate improved strategic decision making for any organisation seeking to take advantage of collaborative relationships

Better the Devil You Know: A New Theory of Negotiation in Collaborative Governance and Evidence from Endangered Species Management

While a growing literature in collaborative public management has made progress in our understanding of stakeholder collaboration, it has generally evaluated such efforts on criteria such as inclusiveness and the emergence of consensus. However, this theoretical framework, while not necessarily incorrect, has left us wanting for detailed explanations of individual and group decision-making processes, negotiation strategies, and the differential influence of competing interest groups within collaborative negotiations. How do individuals or groups involved in collaborative governance make decisions when their preferences and values are opposed? How do they reach a unified outcome that all can accept? Who compromises, on what, how much, and why? What role does the technical complexity of the problem play in this decision calculus? These are the key motivating questions behind this dissertation. I provide answers to these theoretical questions first by proposing a decision-making theory that draws from procrastination, obedience, and rational addiction theories in behavioral economics literature. I then show how this theory can be applied to explain why sometimes interest groups involved in long-term negotiations, such as those in collaborative governance arrangements, sometimes make decisions and agree to solutions that, on the surface, seem inconsistent with their preferences. I argue that one of the key elements driving this type of behavior is the technical complexity so frequently involved in these cases. The dissertation then examines this theory empirically through studies of two recent cases of collaborative governance drawn from Habitat Conservation Plans under the Endangered Species Act: the Florida Beaches Habitat Conservation Plan and the Charlotte County (Florida) Scrub-Jay Habitat Conservation Plan. The case selection is designed to give maximum variation in technical complexity between the two cases. I employ archival research and in-depth interviews with individuals involved in the negotiation processes over these two cases in order to understand the most important factors affecting individual and group decisions throughout the process. The results are consistent with the predictions drawn from the theory. In the higher complexity case, the interaction of technical and political complexity has resulted in perpetual delay and thus the least effective alternative for preserving the species. In the comparison case, however, negotiations resulted in the most robust conservation alternative that was practicable under the circumstances

A Carrot and Stick Approach to Agenda-Setting ∗

The focus for the Centre is research into individual and strategic decision-making using a combination of theoretical and experimental methods. On the theory side, members of the Centre investigate individual choice under uncertainty, cooperative and non-cooperative game theory, as well as theories of psychology, bounded rationality and evolutionary game theory. Members of the Centre have applied experimental methods in the fields of public economics, individual choice under risk and uncertainty, strategic interaction, and the performance of auctions, markets and other economic institutions. Much of the Centre's research involves collaborative projects with researchers from other departments in the UK and overseas. Please visi

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The focus for the Centre is research into individual and strategic decision-making using a combination of theoretical and experimental methods. On the theory side, members of the Centre investigate individual choice under uncertainty, cooperative and non-cooperative game theory, as well as theories of psychology, bounded rationality and evolutionary game theory. Members of the Centre have applied experimental methods in the fields of public economics, individual choice under risk and uncertainty, strategic interaction, and the performance of auctions, markets and other economic institutions. Much of the Centre's research involves collaborative projects with researchers from other departments in the UK and overseas. Please visi

AN EXAMINATION OF THE INDICATORS OF EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION IN TREATMENT OF LANGUAGE DISORDERS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN NAIROBI CITY, KENYA

The purpose of this study was to examine the indicators of effective collaboration in the treatment of language disorders in children with autism in Nairobi City County. This study was guided by Belbin’s Theory of Teamwork and Gregory’s Theory of Perception. The study adopted the qualitative research design targeting 55 caregivers and 10 speech therapists. Purposive sampling was used to select 20 participants. The research was conducted in Nairobi County and piloting at a medical Hospital. Qualitative data was collected using in-depth interviews and analysed thematically. The study findings showed that the indicators of effective collaborative approaches include achievement of set goals, improved speech, inclusivity of all those involved, improved sharing of information, and improved decision-making. Collaboration ensures that the caregivers are well-informed about the treatments and interventions. The study recommends that the public should be educated on the different disorders such as autism and other spectrum disorders that may cause language disorders to address issues of stigmatization and the benefits that come with adopting collaborative approaches in treating language disorders in children with autism.  Article visualizations