Comparing Chinese and the Indian Software MNCs: Domestic and Export Market Strategies and Their Interplay

China and India are emerging as major new entrants in the international software industry. Both are rapidly learning through outsourcing with multinational enterprises from advanced nations. Yet, their paths to this dynamic sector are very different. Chinese software firms have focused on their domestic market by working with foreign MNCs, while they move cautiously abroad. Indian firms, despite already being large, continue to expand overseas as well as to climb the value chain. We show that a macro perspective on the global movement of work can be gained by utilizing concepts from different approaches to the MNC. At the same time, the innovation systems perspective is necessary to explain the foundations of the industry. The paper provides hypotheses and performs an initial validation of them. It concludes that the internationalization and learning processes are somewhat different in the Chinese and Indian MNCs, and provides explanations for the different patterns.outsourcing, software industry, industrial development, MNCs, MNEs, multinational enterprise, China, India

Applications of lean thinking: a briefing document

This report has been put together by the Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre (HaCIRIC) at the University of Salford for the Department of Health. The need for the report grew out of two main simple questions, o Is Lean applicable in sectors other than manufacturing? o Can the service delivery sector learn from the success of lean in manufacturing and realise the benefits of its implementation?The aim of the report is to list together examples of lean thinking as it is evidenced in the public and private service sector. Following a review of various sources a catalogue of evidence is put together in an organised manner which demonstrates that Lean principles and techniques, when applied rigorously and throughout an entire organization/unit, they can have a positive impact on productivity, cost, quality, and timely delivery of services

From knowledge dependence to knowledge creation: Industrial growth and the technological advance of the Japanese electronics industry

The thrust of the argument put forward in this paper is that the postwar technological advance of the Japanese electronics industry was in essence a product not a primary cause of industrial growth. We demonstrate that the industry's surge forward resulted from the interaction of a unique combination of political, economic and cultural forces. Business leaders took full advantage by investing on a massive scale in physical, organizational, human and technological resources. It was success in the marketplace and strong cash flows that allowed Japanese firms to import technology on a large scale, invest in scientists and engineers, and progressively develop world class technological capabilities. In establishing themselves as global players, Japanese electronics firms moved over the years from a position of knowledge dependence to one of knowledge creation. We explore how this transformation was achieved and how they learned to control and exploit knowledge creating systems and processes. In particular, we establish the multi-faceted context and complex set of relationships that have conditioned strategic decision making and the creation of technological capabilities

Adaption of structured analysis design techniques methodology for construction project planning

The construction industry has been heavily criticised by researchers and governmental organisations for its performance especially excessive delay. Ballard and Howell (2003) indicated that only about 50% of the tasks on weekly work plans are completed by the end of the plan week. This is a result of a lack of either effective project planning or effective production control. It therefore seems the traditional approach of planning is insufficient to meet the current demand and complexity of construction projects. This paper proposes to critically evaluate the adaptation of Structured Analysis Design Techniques (SADT) methodology as a tool for project planning. SADT which was further developed into IDEF (Integrated Definition) techniques claims to be a complete methodology to provide the means of understanding complex production systems and aid the implementation of change. The use of this methodology has led to process improvement. The research uses a literature review followed by interviews with academics and practitioners to investigate their knowledge and understanding of SADT (IDEFO). The results of the interviews indicated that SADT (IDEFO) methodology is seldom known and used in the construction industry. However, this study indicates that SADT methodology appears to be an effective project planning tool. This study contributes to the limited project planning techniques in construction industry by exploring the possible adaption of SADT

The Global Artificial Intelligence Revolution Challenges Patent Eligibility Laws

This Article examines patent eligibility jurisprudence of artificial intelligence in the United States, Europe, France, Japan, and Singapore. It identifies de facto requirements of patent-eligible artificial intelligence. It also examines the adaptability of patent eligibility jurisprudence to adapt with the growth of artificial intelligence

System Architecture Dynamics The case of Japanese Car Navigation Systems

This paper attempts to clarify how the integration of software and hardware is related to product systems and product development organization in the growing electronic equipment market in the IT age. As a framework for analyzing the effect of integration, we will examine the influence of software on product functions, product development organization and product innovation by introducing the concept of system architecture, which represents the nature of a system, and is defined as a combination of hardware and software. As a particular case, Japanese car navigation market is analyzed. Regarding system architecture, we discuss how both software and hardware have open architecture dynamics, how those dynamics have several trajectories, and have a major impact not only on cooperation between product development structure and external organization, but also on innovation.

Innovative Tokyo

This paper compares and contrasts Tokyo's innovation structure with the industrial districts model and the international hub model in the literature on urban and regional development. The Tokyo model embraces and yet transcends both industrial districts and international hub models. The paper details key elements making up the Tokyo model-organizational knowledge creation, integral and co-location systems of corporate R&D and new product development, test markets, industrial districts and clusters, participative consumer culture, continuous learning from abroad, local government policies, the national system of innovation, and the historical genesis of Tokyo in Japan's political economy. The paper finds that the Tokyo model of innovation will continue to evolve with the changing external environment, but fundamentally retains its main characteristics. The lessons from the Tokyo model is that openness, a diversified industrial base, the continuing development of new industries, and an emphasis on innovation, all contribute to the dynamism of a major metropolitan region.Labor Policies,Environmental Economics&Policies,Public Health Promotion,ICT Policy and Strategies,Agricultural Knowledge&Information Systems,ICT Policy and Strategies,Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Agricultural Knowledge&Information Systems,Innovation