The Role of Collaborative Networks in Sustainability

http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-3-642-15960-2#section=791431&page=1International audienc

Collaborating Beyond Borders: The Role of Social Ties in International Eco-Innovation Partnerships

We examine the impact of international social ties on international eco-innovation partnerships. Promoting eco-innovation partnerships or collaboration is crucial for environmental sustainability, which has been a global, pressing concern in the last decade due to the detrimental effects of global warming, climate change, and greenhouse gas emissions. This type of collaboration can be facilitated and enhanced by international knowledge spillovers through interpersonal networks. While previous studies explore the role of inter-organizational collaborative networks on different innovation outcomes at a regional level, there is a research gap regarding the impact of social ties across countries on international collaboration, especially within the context of eco-innovation partnerships. Our findings suggest that more socially connected countries are more likely to partner in eco-innovation activities. Our study advances our understanding of the role of social ties in facilitating collaborative eco-innovation efforts and expands the knowledge on cross-regional interpersonal networks and their implications for socio-economic outcomes

The Impact Of Organizational Goal Convergence, Information-communication Technology Utilization, And Inter-organizational Trust On Network Formation And Sustainability The Case Of Emergency Management In The United States

With the increase of severity and scope of disasters, collaborative networks have become the main tool to tackle with complex emergencies. Networks, however, are mostly effective to the extent they are maintained over time. This study analyzes whether organizational goal convergence, information-communication technology utilization, and inter-organizational trust impacts network sustainability. The main research questions of the study are: (1) How are organizational goals, technical/technological capacity of organizations, and trust among organizations of a network are related to the sustainability of collaborative network relationships? (2) Which of the above-mentioned factors plays the most significant role in affecting network sustainability? Covering the context of emergency management system in the United States, this study utilized a self-administered survey that was electronically distributed to county emergency managers across the country. The data consisting of 534 complete responses was analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Inc. software‟s PASW (Predictive Analytics SoftWare) Statistics version 18.0 and transferred to Amos 18.0 software for structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The findings suggest that organizational goal convergence, information-communication technology utilization, and inter-organizational trust have positive and statistically significant relationships with network sustainability; and, interorganizational trust is the strongest factor followed by information-communication technology utilization and organizational goal convergence. The study contributes to the literature on network sustainability with specific suggestions for emergency management practitioners

Conceptual Framework for Non-hierarchical Business Networks for Complex Products Design and Manufacturing

The effective creation and management of business networks is more and more an important contribution for the competitiveness and sustainability of European SMEs. In Non-hierarchical networks SMEs join their competencies and resources to grab profitablebusiness opportunities. In these networks SMEs take the leading role and control the business instead of being subcontracted bylarge companies and traditional supply chains. This paper presents a conceptual framework, including methodological approach, best practices and reference processes aiming at supporting SMEs in creating and managing non-hierarchical networks for complexproducts design and manufacturing. The framework high level structure and the most specific processes are presented, including:capacity management, collaborative operations planning, risk and event management and performance management. The framework was validated in three pilot networks, from the textile, footwear and machine tools industries.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Collaborative approaches in sustainable and resilient manufacturing

Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).In recent years, the manufacturing sector is going through a major transformation, as reflected in the concept of Industry 4.0 and digital transformation. The urge for such transformation is intensified when we consider the growing societal demands for sustainability. The notion of sustainable manufacturing has emerged as a result of this trend. Additionally, industries and the whole society face the challenges of an increasing number of disruptive events, either natural or human-caused, that can severely affect the normal operation of systems. Furthermore, the growing interconnectivity between organizations, people, and physical systems, supported by recent developments in information and communication technologies, highlights the important role that collaborative networks can play in the digital transformation processes. As such, this article analyses potential synergies between the areas of sustainable and resilient manufacturing and collaborative networks. The work also discusses how the responsibility for the various facets of sustainability can be distributed among the multiple entities involved in manufacturing. The study is based on a literature survey, complemented with the experience gained from various research projects and related initiatives in the area, and is organized according to various dimensions of Industry 4.0. A brief review of proposed approaches and indicators for measuring sustainability from the networked manufacturing perspective is also included. Finally, a set of key research challenges are identified to complement strategic research agendas in manufacturing.publishersversionpublishe

Models and tools for value systems analysis in collaborative environments

Dissertation to obtain the degree of Doctor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, specialization of Collaborative NetworksParticipation in collaborative networks is vital for small and medium-sized enterprises to survive in the current market, bringing them several benefits. However,participation in collaborative networks also involves risks and often consortia fail due to internal conflicts. Conflicts can be originated by different prioritization of values and different perceptions of outcomes. The perception of outcomes is, to some extent, subjective given that it depends on the preferences of the subject and how exchanges are evaluated. Therefore, the establishment of a common Value System or the effort to align the Value Systems of network members can play an important role in the collaboration sustainability. Although the topic of values and values alignment has been studied within the scope of various scientific disciplines, there is still no common understanding on these concepts and the literature does not include any suitable models to formally represent and analyze Value Systems within the scope of collaborative networks. This thesis proposes a set of models and formal mechanisms for specifying and analyzing Value Systems in collaborative networks. The development of models and methods followed a hybrid approach, where qualitative and quantitative techniques are used in order to represent and analyze the Value System. A web application was designed and a prototype developed in order to show that the models and methods proposed can be implemented by a computer program and can be integrated into a single framework in order to support Value Systems management within the scope of collaborative networks. The application of a multifaceted and systematic validation strategy, supported by the “Square Validation Framework” brought together a set of preliminary results that attest the theoretical and practical relevance of the proposed approach and allow us to conclude that: (i) it is possible to define and analyze Value Systems in collaborative networks, considering the economic and sociologic approach, in an integrated and unambiguous way, (ii) the potential impacts between Value Systems in collaborative environments can be inferred if the typical influences among core values are known and the preferences of the actors, regarding those values, are identified; (iii) the identification and assessment of Value Systems misalignments would be improved if qualitative and quantitative assessment methods integrating the notion of shared-values, potential for conflict and positive impacts were developed

A Negotiation Approach to Support the Strategies Alignment Process in Collaborative Networks

[EN] This paper proposes a negotiation approach to support the strategies alignment (SA) collaborative process. The negotiation approach is presented as a complementary mechanism to deal with the SA process. The strategies alignment negotiation approach (SA-NA) considers three different levels of collaboration, which differ by the accurateness of information and amount of data exchanged among the collaborative enterprises. Accordingly, three negotiation processes are proposed, equivalent to the three collaboration levels identified. This paper describes from a conceptual and mathematical point of views the phases of the SA-NA to carry out at each collaboration level. The SA-NA enables users to identify aligned strategies to be activated by the collaborative network (CN) partners. The main aim of the SA-NA is to identify those aligned strategies that satisfy all the CN enterprises, allowing users to achieve the objectives and performance levels required at the enterprises' level while the network performance is maximized. The SA-NA enables CN partners to negotiate and achieve a suitable solution for all the CN enterprises, promoting sustainable collaboration among the partners participating in the CN through the activation of aligned strategies.This research was funded by Ayuda Vali+D Formacion-Andres Navarro (ACIF/2012/006). (16 April 2012-16 April 2015) GENERALITAT VALENCIANA.Andres, B.; Blanes, VJ. (2020). A Negotiation Approach to Support the Strategies Alignment Process in Collaborative Networks. Sustainability. 12(7):1-30. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072766S130127Camarinha-Matos, L. M., & Abreu, A. (2007). Performance indicators for collaborative networks based on collaboration benefits. 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Infrastructure transitions toward sustainability: a complex adaptive systems perspective

To ensure infrastructure assets are procured and maintained by government on behalf of citizens, appropriate policy and institutional architecture is needed, particularly if a fundamental shift to more sustainable infrastructure is the goal. The shift in recent years from competitive and resource-intensive procurement to more collaborative and sustainable approaches to infrastructure governance is considered a major transition in infrastructure procurement systems. In order to better understand this transition in infrastructure procurement arrangements, the concept of emergence from Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory is offered as a key construct. Emergence holds that micro interactions can result in emergent macro order. Applying the concept of emergence to infrastructure procurement, this research examines how interaction of agents in individual projects can result in different industry structural characteristics. The paper concludes that CAS theory, and particularly the concept of ‘emergence’, provides a useful construct to understand infrastructure procurement dynamics and progress towards sustainability

Performance measurement : challenges for tomorrow

This paper demonstrates that the context within which performance measurement is used is changing. The key questions posed are: Is performance measurement ready for the emerging context? What are the gaps in our knowledge? and Which lines of enquiry do we need to pursue? A literature synthesis conducted by a team of multidisciplinary researchers charts the evolution of the performance-measurement literature and identifies that the literature largely follows the emerging business and global trends. The ensuing discussion introduces the currently emerging and predicted future trends and explores how current knowledge on performance measurement may deal with the emerging context. This results in identification of specific challenges for performance measurement within a holistic systems-based framework. The principle limitation of the paper is that it covers a broad literature base without in-depth analysis of a particular aspect of performance measurement. However, this weakness is also the strength of the paper. What is perhaps most significant is that there is a need for rethinking how we research the field of performance measurement by taking a holistic systems-based approach, recognizing the integrated and concurrent nature of challenges that the practitioners, and consequently the field, face

The role of urban living labs in a smart city

In a rapidly changing socio-technical environment cities are increasingly seen as main drivers for change. Against this backdrop, this paper studies the emerging Urban Living Lab and Smart City concepts from a project based perspective, by assessing a series of five Smart City initiatives within one local city ecosystem. A conceptual and analytical framework is used to analyse the architecture, nature and outcomes of the Smart City Ghent and the role of Urban Living Labs. The results of our analysis highlight the potential for social value creation and urban transition. However, current Smart City initiatives face the challenge of evolving from demonstrators towards real sustainable value. Furthermore, Smart Cities often have a technological deterministic, project-based approach, which forecloses a sustainable, permanent and growing future for the project outcomes. ‘City-governed’ Urban Living Labs have an interesting potential to overcome some of the identified challenges