9,087 research outputs found
Which conceptual foundations for environmental policies? An institutional and evolutionary framework of economic change
This paper draws on institutional and evolutionary economics and contributes to an approach to environmental policy which diverges from mainstream prescriptions. The 'socio-technical system' is the core concept: this is a complex made of co-evolving institutions, technologies, markets and actors that fulfils an overall societal need (such as housing, production, mobility, etc.). A systemic and dynamic analysis of those structural changes which are needed to create more sustainable socio-technical systems is provided; actors – and their ability to influence politics and policy – are explicitly taken into consideration. Unsustainable socio-technical systems feature a relevant resistance to change, because they are embedded in the very structure of our society and because of the conservative action of dominant stakeholders; this is why no environmental policy will be effective unless it aims at 'unlocking' our societies from their dominance. But also a constructive side of environmental policy is needed in order to establish new and more sustainable socio-technical systems; consistently, environmental policy is viewed as a combination of actions that can trigger, make viable and align those institutional, technological and economic changes which are needed to reach sustainability. Again, actors (for change) are at the heart of this vision of environmental policy: as subject, because the creation of new and sustainable socio-technical systems is made possible by (coalitions of) actors for change; as object, because environmental policy – to be effective – must actively support the empowerment, legitimation and social networking of such coalitions. A ‘chicken and egg’ problem remains: who comes first? Actors for change advocating policies for sustainability or policies for sustainability supporting actors for change?Environmental policy; Economic dynamics; Institutional economics; Evolutionary economics; Socio-technical systems
WHICH CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES? AN INSTITUTIONAL AND EVOLUTIONARY FRAMEWORK OF ECONOMIC CHANGE
This paper draws on institutional and evolutionary economics and contributes to an approach to environmental policy which diverges from mainstream prescriptions. The 'socio-technical system' is the core concept: this is a complex made of co-evolving institutions, technologies, markets and actors that fulfils an overall societal need (such as housing, production, mobility, etc.). A systemic and dynamic analysis of those structural changes which are needed to create more sustainable socio-technical systems is provided; actors – and their ability to influence politics and policy – are explicitly taken into consideration. Unsustainable socio-technical systems feature a relevant resistance to change, because they are embedded in the very structure of our society and because of the conservative action of dominant stakeholders; this is why no environmental policy will be effective unless it aims at 'unlocking' our societies from their dominance. But also a constructive side of environmental policy is needed in order to establish new and more sustainable socio-technical systems; consistently, environmental policy is viewed as a combination of actions that can trigger, make viable and align those institutional, technological and economic changes which are needed to reach sustainability. Again, actors (for change) are at the heart of this vision of environmental policy: as subject, because the creation of new and sustainable socio-technical systems is made possible by (coalitions of) actors for change; as object, because environmental policy – to be effective – must actively support the empowerment, legitimation and social networking of such coalitions. A 'chicken and egg' problem remains: who comes first? Actors for change advocating policies for sustainability or policies for sustainability supporting actors for change?
Runtime Resolution of Feature Interactions through Adaptive Requirement Weakening
The feature interaction problem occurs when two or more independently
developed components interact with each other in unanticipated ways, resulting
in undesirable system behaviors. Feature interaction problems remain a
challenge for emerging domains in cyber-physical systems (CPS), such as the
Internet of Things and autonomous drones. Existing techniques for resolving
feature interactions take a "winner-takes-all" approach, where one out of the
conflicting features is selected as the most desirable one, and the rest are
disabled. However, when multiple of the conflicting features fulfill important
system requirements, being forced to select one of them can result in an
undesirable system outcome. In this paper, we propose a new resolution approach
that allows all of the conflicting features to continue to partially fulfill
their requirements during the resolution process. In particular, our approach
leverages the idea of adaptive requirement weakening, which involves one or
more features temporarily weakening their level of performance in order to
co-exist with the other features in a consistent manner. Given feature
requirements specified in Signal Temporal Logic (STL), we propose an automated
method and a runtime architecture for automatically weakening the requirements
to resolve a conflict. We demonstrate our approach through case studies on
feature interactions in autonomous drones.Comment: 10 pages, submitted to SEAMS conferenc
Fast or Accurate? Governing Conflicting Goals in Highly Autonomous Vehicles
The tremendous excitement around the deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs)
comes from their purported promise. In addition to decreasing accidents, AVs
are projected to usher in a new era of equity in human autonomy by providing
affordable, accessible, and widespread mobility for disabled, elderly, and
low-income populations. However, to realize this promise, it is necessary to
ensure that AVs are safe for deployment, and to contend with the risks AV
technology poses, which threaten to eclipse its benefits. In this Article, we
focus on an aspect of AV engineering currently unexamined in the legal
literature, but with critical implications for safety, accountability,
liability, and power. Specifically, we explain how understanding the
fundamental engineering trade-off between accuracy and speed in AVs is critical
for policymakers to regulate the uncertainty and risk inherent in AV systems.
We discuss how understanding the trade-off will help create tools that will
enable policymakers to assess how the trade-off is being implemented. Such
tools will facilitate opportunities for developing concrete, ex ante AV safety
standards and conclusive mechanisms for ex post determination of accountability
after accidents occur. This will shift the balance of power from manufacturers
to the public by facilitating effective regulation, reducing barriers to tort
recovery, and ensuring that public values like safety and accountability are
appropriately balanced.Comment: Vol. 20, pp. 249-27
The Two Faces of Collaboration: Impacts of University-Industry Relations on Public Research
We analyze the impact of university-industry relationships on public research. Our inductive study of university-industry collaboration in engineering suggests that basic projects are more likely to yield academically valuable knowledge than applied projects. However, applied projects show higher degrees of partner interdependence and therefore enable exploratory learning by academics, leading to new ideas and projects. This result holds especially for research-oriented academics working in the ‘sciences of the artificial’ and engaging in multiple relationships with industry. Our learning-centred interpretation qualifies the notion of entrepreneurial science as a driver of applied university-industry collaboration. We conclude with implications for science and technology policy.University industry relations; Collaborative research; Contract research; Academic consulting; Science technology links; Engineering
Japanese Supplier Relations: A Comparative Perspective
This paper describes major characteristics of Japanese supplier relations in a comparative perspective. The supplier relations in Japan, particularly automobile industry, are examined in comparison with those in the United States. The primary purpose of the study is to characterize significant features of Japanese supplier relations and to provide economic rationale for those relationships. In addition, comparing supplier relations in Japan and the U.S., convergence in the nature of those are discussed. Significant features of Japanese supplier relations are characterized: long-term relationships and commitments; forced competition among few suppliers; transaction-specific investments in plant, equipment, and human capital; significant involvement of suppliers in product development with sharing of information. Supplier relations in the U.S. are changing and moving close to the Japanese counterpart. There has been a limited, yet noticeable, convergence in the nature of U.S. and Japanese supplier relations.Long-term relationships, Procurement, Supplier relations, Transaction-specific investments
Smartphone chronic gaming consumption and positive coping practice
Purpose: Chronic consumption practice has been greatly accelerated by mobile, interactive and smartphone gaming technology devices. This study explores how chronic consumption of smartphone gaming produces positive coping practice. Design/methodology/approach: Underpinned by cognitive framing theory, empirical insights from eleven focus groups (n=62) reveal how smartphone gaming enhances positive coping amongst gamers and non-gamers. Findings: The findings reveal how the chronic consumption of games allows technology to act with privileged agency that resolves tensions between individuals and collectives. Consumption narratives of smartphone games, even when play is limited, lead to the identification of three cognitive frames through which positive coping processes operate: (a) the market generated frame, (b) the social being frame, and (c) the citizen frame. Research limitations/implications: This paper adds to previous research by providing an understanding of positive coping practice in the smartphone chronic gaming consumption. Originality/value: In smartphone chronic gaming consumption, cognitive frames enable positive coping by fostering appraisal capacities in which individuals confront, hegemony, culture and alterity-morality concerns
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