FRAMEWORK PROPOSAL FOR EVALUATING HOW MACHINE LEARNING IS BEING USED FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AMONG CROSS-INDUSTRY ENTERPRISES

With the advent of the 4th industrial revolution, every industry has been severely impacted by the inflow and integration of new technologies. Some enterprises have been successful in this new age, are the industry leaders or top contenders, and lead the way in terms of digitalization. However, in reality, most companies usually fail in their digital transformations. With big data, Business Models (BM) underwent severe transformations and business leaders had to take risks. One of the technologies that gained most relevance is Machine Learning (ML) and has proved to grant competitive advantage over market competitors. ML can automate and augment traditionally human tasks. Both automation and augmentation save time and money for enterprises and lead to an overall better performance. However, there is also much overexcitement regarding this technology, to enhance a company’s core competences and their overall BM, which has led to deployment problems. It is in this context that the present dissertation will develop. Understanding about how enterprises from different industries are using ML in their main processes is the core driver for this work. For such, an extensive literature review was performed, which encompassed the most relevant aspects of ML and BMs. What follows is the proposal of a conceptual framework to evaluate how companies are using ML technology in their own context and across industries. The results from the framework application give a deeper insight to how ML applications are being deployed, in the context of the enterprise, for competitive advantage. Cross-industry tendencies, patterns, and trends were also identified. The contribution of this study is concerned with providing a better view to how ML intertwines with the BM.Com o advento da quarta revolução industrial, todas as indústrias foram severamente impactadas pela entrada e integração de novas tecnologias. Algumas empresas têm sido muito bem-sucedidas nesta nova era, são líderes de indústria ou principais candidatos, e lideram o caminho em termos de digitalização. Contudo, na realidade, a maioria das empresas habitualmente falha na sua transformação digital. Com a big data, os Modelos de Negócio sofreram severas transformações e os líderes de negócios tiveram de arriscar. Uma das tecnologias que tem ganho mais relevância é o Machine Learning e tem provado conceder vantagem competitiva sobre os concorrentes de mercado. Machine Learning pode automatizar ou aumentar tarefas tradicionalmente humanas. Ambas, automação e aumentação, poupam tempo e dinheiro às empresas e conduzem a um melhor desempenho geral. Contudo, existe algum entusiasmo excessivo relativamente a esta tecnologia, para melhorar as competências centrais de uma empresa e o seu Modelo de Negócio em geral, o que tem levado a problemas de implementação da mesma. É neste contexto que a presente dissertação se vai desenvolver. Perceber como empresas de diferentes indústrias estão a usar Machine Learning nas suas competências centrais é o guia principal deste trabalho. Para tal, foi realizada uma análise da bibliografia disponível, a qual englobou os aspetos mais relevantes de Machine Learning e de Modelos de Negócios. Posteriormente foi elaborada uma proposta de um modelo conceptual para avaliar como as empresas estão a usar Machine Learning no seu próprio contexto e nas diversas indústrias. O resultado da aplicação do modelo proporcionou uma perspetiva de como as aplicações de Machine Learning estão a ser implementadas, no contexto das empresas, para vantagem competitiva. Foi possível analisar também tendências e padrões intersectoriais. Este estudo tem por objetivo proporcionar uma perspetiva aprofundada quanto à forma como Machine Learning se relaciona com o Modelo de Negócios

Analogical problem evolution in biologically inspired design

Biologically inspired design (BID) is a widespread and growing movement in modern design, pulled in part by the need for environmentally sustainable design and pushed partly by rapid advances in biology and the desire for creativity and innovation in design. Yet, our current understanding of cognition in BID is limited and at present there are few computational methods or tools available for supporting its practice. In this dissertation, I develop a cognitive model of BID, build computational methods and tools for supporting its practice, and describe results from deploying the methods and the tools in a Georgia Tech BID class. One key and novel finding in my cognitive study of BID is the surprisingly large degree to which biological analogues influence problem formulation and understanding in addition to generation of design solutions. I call the process by which a biological analogue influences the evolution of the problem formulation analogical problem evolution. I use the method of grounded theory to develop a knowledge schema called SR.BID (for structured representations for biologically inspired design) for representing design problem formulations. I show through case study analysis that SR.BID provides a useful analytic framework for understanding the two-way interaction between problems and solutions. I then develop two tools based on the SR.BID schema to scaffold the processes of problem formulation and analogue evaluation in BID. I deployed the two tools, the four-box method of problem specification and the T-chart method of analogical evaluation, in a Georgia Tech BID class. I show that with minimal training, the four-box method was used by students to complete design problem specifications in 2011 and 2012 with 75% of students achieving better than 80% accuracy. Finally I describe a web-based application for interactively supporting BID practice including problem formulation and analogue evaluation. Thus, my dissertation develops a cognitive model of analogical problem evolution in BID, a knowledge schema for representing problem formulations, a computational technique for evaluating biological analogues, and an interactive web-based tool for supporting BID practice. Through a better cognitive understanding of BID and computational methods and tools for supporting its practice, it also contributes to computational creativity.Ph.D

A Longitudinal study of organizational capability development process : rendering project portfolio management capability (PPMC)

This dissertation analyzes the heterogeneous development paths of project portfolio management capability (PPMC). Earlier, modern literature has prioritized its focus on the performance-based classification of organizational capabilities, while their development process remained obscure. Consequently, scholarship advocating high performance organizational capabilities (such as a dynamic capability) are in abundance. However, the evidence of development path-affected performance dissimilarities is rather sparse or otherwise remained implicit due to the increasing conceptual differences among the prominent scholarship. Along with the longitudinal process research design of this research, a critical realism-based retroduction approach has enabled the discovery of the capability investigation framework. This capability dimensions, routines, and performance outcome based framework has been further extended to investigate project portfolio management capability (PPMC). This retroductive framework is operationalized to evidence the nine years of capability development path heterogeneity at three entities of a case company. The research case findings explain the effect of underlying mechanisms, which due to their context dependent outcomes, either positively reinforce the existing development paths or lead to an alternative path selection. The case findings also confirm that higher performance is not universally attributable to any specific organizational capability known in the literature. Instead, the actuation of all three identified learning mechanisms (of a learning organization) can develop high performing organizational capabilities. This research concludes that a capability development process endures through an extemporized mixture of refinement, reconfiguration, and transformation activities. As a result, an organizational capability always remains idiosyncratic in its details and, hence, produce diverse performance outcomes. Finally, this PhD research has created a critical realist model to extend the emergent theory of capability path dependence to the other organizational contexts.Tämä tutkimus analysoi projektiportfolion hallintaa koskevan kyvykkyyden moninaisia kehittämisvaihtoehtoja. Aiempi tutkimus on keskittynyt organisaation toimintaa tukevien kyvykkyyksien luokitteluun, mutta kyvykkyyksien kehittymistä on tutkittu vähemmän. Kyvykkyyden kehittymiseen (kuten dynaamiseen kyvykkyyteen) tähtäävä tutkimus keskittyy enimmäkseen organisaation näkökulmaan. Lisäksi kyvykkyyden kehittymistutkimusta vaikeuttaa se, että alan keskeiset tutkijat käyttävät keskenään erilaista terminologiaa. Tämä tutkimus on pitkittäinen ja siinä rakennettiin kriittisen realismin lähestymistavan avulla kyvykkyyden kehittymisen tutkimista varten viitekehys. Kyvykkyyden osatekijöitä, rutiineja ja toiminnan tuloksia kuvaavaa viitekehystä kehitettiin edelleen niin, että sitä voidaan käyttää organisaation projektisalkun hallinnan kyvyn selvittämiseen. Tämän viitekehyksen avulla osoitettiin tapausyrityksen kolmen yksikön kyvykkyyden kehittymispolku yhdeksän vuoden ajalta. Tapaustutkimuksen tulokset selittävät kyvykkyyden kehittymisen mekanismeja, jotka joko vahvistavat organisaation vallitsevia kehittymispolkuja tai johtavat uuden kehittymispolun valintaan. Tapaustutkimukset myös osoittavat, että tehokas toiminta ei ole kirjallisuudessa mainitun yksittäisen organisaation kyvykkyysosatekijän seurausta. Sen sijaan kaikki tunnistetut oppivan organisaation oppimiskeinot kehittävät tehokkaasti toimivan organisaation kyvykkyyksiä. Tämän tutkimuksen johtopäätös on, että kyvykkyyden kehittymisprosessi muodostuu improvisoiduista hienosäätö-, uudelleenkonfigurointi- ja muokkausvaiheista. Niiden tuloksena organisaation kyvykkyys säilyy aina yksityiskohdissaan omaperäisenä ja siten voi tuottaa vaihtelevia tuloksia. Tämä väitöskirja on luonut kriittiseen realismiin perustuvan mallin, jolla laajennetaan uutta kyvykkyyden kehittymispolkuriippuvuuden teoriaa muihin organisaatiokonteksteihin.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Am I my brother's keeper? learner leadership development in a secondary school in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Against the background of a re-emphasis of human rights, social justice and democracy, learner leadership has become a topic of interest and importance. An absence of any meaningful form of leadership development among learners in formerly disadvantaged schools in South Africa prompted this interest into exploring the development of learner leadership. A more recent approach to learner leadership in many countries, including South Africa, has been to look at providing the necessary platform for learners to experience a more shared, cooperative, transformative and service approach within schools in order for them to develop their capacity to lead. This is supported by theoretical developments in the field of leadership, such as Distributive Leadership and Servant Leadership, which emphasise shared leadership. These developments were based on dialogue and strong relationships, where learner leaders situated their practices in moral action, with signs of individual growth, social justice and democratic positioning. In spite of this, not much is known of learner leadership development in South Africa. There are very few studies, none using approaches which look at the context and situation holistically. Hence this study, using Cultural Historical Activity Theory and Critical Realism as under-labourer, for its stance on ontological, epistemological and principled expectations of reality and its understandings on agency and structure, is advanced. Transformational leadership theories, in particular Distributive and Servant Leadership, are used as lenses to help make sense of the nature of learner leaders’ practice and the development of leadership. The aim of the single case study was to discover and explore how and under what circumstances learner leadership could be developed. To this end the researcher established a leadership development group at a previously disadvantaged secondary school. This project provided the platform for leadership development initiatives and became the activity which is the focus of this research. The study examines how leadership is learned and practised, and how the participants interrelate and influence learning and practice in their activity system. It examines the challenges that the learner leaders faced within their communities and what the underlying causes of these challenges were. Qualitative semi-structured interviews, document analysis, direct observation and focus groups were used to collect data. Non-probability sampling, in particular purposive sampling, was used in selecting the sixteen learner leader volunteers who participated in the study. These learners represented various ages, gender and leadership positions that were held in the school. Using inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference, the data was abstracted and analysed. The Change Laboratory workshop was used to boost the growth of shared collective views of the learner leaders within the changing object and activity system, in order to build and develop new practices, tools and models. The study recognized that learner leadership was generated by numerous mechanisms, which included the need to overcome the calamitous scarcity of virtuous leadership within their communities; the need to address cultural and historical assumptions, prejudices, and values that existed which reinforced their existing perceptions and behaviour towards leadership; the need to create a space for learner leaders to share responsibilities, thoughts, and become reciprocally dependent on each other, developing together due to their cooperative efforts; the need to demonstrate a willingness and the necessary resilience to survive in an environment whose socioeconomic demands and effects are restrictive and disempowering; a need to respond to the demand for impartiality and access to leadership; and a need to know that one is able to transform the practice of leadership, without it necessarily affecting one’s culture, in such a way that the needs of the people are met. This thesis reports on encouraging signs of leadership growth within the activity, observed and documented over a period of three years. The intervention led to behaviour and attitudinal development that suggests transformative learning and agency. The study’s findings further clarify the many challenges the potential learner leaders faced. Chief among these was the lack of adequate and efficient structures and systems in their communities in order for effective leadership to be established and practised in their communities. These included weak social structures in homes that were unable to support and meet the needs of the learner leaders due to the breakdown of families. Negative forces included high levels of authoritarian leadership practised by a restrictive socialised patriarchy. The underlying causes of these challenges include the perceived threat to individual dignity and survival; the fear of change; the feeling of powerlessness; a lack of hope which fuelled an apathy, a low self-esteem and poor attitude to education; adverse socioeconomic conditions; poor communication skills; a lack of adult role models and willpower; the demand for impartiality and access to leadership knowledge. In order to encourage learner leaders to advance their practice of leadership, the study recommends that adolescents be made to feel valued and included in the development process of leadership so that their willingness to engage with the process becomes pre-emptive. Learner leaders prefer structure, so it becomes all the more important to ensure that any rules, policies and guidelines that are established exhibit a demonstration of transparency and accountability. The study also recommends that when developing an understanding of the learner leaders’ behaviour, using their socio-cultural and historical contexts, they are provided with a non-threatening platform. This enables them to become empowered to actively participate, debate and dialogue collaboratively. They have an opportunity to demonstrate a willingness to engage with each other over tensions that arise, breaking the bonds of socialized pathology

Performance analysis for wireless G (IEEE 802.11G) and wireless N (IEEE 802.11N) in outdoor environment

This paper described an analysis the different capabilities and limitation of both IEEE technologies that has been utilized for data transmission directed to mobile device. In this work, we have compared an IEEE 802.11/g/n outdoor environment to know what technology is better. The comparison consider on coverage area (mobility), throughput and measuring the interferences. The work presented here is to help the researchers to select the best technology depending of their deploying case, and investigate the best variant for outdoor. The tool used is Iperf software which is to measure the data transmission performance of IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11g

Performance Analysis For Wireless G (IEEE 802.11 G) And Wireless N (IEEE 802.11 N) In Outdoor Environment

This paper described an analysis the different capabilities and limitation of both IEEE technologies that has been utilized for data transmission directed to mobile device. In this work, we have compared an IEEE 802.11/g/n outdoor environment to know what technology is better. the comparison consider on coverage area (mobility), through put and measuring the interferences. The work presented here is to help the researchers to select the best technology depending of their deploying case, and investigate the best variant for outdoor. The tool used is Iperf software which is to measure the data transmission performance of IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11g