Between myth and brand : aspects of myth in marketing communication

The article is aimed at presenting that the features of a myth (known from literature in the field of anthropology, semiotics, and cognitive science) are also present in marketing communication related to shaping the image of brands. However, they are used in a scattershot manner, as specific marketing messages usually use only certain selected features of a myth. The article shows techniques of brand mythologization by combining three features of myths (permanent structure of events, bricolage, counter-intuitiveness) with three possible ways of their application for marketing communication (modeling, export, import)

Related variety and regional growth in Italy

agglomeration economies, related variety, regional growth

Related variety and regional growth in Spain

This paper investigates whether related variety, among other types of spatial externalities, affected regional growth in Spain at the NUTS 3 level during the period 1995-2007. We found evidence that related variety matters for growth across regions, especially when measured with the assistance of the Porter's cluster classification and the proximity index proposed by Hidalgo et al.. That is, Spanish provinces with a range of industries that are technologically related tend to show higher economic growth rates, controlling for the usual suspects. We did not find, however, any evidence of regional growth effects that come from technologically related sectors imports.technological relatedness, related variety, regional branching, regional diversification

KInNeSS: A Modular Framework for Computational Neuroscience

Making use of very detailed neurophysiological, anatomical, and behavioral data to build biological-realistic computational models of animal behavior is often a difficult task. Until recently, many software packages have tried to resolve this mismatched granularity with different approaches. This paper presents KInNeSS, the KDE Integrated NeuroSimulation Software environment, as an alternative solution to bridge the gap between data and model behavior. This open source neural simulation software package provides an expandable framework incorporating features such as ease of use, scalabiltiy, an XML based schema, and multiple levels of granularity within a modern object oriented programming design. KInNeSS is best suited to simulate networks of hundreds to thousands of branched multu-compartmental neurons with biophysical properties such as membrane potential, voltage-gated and ligand-gated channels, the presence of gap junctions of ionic diffusion, neuromodulation channel gating, the mechanism for habituative or depressive synapses, axonal delays, and synaptic plasticity. KInNeSS outputs include compartment membrane voltage, spikes, local-field potentials, and current source densities, as well as visualization of the behavior of a simulated agent. An explanation of the modeling philosophy and plug-in development is also presented. Further developement of KInNeSS is ongoing with the ultimate goal of creating a modular framework that will help researchers across different disciplines to effecitively collaborate using a modern neural simulation platform.Center for Excellence for Learning Education, Science, and Technology (SBE-0354378); Air Force Office of Scientific Research (F49620-01-1-0397); Office of Naval Research (N00014-01-1-0624

THE CHANGE � AN IMPERATIVE REQUEST FOR THE DURABLE OR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

A credible hypothesis suggests that, in the future the economic growth will not be anymore a general and continuous one, and that the economic agents known from the special literature under the conventional name as organization or company (a group of persons acting conscious and coordinated in order to achieve common objectives), shall survive only if they make sustaining and continuous efforts to assimilate, in due time, the �last moment� technologies, including the ones referring to the organization and management of the performed activity. In this respect the plea in favor of the performance and elaboration of provisions or prognosis, as a premise of durable development, becomes legitimate and credible, contributing to the resolution of problems claimed by the general progress. Starting with XXIst century, the chance of survival of the economic and financial-banking units is proportional with the value of the management action, demarche known in the special literature as strategic management or management of change. But in order to be a successful one, the management must be creative, of prospective type and, as much as possible, non-conflictive.

Service Trade and Occupational Tasks: An Empirical Investigation

Using micro data for Belgium we investigate the relationship between occupational tasks changes and the rise of service trade. We focus the analysis on the extensive margin and look at the heterogeneous proliferation of firms involved in exports and imports of services across sectors characterized by different tasks changes patterns. Occupational tasks changes display an extremely consistent relationship with participation to service trade across firm groups pointing to strong churning effects. The change in analytical (interactive and routine cognitive) tasks intensity has a positive (negative) impact across the board meaning that, in industries characterized by larger changes, firms have experienced both higher (lower) likelihood of entry and exit. The negative relationship between the change in interactive tasks and service exports participation underlines the special role that proximity between demand and supply plays for services. Interestingly, we find exactly the opposite result (a positive relationship) between the extensive margin of goods exports and interactive tasks. Moreover, our analysis suggests that the change in IT use per se does not strike as being a key underlying force behind the increase in the extensive margin of service exports.Trade in services, extensive margin, occupational tasks, technological change

The internationalization - performance relationship: findings from a set of Polish listed manufacturing companies

“Internationalization, Innovativeness and Growth of Modern Enterprises”, ICAN Sp. z o.o. (editor Harvard Business Review Poland), Warszawa, 2010, ISBN: 978-83-932054-0-0The paper aims to identify the shape of the relationship between degree of internationalization and performance of Polish manufacturing firms using data from WSE listed companies over the period from 2003 to 2008. The results suggest that initially, internationalization has a negative impact on performance; however, over time, through gaining experience and through organizational learning, the benefits of international expansion outweigh the costs and firm’s performance improves. The regression results indicate also that real GDP growth rate in Germany, real effective exchange rate and import transaction price index significantly contribute to firms’ performance