Patents as Escalators

High technology companies commit time, effort, and resources to innovation. Over the course of a research and development project, an innovative company may face several sequential decisions regarding whether to continue to invest in the project and whether to commercialize the discoveries that have been made. Companies often seek patents early in the research and development process to receive the right to exclude others from practicing the invention. Given a current trend toward earlier and earlier patent filing, several scholars suggest that this strategy could leave many inventions underdeveloped; companies may treat patents like real options, deciding later where to place their resources to maximize their utility. This Article introduces the escalation of commitments, which is a behavioral phenomenon observed in decision making under uncertainty to the current trends in patent filing. The Article further discusses the ramifications of innovative companies\u27 escalating commitments to developing patented technology. Finally, the Article proposes that patents act to facilitate such commitment, in part because patents keep sunk costs relevant to the patent owner making decisions regarding further commitment. In this manner, patents may escalate the commercialization of patented technology

Black American Literature and Humanism

For Black writers, what is tradition? What does it mean to them that Western humanism has excluded Black culture? Seven noted Black writers and critics take up these and other questions in this collection of original essays, attempting to redefine humanism from a Black perspective, to free it from ethnocentrism, and to enlarge its cultural base. Contributors: Richard K. Barksdale, Alice Childress, Chester J. Fontenot, Michael S. Harper, Trudier Harris, George E. Kent, R. Baxter Miller R. Baxter Miller is associate professor of English at the University of Tennessee. A milestone in the scholarship on Afro-American letters. —South Atlantic Review An important statement about Black American Literature today. Black writers challenge many of the assumptions of Westerns humanism, and critics must be cognizant of their challenge. —Robert Hemenwayhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_african_american_studies/1027/thumbnail.jp

Exploring Strategic Innovation in a Business Services Outsourcing Context: Client and Provider Perspectives

Business services outsourcing engagements, typically comprising the transfer of information technology and other supporting business functions, are traditionally leveraged for cost savings. Recently, there has been a shift in demands towards strategic innovations that may substantially improve a client’s competitive position. Two research questions are addressed: (1) How has existing research conceptualised the strategic innovation through outsourcing process and how have reference theories been applied?, and (2) how can high degrees of organisational readiness be created for strategic innovation initiatives in outsourcing from a (a) client perspective and (b) provider perspective? A conceptual study in form of a theoretical literature review is developed to respond to the first research question. The fragmented research landscape is consolidated by capturing insights from 95 papers, published between 1998 and 2020. Thematic analysis findings are integrated in a four-phase framework. Based on the review, the gap tied to the second research question is carved out. Specifically, virtually no research has yet explored the formation of organisational readiness for strategic innovation initiatives in an outsourcing context. Responding to the second research question requires the exploration of notable factors in the outsourcing project, organisational and market environment, that influence the readiness of organisational members to support the implementation of strategic innovation initiatives. Two qualitative case studies are conducted, one involving a care hospital, the other involving a service provider. Organisational change readiness theory is used as theoretical lens. A framework is developed that accommodates identified readiness-influencing factors. Findings further indicate that readiness levels evolve and may decline during an initiative’s implementation due to unforeseen disturbances. Corrective measures are then required. This thesis offers two major contributions to the Information Systems sourcing research stream, namely a comprehensive theoretical review of existing innovation through outsourcing literature, and the identification of readiness-influencing factors from a client and provider perspective

Public Health

Public health can be thought of as a series of complex systems. Many things that individual living in high income countries take for granted like the control of infectious disease, clean, potable water, low infant mortality rates require a high functioning systems comprised of numerous actors, locations and interactions to work. Many people only notice public health when that system fails. This book explores several systems in public health including aspects of the food system, health care system and emerging issues including waste minimization in nanosilver. Several chapters address global health concerns including non-communicable disease prevention, poverty and health-longevity medicine. The book also presents several novel methodologies for better modeling and assessment of essential public health issues

Bowdoin Orient v.136, no.1-25 (2006-2007)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-2000s/1007/thumbnail.jp

Bowdoin Orient v.123, no.1-22 (1992-1993)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-1990s/1004/thumbnail.jp

Bowdoin Orient v.135, no.1-25 (2005-2006)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-2000s/1006/thumbnail.jp

Bowdoin Orient v.134, no.1-24 (2004-2005)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-2000s/1005/thumbnail.jp

Bowdoin Orient v.138, no.1-25 (2008-2009)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-2000s/1009/thumbnail.jp