Accelerating System Development for the Food Chain: a Portfolio of over 30 Projects, Aiming at Impact and Growth

Supply of fresh food is of vital importance to feed Europe in a healthy way, while Europe has also an important role in feeding the world. Food products and other perishables such as flowers impose very challenging demands on the management of its supply chains. Food networks are struggling with an integrated usage of information and communication technology (ICT) that enables the heterogeneous stakeholders in the food chain to exchange information in real-time and control workflows based on requirements with respect to quality, costs and schedule. Innovative ICT systems that are addressing such challenges are currently being developed by a large European initiative, called FIWARE. Within this paper, we will discuss a portfolio of 31 projects that are realising solutions for the food chain in close collaboration with supporting business partners. Diverse food related topics are addressed, such as logistics, transport, planning & control, tracking & tracing, information management as well as new ways to realise e-commerce within the chain as well as for consumers.The FIWARE initiative is accelerating startups and supporting SME type technology developers that are realising solutions for real world business cases, which are serving as reference customers and test cases to assure an end-user acceptance and valid business models. This paper discusses the main food chain related topics and innovation potentials that are addressed as well as outlining the related methodological and technological approaches that are used to facilitate the realisation of impact and growth for commercial exploitation

Accelerating System Development for the Food Chain: A Portfolio of over 30 Projects, Aiming at Impact and Growth

Supply of fresh food is of vital importance to feed Europe in a healthy way, while Europe has also an important role in feeding the world. Food products and other perishables such as flowers impose very challenging demands on the management of its supply chains. Food networks are struggling with an integrated usage of information and communication technology (ICT) that enables the heterogeneous stakeholders in the food chain to exchange information in real-time and control workflows based on requirements with respect to quality, costs and schedule. Innovative ICT systems that are addressing such challenges are currently being developed by a large European initiative, called FIWARE. Within this paper, we will discuss a portfolio of 31 projects that are realising solutions for the food chain in close collaboration with supporting business partners. Diverse food related topics are addressed, such as logistics, transport, planning and control, tracking and tracing, information management as well as new ways to realise e-commerce within the chain as well as for consumers.The FIWARE initiative is accelerating startups and supporting SME type technology developers that are realising solutions for real world business cases, which are serving as reference customers and test cases to assure an end-user acceptance and valid business models. This paper discusses the main food chain related topics and innovation potentials that are addressed as well as outlines the related methodological and technological approaches that are used to facilitate the realisation of impact and growth for commercial exploitation

Psychological Climate and Work Attitudes: The Importance of Telling the Right Story

In this field study, the authors explore how choosing one context over another influences both research results and implications. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, the authors examine context from both an organizational and a business-unit perspective by studying relationships between five psychological climate variables and outcomes of job satisfaction, affective commitment, and intent to leave. Results show different contextual influences between the organization and two business units, suggesting that different bundles of psychological climate variables yield similar outcomes depending on the context studied. These results bolster the contention that researchers need to identify the right context in field research

Overcoming Resistance to Diversity in the Executive Suite: Grease, Grit, and the Corporate Tournament

Once we open the corporate governance/human resources nexus to deeper inquiry, mutual scholarly interest in diversity and discrimination follows naturally. Firms have complex motives to take nondiscrimination and the promotion of diversity seriously. First, at least certain forms of discrimination are both unlawful and socially illegitimate and hence present threats of potential liability and injury to reputation. Second, human resources demands are such that attracting and motivating a diverse workforce is a competitive imperative. At the same time, however, offsetting economic forces may exist that favor subtle forms of discrimination and hostility to diversity, even if intentional and overt racial or gender-based bias is mostly outdated. In sum, the process of promoting diversity and ending discrimination, whether to avoid liability or simply to remain competitive, is a difficult challenge faced by many firms. It demands a close look at the efficacy of the internal decisionmaking and authority structures of the firm

Cultures of Compliance

There has been a cultural turn in discussion and debates about the promise of corporate compliance efforts. These efforts are occurring quickly, without great confidence in their efficacy. Thus the interest in culture. This article explores what a culture of compliance means and why it is so hard to achieve. The dark side that enables non-compliance in organizations is powerful and often hidden from view, working via scripts that rationalize or normalize, denigrations of regulation, and celebrations of beliefs and attitudes that bring with them compliance dangers. The article addresses how both culture and compliance should be judged by those wishing for better corporate behavior

Going Overboard? On Busy Directors and Firm Value

Abstract The literature disagrees on the link between so-called busy boards (where many independent directors hold multiple board seats) and firm performance. Some argue that busyness certifies a director’s ability and that such directors are value enhancing. Others argue that “over-boarded” directors are ineffective and detract from firm value. We find evidence that (1) the disparate results in prior work stem from differences in both sample composition and empirical design, (2) on balance the results suggest a negative association between board busyness and firm performance, and (3) the inclusion of firm fixed effects dramatically affects the conclusions drawn from, and the explanatory power of, multivariate analyses. We also explore alternative empirical definitions of what constitutes a busy director and find that commonly used proxies for busyness perform well relative to more complex alternatives. Highlights ► The disparate busy director findings result from different samples and methodology. ► Including firm fixed effects results in a constant negative relation. ► The common busy director definition is as informative as more intense alternatives

Keeping Up with the Joneses: New Models to Support Developing Needs

The purpose of this paper is to explore models that may improve interdisciplinary collection strategies. Practical alternatives and expansions to existing services that can be explored without the burden of irreversible consequences will be discussed. This paper is intended more so as a conversation starter about altering our thought processes in regards to how librarians carry out their work to meet new demands. It is not intended to be a guide with proven methods that will work universally. These proposals are set within the context of a library that is part of a large research institution.International Federation of Library AssociationsUniversity of Toronto, LibraryUniversity of Toronto, Faculty of InformationUniversity of Illinois, LibraryTitle VI National Resource Center Grant (P015A060066)unpublishednot peer reviewe

Fordham Law Forward: Community, Service, Excellence: The Fordham Law Strategic Plan

Strategic plan for facing the challenges of legal education and the legal profession.https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/fa_administration/1000/thumbnail.jp