Adaptive Strategies of Firms in High-Velocity Environments: The Case of B2B Electronic Marketplaces

Electronic marketplaces operate in highly dynamic environments. B2B (Business-to-business) e-Commerce (Electronic Commerce) is expanding rapidly, but Independent Internet based Electronic Marketplaces (IBEM) have passed through periods of boom and bust. In start-up entrepreneurial ventures such as IBEMs, adaptation is critical than at any other stage in the life cycle and hence the ability to learn and adapt becomes a key competency. The research uses the resource-based theory as a means of analyzing the evolution and adaptation of the resources and capabilities of IBEMs and the sustainability of competitive advantage. We use four case studies to trace the pattern of adaptation as well as identify the variables. Based on the inputs from this, we use a comprehensive sample of 135 IBEMs across various geographic regions covering 15 industry segments. The findings of this study provide key managerial insights into various issues that are important to IBEMs in particular and start-up entrepreneurial firms operating in highly dynamic environments in general. These include the stages of evolution and the sources or the lack of competitive advantage at each stage, the type of resources and capabilities, which need to be built, the type of complementary assets, which needs to be leveraged and the degrees of adaptation at various stages

Ventilatory muscle strength, diaphragm thickness and pulmonary function in world-class powerlifters.

Resistance training activates the ventilatory muscles providing a stimulus similar to ventilatory muscle training. We examined the effects of elite powerlifting training upon ventilatory muscle strength, pulmonary function and diaphragm thickness in world-class powerlifters (POWER) and a control group (CON) with no history of endurance or resistance training, matched for age, height and body mass

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Evaluation of Technological Indicators: From Theory to Practice

277-283Innovation and its indicators are multidimensional: ranging from technological, financial to market related aspects. Commonly used technological indicators such as R &amp; D intensity, Capital expenditure, Patents and industry awards are inappropriate in capturing the innovative outputs occurring at firm level in a developing country. Studies have shown that most of the technological changes that accrue at firm level in a newly industrializing country are incremental in nature. These changes may be material changes, process changes, or product changes. The aim of the study is to identify: (i) the status of technological measurement in Indian firms and (ii) to develop an integrated framework that could employ published and primary data. Based on an empirical assessment of thirty R&amp;D intensive Indian organizations, the study proposes technological indicators that capture three forms of contributions: improvement in the capabilities and quality of existing products (including modifications to facilitate wider applications), development of products yielding future improvements in products or process, and advances in knowledge likely to yield future improvements

Characteristics of Indian Academic Research Underlying Industrial Innovations: An Empirical Analysis*

294-299There has neither been any systematic study on the characteristics of academic research that has contributed to product or process improvements in the industry, nor do we know how these projects are funded, and their size. This paper based on 71 Indian capital-goods firms offers insights on the sources, characteristics, and financing of academic research underlying innovations. The finding should be of interest to policy makers concerned with the directions of technical change and attempting to increase the economic value of academic research

INCREMENTAL TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS AND THEIR DETERMINANTS

Incremental technical innovation is one of the significant dynamic processes taking place in manufacturing firms. For this study, incremental technical innovation has been classified as material, operations, scale and product innovations and we contend that their source and efforts directed are different and therefore it is imperative to identify the predictors of each. Based on a field study of 83 manufacturing firms in India, the study has found that government policies, customer orientation and formalisation are the predictors of material innovations. Operational innovations are related to inter-functional coordination, process orientation, centralisation and annual demand of the product. Customer orientation and formalisation are the predictors of scale innovations. Finally, incremental product innovations are related to technology planning and R&D intensity.Incremental innovations, material, process, operation and product innovations

Quinone/hydroquinone modified glassy carbon electrode

Glassy carbon electrode has been modified with quinone/hydroquinone redox species by an electrochemical method. The surface attached species were found to catalytically mediate the electron transfer for the oxidation of ferrocene, ascorbic acid and ferrocyanide. A CE mechanism is suggeste