Sensory Measurements: Coordination and Standardization

Do sensory measurements deserve the label of “measurement”? We argue that they do. They fit with an epistemological view of measurement held in current philosophy of science, and they face the same kinds of epistemological challenges as physical measurements do: the problem of coordination and the problem of standardization. These problems are addressed through the process of “epistemic iteration,” for all measurements. We also argue for distinguishing the problem of standardization from the problem of coordination. To exemplify our claims, we draw on olfactory performance tests, especially studies linking olfactory decline to neurodegenerative disorders

The grand coalition versus competing coalitions: trade-offs in how to standardize

The standardization landscape in the Information and Communication technology industries is fragmented in many different standardization bodies, industry consortia, and alliances. Some of these coalitions cooperate with each other, while others compete. The existence of competing standardization coalitions may prevent coordination on a common standard. There is a lot of debate among practitioners and analysts about whether this fragmentation creates a coordination failure. This paper takes a middle ground in this debate. Competition between standardization coalitions may indeed harm compatibility, but it also helps to mitigate coordination failures within standardization bodies and coalitions. The negotiation process in a coalition can cause coordination failures of its own. An important failure is lack of timeliness, due to delaying tactics by company delegates in the coalition. Introducing competition between coalitions can speed up negotiations within them, and thus help to overcome this intracommittee coordination failure. A game theoretic model explores the effect of competition between coalitions on the speed of decision-making and standardization.Economics ;

Intermountain Healthcare's McKay-Dee Hospital Center: Driving Down Readmissions by Caring for Patients the "Right Way"

Outlines the hospital's strategies for low readmission rates for heart failure and pneumonia, including standardization of care, interdisciplinary care coordination and discharge planning, and integration with community providers, and lessons learned

IPR-Standardization Interaction in Japanese Firms:Evidence from Questionnaire Survey

To disentangle the relations between standards, innovation and competition, this paper examined the processes and effects of standardization in Japanese firms. The realities of their activities were provided by a postal questionnaire sent to progressive large firms in Japanese industries. Overall, although Japanese firms have sufficiently understood the significance of increased standardization, they donft always actively and strategically involve in the standardization process. The conclusion may be derived from the respondentsf evaluations that 1) the effects of standardization are less likely to be profitable; 2) formal standard setting organizations are not always an effective coordination mechanism of intellectual property rights; and 3) they donft have a sufficient internal institution for standardization strategy. They are rather skeptical of particularly formal and semi-formal standardization processes.Consensus-based Standards, Split Type of Standardization, Intellectual Property Rights, Standards Setting Organizations; Patent Hold-up

ISY Mission to Planet Earth Conference: A planning meeting for the International Space Year

A major theme was the opportunity offered by the International Space Year (ISY) to initiate a long-term program of Earth observation mission coordination and worldwide data standardization. The challenge is immense and extremely time critical. A recommendation was made to inventory the capabilities of Earth observing spacecraft scheduled during the next decade. The ISY effort to strengthen coordination and standardization should emphasize global issues, and also regional initiatives of particular relevance to developing nations. The concepts of a Global Information System Test (GIST) was accepted and applied to specific issues of immediate concern. The importance of ISY Earth observation initiatives extending beyond research to include immediate and direct applications for social and economic development was stressed. Several specific Mission to Planet Earth proposals were developed during the Conference. A mechanism was set up for coordinating participation of the national space agencies or equivalent bodies

Succeeding in process standardization: Explaining the fit with international management strategy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the fit between process standardization and international management strategy of multinational corporations (MNCs) by assessing the compatibility between process standardization and corporate structural characteristics in terms of asset configuration and headquarters-subsidiary relationships. Design/methodology/approach First, after a literature review on MNCs’ strategy and process standardization, the study suggests two propositions on the fit between corporate international management strategy and process standardization. Second, to empirically examine the propositions, the study investigates the outcome of process standardization in three cases with different strategic and structural contexts. Third, using the propositions and empirical findings, the study proposes a framework for aligning process standardization with MNCs’ structural characteristics. Findings Process standardization has a higher degree of fit in MNCs pursuing global integration where process standardization parallels the need for coordinating interdependencies in the functional structure, and is consistent with the headquarters’ operational control over the subsidiaries. Process standardization has a lower degree of fit in MNCs seeking local responsiveness as process standardization disturbs the financial control relationship between the headquarters and subsidiaries and is less crucial for coordination as the subsidiaries contain the necessary coordination mechanisms. Originality/value The study provides in-depth understanding of how the international management strategy and consequent structural characteristics of MNCs affects process standardization in the course of a global enterprise resource planning implementation. The study proposes conditions of fit for aligning process standardization with asset configuration and headquarters-subsidiary relationships of an MNC. </jats:sec

New distribution channels in service firms: marketing and organizational consequences.

This paper aims at showing marketing and organizational impacts of the diversification of distribution channels, i.e. interfaces between distributor and consumer, on the service encounter between customers and a service firm in retail banking. Interactions between branches, the outgoing call-centre and the incoming call-centre are scrutinized. Our study highlights four main results : (a) New distribution channels use is linked to customer profile, and lack of customer capacity to participate is a major restraint to customer willingness to participate. (b) New distribution channels favour potential customer opportunism for a limited number of customers. Two forms of opportunism are shown: active and premeditated opportunism versus the incoming call-centre, “spontaneous” or “incident” opportunism when called by the outgoing call-centre. (c) To limit potential opportunism, the bank insists on formal coordination mechanisms: process standardization, qualification standardization, direct supervision. (d) the customer acts as a “perception filter” between the different channels employees. The customer’s actions modify - positively or more generally negatively - the internal perception of branch sales people about their colleagues working in the call centre.opportunism; retail banking sector; distribution channels; multichannel distribution; intra-organizational coordination;

The relationship between family orientation, organization context, organization structure and firm performance

This study focuses on the prediction of three firm performance indicators, sales growth, innovation performance and profitability, on a sample of small and medium-sized firms in the Netherlands. Predictions from agency theory and the resource based view of organizations lead to alternate hypotheses regarding the direct and indirect effects of family ownership and management on firm performance. Other variables in the analysis include various organization structure variables including standardization, self coordination, team coordination, decentralization, departmentalization and specialization, and control variables such as firm size and age. Results suggest a direct effect of family orientation on innovation performance, even when controlled for other variables. The effect of family orientation on the other two dependent variables is quite limited.

Factors Impacting Supply Chain Performance During Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response Operations

This study explored the factors that affect supply chain performance during humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations. We examined the following theoretical coordination nodes, resource sharing, standardization of operations, joint logistics effort, and postponement on humanitarian supply chain performance. We collected survey data from 207 military and civilian logistics practitioners. Data were used to test a conceptual model, using linear regression with each direct effect relationship and moderating relationship tested. Results reveal the positive direct effect of standardization of operations and joint logistics effort on supply chain performance. However, standardization of operations’ effect on supply chain performance is weakened by the moderating effect of resource redundancy. Results inform future military and civilian humanitarian assistance actors on the effects of studied coordination nodes on supply chain performance. We include implications and recommendations for further research