Knowledge management, absorptive capacity and organisational culture: A case study from Chinese SMEs

Copyright © 2008 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below.Based on the analysis of an innovative medium sized enterprise from mainland China, this paper investigated the Knowledge Management (KM) issues by focusing on its KM enablers and process. This paper attempts to investigate how Chinese enterprises absorb knowledge from external sources; how they developed culture to facilitate Knowledge Management Processes (KMPs) and what major challenges they raise for the future by looking at the case study of a Chinese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The case study indicates that Chinese enterprises emphasised knowledge acquisition and the capacities of knowledge absorption, application, creation, sharing and integration as vital to sustaining competitive advantage for these firms. Corporative organisational culture also has significant impact on the KM in those enterprises

Allergen specificity of early peanut consumption and effect on development of allergic disease in the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy study cohort

BACKGROUND: Early introduction of dietary peanut in high-risk infants with severe eczema, egg allergy, or both prevented peanut allergy at 5 years of age in the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) study. The protective effect persisted after 12 months of avoiding peanuts in the 12-month extension of the LEAP study (LEAP-On). It is unclear whether this benefit is allergen and allergic disease specific. Objective: We sought to assess the effect of early introduction of peanut on the development of allergic disease, food sensitization, and aeroallergen sensitization. METHODS: Asthma, eczema, and rhinoconjunctivitis were diagnosed based on clinical assessment. Reported allergic reactions and consumption of tree nuts and sesame were recorded by questionnaire. Sensitization to food allergens and aeroallergens was determined by means of skin prick testing and specific IgE measurement. RESULTS: A high and increasing burden of food allergen and aeroallergen sensitization and allergic disease was noted across study time points; 76% of LEAP participants had at least 1 allergic disease at 60 months of age. There were no differences in allergic disease between LEAP groups. There were small differences in sensitization and reported allergic reactions for select tree nuts, with levels being higher in the LEAP consumption group. Significant resolution of eczema and sensitization to egg and milk occurred in LEAP participants and was not affected by peanut consumption. CONCLUSION: Early consumption of peanut in infants at high risk of peanut allergy is allergen specific and does not prevent the development of other allergic disease, sensitization to other food allergens and aeroallergens, or reported allergic reactions to tree nuts and sesame. Furthermore, peanut consumption does not hasten the resolution of eczema or egg allergy

Backing Into Network Operations

When asked to participate in this clinic, I gave the tentative title "Backing Into Network Operations" for my paper because I thought it might be useful to discuss some principles of planning for and consensus making within networks which I had derived the hard way from my experience directing two computer-based networks-networks which were entered into by chance rather than design. (In addition, the Washington University School of Medicine Library is a member of three other networks: the Regional Medical Library, the Regional Medical Program, and the Higher Education Coordi- nating Council, so that we have experience on both sides of networks.) It seemed that it might be helpful to examine the mistakes which we made and the generalized conclusions which we might draw from them as hypotheses to be tested in other networking operations, as well as a comparison with some other, more carefully planned, networks now in existence. I therefore devote the beginning of my paper to describing the two networks we have been involved in, merely as background to understanding, and not as another "How I do it good in my library" paper.published or submitted for publicatio

Citizen`s experience of the batho pele principles of consultation and redress in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality

Everyday activities of communities are dependent on services provided by the local municipality, district or regional council and the national government. These activities range from water flowing freely from taps, a roof to hide under, and a clean and healthy environment, just to name a few. The Batho Pele principles were introduced to ensure that these services are provided for the benefit of the people. They were introduced to make sure that people are involved in the process of service delivery so that services are exactly what they need. It is important to note that the Batho Pele principles inform service standards and a customer care charter. This means that the government or providers of service listen to citizens’ views and take them into account when making decisions about service delivery. Informing service standards and a customer care charter also means that service providers or the government responds swiftly and sympathetically when the service standard falls below the promised standard. The problem occurs when citizens are not being consulted about the type of services they are entitled to. The citizens of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality had an issue with how services are provided. They stated that even though service delivery was improving, the manner in which these services were provided was not satisfactory. They complained that they were not asked about what they needed and what their priorities were. Moreover, they stated that when they complained, they did not receive an effective response. The main objective of this research was to establish citizens’ experience with consultation and redress as core functions of the Batho Pele Principles. Furthermore, this research sought to establish important elements of proper citizen consultation and redress in the literature, to determine the extent to which these principles are adopted in in BCMM, to establish the effects of current consultation and redress practice on citizens’ trust in their local government and to make recommendations on effective approaches to consultation and redress. The theories that guided the study are the agency theory, the social equity theory and the procedural justice as a derivative of social equity theory. The legislative framework includes the White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery (Notice No 1954 Of 1994), the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the Municipal Systems Act no 32 of 2000 and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000. The study used both the qualitative and quantitative methods. It also used a case study design. The study used a sample of 110 respondents and the data was collected using interviews, questionnaires and a focus group discussions. Analysis of data followed the narrative and descriptive paradigms. Most importantly, all the objectives of the study were met.Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 202

Citizen`s experience of the batho pele principles of consultation and redress in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality

Everyday activities of communities are dependent on services provided by the local municipality, district or regional council and the national government. These activities range from water flowing freely from taps, a roof to hide under, and a clean and healthy environment, just to name a few. The Batho Pele principles were introduced to ensure that these services are provided for the benefit of the people. They were introduced to make sure that people are involved in the process of service delivery so that services are exactly what they need. It is important to note that the Batho Pele principles inform service standards and a customer care charter. This means that the government or providers of service listen to citizens’ views and take them into account when making decisions about service delivery. Informing service standards and a customer care charter also means that service providers or the government responds swiftly and sympathetically when the service standard falls below the promised standard. The problem occurs when citizens are not being consulted about the type of services they are entitled to. The citizens of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality had an issue with how services are provided. They stated that even though service delivery was improving, the manner in which these services were provided was not satisfactory. They complained that they were not asked about what they needed and what their priorities were. Moreover, they stated that when they complained, they did not receive an effective response. The main objective of this research was to establish citizens’ experience with consultation and redress as core functions of the Batho Pele Principles. Furthermore, this research sought to establish important elements of proper citizen consultation and redress in the literature, to determine the extent to which these principles are adopted in in BCMM, to establish the effects of current consultation and redress practice on citizens’ trust in their local government and to make recommendations on effective approaches to consultation and redress. The theories that guided the study are the agency theory, the social equity theory and the procedural justice as a derivative of social equity theory. The legislative framework includes the White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery (Notice No 1954 Of 1994), the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the Municipal Systems Act no 32 of 2000 and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000. The study used both the qualitative and quantitative methods. It also used a case study design. The study used a sample of 110 respondents and the data was collected using interviews, questionnaires and a focus group discussions. Analysis of data followed the narrative and descriptive paradigms. Most importantly, all the objectives of the study were met.Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 202

Biomarkers of severity and threshold of allergic reactions during oral peanut challenges

Background: oral food challenge (OFC) is the criterion standard to assess peanut allergy (PA), but it involves a risk of allergic reactions of unpredictable severity.Objective: our aim was to identify biomarkers for risk of severe reactions or low dose threshold during OFC to peanut.Methods: we assessed Learning Early about Peanut Allergy study, Persistance of Oral Tolerance to Peanut study, and Peanut Allergy Sensitization study participants by administering the basophil activation test (BAT) and the skin prick test (SPT) and measuring the levels of peanut-specific IgE, Arachis hypogaea 2–specific IgE, and peanut-specific IgG4, and we analyzed the utility of the different biomarkers in relation to PA status, severity, and threshold dose of allergic reactions to peanut during OFC.Results: when a previously defined optimal cutoff was used, the BAT diagnosed PA with 98% specificity and 75% sensitivity. The BAT identified severe reactions with 97% specificity and 100% sensitivity. The SPT, level of Arachis hypogaea 2–specific IgE, level of peanut-specific IgE, and IgG4/IgE ratio also had 100% sensitivity but slightly lower specificity (92%, 93%, 90%, and 88%, respectively) to predict severity. Participants with lower thresholds of reactivity had higher basophil activation to peanut in vitro. The SPT and the BAT were the best individual predictors of threshold. Multivariate models were superior to individual biomarkers and were used to generate nomograms to calculate the probability of serious adverse events during OFC for individual patients.Conclusions: the BAT diagnosed PA with high specificity and identified severe reactors and low threshold with high specificity and high sensitivity. The BAT was the best biomarker for severity, surpassed only by the SPT in predicting threshold. Nomograms can help estimate the likelihood of severe reactions and reactions to a low dose of allergen in individual patients with PA