Medium and large family businesses of North West England as learning organisations

This study is an exploration of the learning strategies of family businesses in the North West of England, within the framework of the theory of the Learning Organisation (LO). The main purpose of this study is to explore and evaluate the notion of the Learning Organisation and to investigate its prevalence and application to the Family Business sector within North West England. To date, a very limited amount of studies focused on the characteristics of the LO within the medium and large family business context. Therefore, this study contributes to knowledge by determining practical guidance for implementing LO characteristics that can be applied to family businesses. The study used a qualitative methodology, associated with the social constructivist and interpretivist paradigm. Six medium and large family businesses operating in North West England were chosen to facilitate the qualitative research. In the North West of England, medium and large family businesses have complex features which create high demand for owners and employees to adopt learning strategies discussed in the LO concept which makes it an ideal context to explore the prevalence and the application of LO characteristics. This research makes a number of contributions to knowledge. Firstly, through review and analysis of the currently available theoretical work from more than 40 LO theorists and practitioners spanning the last four decades. The development of this “theoretical frame of reference” and the terminology used for identifying and analysing of LO characteristics is not only seen as a vital fundamental step in the course of this thesis, but also as a major contribution to providing structure and improving the future academic study of LO. Second, findings from the study suggest that medium and large family businesses have shown the existence of some of the LO characteristics within the three main levels of the organisations. The notable findings of the research are that medium and large family businesses need to develop a learning culture with organisational learning to incorporate with the business strategy and provide a transformational leadership so as to achieve the possibility of becoming a LO. The findings identify that family businesses in the North West region have the potential to become Learning Organisations should they implement the proposed recommendations and changes to their currently family business models. Third, the thesis makes a methodological contribution by introducing a model of Learning Organisations which specifically relates to family businesses. Furthermore, this model aims to facilitate a learning culture that suggests family businesses adopt key characteristics of the LO for continuous improvement, collective learning, and enhancement of performance

食材性シロアリNasutitermes takasagoensisにおける組織複合域の生理学的機能に関するトランスクリプトーム解析

博士(学術)琉球大

Factors Influencing Innovation Capacity of Regional Innovation Hubs

Title: Factors Influencing Innovation Capacity of Regional Innovation Hubs Authors: Sanvida Vishani Sawunda Hannadige & Dona Kithmini Chiranthini Weerasinghe Supervisor: Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury Examiner: Maria Fregidou-Malama Date: 28- Jan- 2021   Aim: This study aims to identify the factors influencing innovation capacity of innovation hubs and explore how innovation hubs influence regional innovation process.    Methodology: This is a qualitative study which follows the inductive approach and the strategy of multiple case study. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten respondents in the network of an innovation hub.   Findings: The findings of this study suggest five main factors which positively influence the innovation capacity of an innovation hub. Those are infrastructure, knowledge sharing, culture, marketing strategies and supporting network of the hub. Further through the findings we identified that innovation hub creates a well-balanced socio-economic impact on the region it operates.   Contribution: This study provides a comprehensive knowledge to the existing theories by discovering five theoretical areas which influence innovation capacity. Also it assists the stakeholders of innovation hubs to overcome their deficiencies in order to build a strong innovation capacity. Further, this study encourages innovators, entrepreneurs and investors to work in collaboration with innovation hubs.   Suggestions for Future Research: Qualitative or quantitative methods can be used to explore the outcomes in different perspectives. The newly identified features under marketing strategies can be further studied for their importance in other domains such as ecosystem and stakeholders. The revised framework can be tested in future researches

Perception of aquaculture education to support further growth of aquaculture industry in Victoria, Australia

Purpose: The central aim of this study was to determine the perception of aquaculture educational provisions in the state of Victoria, and whether they are sufficient to ultimately support further growth of the industry.Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaires were formulated and distributed to participants in a variety of ways, including via mail and in person

Time Series Forecasting using a Mixture of Stationary and Nonstationary Predictors

We develop a method for constructing prediction intervals for a nonstationary variable, such as GDP. The method uses a factor augmented regression [FAR] model. The predictors in the model includes a small number of factors generated to extract most of the information in a set of panel data on a large number of macroeconomic variables considered to be potential predictors. The novelty of this paper is that it provides a method and justification for a mixture of stationary and nonstationary factors as predictors in the FAR model; we refer to this as mixture-FAR method. This method is important because typically such a large set of panel data, for example the FRED-MD, is likely to contain a mixture of stationary and nonstationary variables. In our simulation study, we observed that the proposed mixture-FAR method performed better than its competitor that requires all the predictors to be nonstationary; the MSE of prediction was at least 33% lower for mixture-FAR. Using the data in FRED-QD for the US, we evaluated the aforementioned methods for forecasting the nonstationary variables, GDP and Industrial Production. We observed that the mixture-FAR method performed better than its competitors

The Contribution of Innovation Hubs Towards Strengthening the Regional Development in Sweden

Aim: This study aims to explore the influence of innovation hubs (IHs) on innovation-based regional development. Methodology: This study applied a qualitative approach using a multiple case study method to collect data through 10 semi-structured interviews. A detailed analysis of the data collected was conducted using the content analysis method. Findings: The study shows that IHs can influence both economic and social development. An IH can attract knowledge and expertise as well as investors to the region through its activities and geographical location. The hubs support start-ups, entrepreneurs and smart specialization at the same time as they also enable sustainable development by creating social value. Regions can exchange resources through cross-collaboration via IHs. Research Implications: This study has important theoretical managerial and societal implications. It adds comprehensive knowledge to the existing theory on IHs and regional development by highlighting the influence of IHs on regional development. The study shows both economic and social influence in detail and points out a previously undiscussed concept in the context of the correlation between IHs and regional development

Cyanocyclopentadiene-Annulated Polycyclic Aromatic Radical Anions: Predicted Negative Ion Photoelectron Spectra and Singlet–Triplet Energies of Cyanoindene and Cyanofluorene Radical Anions

Isomer-specific negative ion photoelectron spectra (NIPES) of cyanoindene (C9H7CN) and cyanofluorene (C14H9N), acquired through the computation of Franck–Condon (FC) factors that utilize harmonic vibrational frequencies and normal mode vectors derived from density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVQZ and 6-311++G(2d,2p) basis sets, are reported. The adiabatic electron affinity (EA) values of the ground singlet (S0) and the lowest lying triplet (T1) states are used to predict site-specific S0–T1 energies (ΔEST). The vibrational spectra of the S0 and T1 states are typified by ring distortion and ring C–C stretching vibrational progressions. Among all the S0 isomers in C9H7CN, the 2-cyanoindene (2-C9H7CN) is found to be the most stable at an EA of 0.716 eV, with the least stable isomer being the 1-C9H7CN at an EA of 0.208 eV. In C14H9N, the most stable S0 isomer, 2-cyanofluorene (2-C14H9N), has an EA of 0.781 eV. The least stable S0 isomer in C14H9N is the 9-C14H9N, with an EA of 0.364 eV. The FC calculations are designed to mimic simulations that would be performed to aid in the analysis of experimental spectra obtained in NIPE spectroscopic techniques. The vibrational spectra, adiabatic EAs, and ΔEST values reported in this study are intended to act as a guide for future gas-phase ion spectroscopic experiments and astronomical searches, especially with regard to the hitherto largely unexplored C14H9N isomers