Essays on process learning in R&D alliances

This dissertation contributes to research around the question of how companies may improve their R&D processes through collaborative R&D activities. The growing need to gain access to new technologies, the need to share risks and costs associated with the development of new products, and the shortening of market opportunity windows in the ICT industry leads to a rising number of R&D Alliances formed every year. In an industry where the ruling imperative of "innovate or die" has been replaced with "collaborate or die" (Chesbrough 2003, Bruce et al. 1995), improving an organization's collaborative capability is a necessity for survival in the marketplace. By combining qualitative – a multiple action research case study – and quantitative – an international survey – research methods, the dissertation at hand sheds light on the question of how companies can improve their collaboration capability through inter-partner process learning in R&D Alliances. The theoretical waters that this dissertation navigates spring from the research on inter-organizational learning in R&D alliances on one hand, and on process innovation on the other. Within the many inter-organizational learning theories, the Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) framework of knowledge sharing and creation became the guiding lighthouse for this research. The dissertation includes four essays. In the first essay, a set of measures for process learning is developed based on a two-case action research study with three Finnish companies from the telecommunications industry. The cases reveal a set of distinct improvements of collaborative R&D processes: the establishment of joint project planning and evaluation meetings, improved prototyping, improved release management, the establishment of joint milestones, the clear division of tasks and responsibilities, and increased inter-departmental and cross-functional interaction. These findings provide practitioners with a benchmark for improvements in collaborative R&D processes. A subset of these learning results is successfully used to measure process learning in the following three essays. These remaining essays are all based on an international survey amongst 105 companies in the telecommunications industry. The second essay looks into the process of process learning, by investigating how four knowledge creation mechanisms – socialization, externalization, combination and internalization – function in process learning. To my knowledge the study is the first to test the Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) model of knowledge creation empirically in the context of inter-organizational learning. The results give strong support to their theory and provide the practitioner with insight into the optimal mix of knowledge transfer mechanisms used for communication in collaborative R&D. The process learning measure developed in the first essay is rated by two independent members of each organization, and validated through inter-rater correlation analysis. The third essay reports on a descriptive study exploring different approaches to process knowledge creation in R&D alliances. The results show that the alliances developing radical as opposed to incremental innovations differ from each other in terms of various partner-specific and alliance-specific characteristics as well as their process learning outcomes. The group of companies that focused on developing incrementally-improved products were more experienced collaborators, utilized various knowledge transfer mechanisms more often, and also scored higher in all three areas of process learning measured than companies developing new, more radical technologies and products, or companies that did not focus on one kind of innovation, but engaged in developing both incremental and radical innovations. The fourth essay investigates how the competitive situation, the overlap of organizational knowledge bases and the existence of trust in the collaboration relationship influence the effectiveness of meetings, written documents and transfer of people as means for knowledge transfer. The results suggest that competition positively influences the effect of all three types of knowledge transfer mechanisms on learning. The complementarity of the partner organizations' knowledge bases promotes the effectiveness of Meetings and Documents, and the existence of behavioral trust increases the effectiveness of transfer of people as knowledge transfer mechanisms for process learning. This research is the first to test the widespread organizational learning model of Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) empirically, in an inter-organizational setting. The findings support the model, and verify that it can be applied to inter-organizational process learning. Additionally, the study contributes to research by specifically mapping knowledge transfer mechanisms to each phase of the socialization-externalization-combination-internalization process (SECI) developed by Nonaka and Takeuchi. The study also develops and empirically verifies a measure for process learning in R&D Alliances. Previous research often tries to measure knowledge transfer success based on proxies such as improved productivity (e.g. Argote 1999, Arrow 1962), number of new products introduced (Tsai 2001), reduced lead-time and waste (Kalling 2003) or increased share price (Anand & Khanna, 2000). Since these proxies are also influenced by a number of other factors than successful knowledge transfer or learning, this study develops a more direct approach: Process learning is measured through specific improvements in the collaborative R&D process that are acquired and implemented through collaboration with a partner company. For the interested manager, the study provides insight into how the knowledge transfer between two partnering companies can be managed in order to enable successful inter-partner process learning. The dissertation also provides a benchmark for process improvements for collaborative R&D processes.reviewe

Responses of wood anatomy and carbon isotope composition of Quercus pubescens saplings subjected to two consecutive years of summer drought

• To withstand and to recover from severe summer drought is crucial for trees, as dry periods are predicted to occur more frequently over the coming decades. • In order to better understand growth-related tree responses to drought, wood formation, vessel characteristics and stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) in tree rings of Quercus pubescens saplings imposed to two consecutive summer droughts were compared with regularly watered control trees. • In both years, photosynthetic activity was strongly inhibited during the drought periods of five to seven weeks but quickly restored after re-watering, reinitiating wood formation. Stress caused more than a 20% reduction in ring width, a 0.5‰ increase in latewood δ13C and changes in vessels characteristics in both the current year latewood and the next year earlywood. The latewood displayed up to 90% increased hydraulic conductivity than control trees, likely to compensate for a cavitation-induced reduction of water transport. • The earlywood after the first drought year was characterized by more but smaller vessels suggesting the attempt of restoring conductivity while minimizing the risk of hydraulic failure. However, after the second year, the reduction of hydraulic conductivity and the increased δ13C values indicate a structural adjustment towards a reduced growth induced by exhaustion of carbon reserve

Comment on: "Estimating the Hartree-Fock limit from finite basis set calculations" [Jensen F (2005) Theor Chem Acc 113:267]

We demonstrate that a minor modification of the extrapolation proposed by Jensen [(2005): Theor Chem Acc 113:267] yields very reliable estimates of the Hartree-Fock limit in conjunction with correlation consistent basis sets. Specifically, a two-point extrapolation of the form $E_{HF,L}=E_{HF,\infty}+A(L+1)\exp(-9\sqrt{L})$ yields HF limits $E_{HF,\infty}$ with an RMS error of 0.1 millihartree using aug-cc-pVQZ and aug-cc-pV5Z basis sets, and of 0.01 millihartree using aug-cc-pV5Z and aug-cc-pV6Z basis sets.Comment: Theoretical Chemistry Accounts, in pres

Community characterization of heterogeneous complex systems

We introduce an analytical statistical method to characterize the communities detected in heterogeneous complex systems. By posing a suitable null hypothesis, our method makes use of the hypergeometric distribution to assess the probability that a given property is over-expressed in the elements of a community with respect to all the elements of the investigated set. We apply our method to two specific complex networks, namely a network of world movies and a network of physics preprints. The characterization of the elements and of the communities is done in terms of languages and countries for the movie network and of journals and subject categories for papers. We find that our method is able to characterize clearly the identified communities. Moreover our method works well both for large and for small communities.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure and 2 table

Fermionic quantum criticality and the fractal nodal surface

The complete lack of theoretical understanding of the quantum critical states found in the heavy fermion metals and the normal states of the high-T$_c$ superconductors is routed in deep fundamental problem of condensed matter physics: the infamous minus signs associated with Fermi-Dirac statistics render the path integral non-probabilistic and do not allow to establish a connection with critical phenomena in classical systems. Using Ceperley's constrained path-integral formalism we demonstrate that the workings of scale invariance and Fermi-Dirac statistics can be reconciled. The latter is self-consistently translated into a geometrical constraint structure. We prove that this "nodal hypersurface" encodes the scales of the Fermi liquid and turns fractal when the system becomes quantum critical. To illustrate this we calculate nodal surfaces and electron momentum distributions of Feynman backflow wave functions and indeed find that with increasing backflow strength the quasiparticle mass gradually increases, to diverge when the nodal structure becomes fractal. Such a collapse of a Fermi liquid at a critical point has been observed in the heavy-fermion intermetallics in a spectacular fashion.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

Overtreatment and associated risk factors among multimorbid older patients with diabetes.

BACKGROUND In multimorbid older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the intensity of glucose-lowering medication (GLM) should be focused on attaining a suitable level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c ) while avoiding side effects. We aimed at identifying patients with overtreatment of T2DM as well as associated risk factors. METHODS In a secondary analysis of a multicenter study of multimorbid older patients, we evaluated HbA1c levels among patients with T2DM. Patients were aged ≥70 years, with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diagnoses) and polypharmacy (≥5 chronic medications), enrolled in four university medical centers across Europe (Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, and Switzerland). We defined overtreatment as HbA1c  < 7.5% with ≥1 GLM other than metformin, as suggested by Choosing Wisely and used prevalence ratios (PRs) to evaluate risk factors of overtreatment in age- and sex-adjusted analyses. RESULTS Among the 564 patients with T2DM (median age 78 years, 39% women), mean ± standard deviation HbA1c was 7.2 ± 1.2%. Metformin (prevalence 51%) was the most frequently prescribed GLM and 199 (35%) patients were overtreated. The presence of severe renal impairment (PR 1.36, 1.21-1.53) and outpatient physician (other than general practitioner [GP], i.e. specialist) or emergency department visits (PR 1.22, 1.03-1.46 for 1-2 visits, and PR 1.35, 1.19-1.54 for ≥3 visits versus no visits) were associated with overtreatment. These factors remained associated with overtreatment in multivariable analyses. CONCLUSIONS In this multicountry study of multimorbid older patients with T2DM, more than one third were overtreated, highlighting the high prevalence of this problem. Careful balancing of benefits and risks in the choice of GLM may improve patient care, especially in the context of comorbidities such as severe renal impairment, and frequent non-GP healthcare contacts

Electron affinities of the first- and second- row atoms: benchmark ab initio and density functional calculations

A benchmark ab initio and density functional (DFT) study has been carried out on the electron affinities of the first- and second-row atoms. The ab initio study involves basis sets of $spdfgh$ and $spdfghi$ quality, extrapolations to the 1-particle basis set limit, and a combination of the CCSD(T), CCSDT, and full CI electron correlation methods. Scalar relativistic and spin-orbit coupling effects were taken into account. On average, the best ab initio results agree to better than 0.001 eV with the most recent experimental results. Correcting for imperfections in the CCSD(T) method improves the mean absolute error by an order of magnitude, while for accurate results on the second-row atoms inclusion of relativistic corrections is essential. The latter are significantly overestimated at the SCF level; for accurate spin-orbit splitting constants of second-row atoms inclusion of (2s,2p) correlation is essential. In the DFT calculations it is found that results for the 1st-row atoms are very sensitive to the exchange functional, while those for second-row atoms are rather more sensitive to the correlation functional. While the LYP correlation functional works best for first-row atoms, its PW91 counterpart appears to be preferable for second-row atoms. Among ``pure DFT'' (nonhybrid) functionals, G96PW91 (Gill 1996 exchange combined with Perdew-Wang 1991 correlation) puts in the best overall performance. The best results overall are obtained with the 1-parameter hybrid modified Perdew-Wang (mPW1) exchange functionals of Adamo and Barone [J. Chem. Phys. {\bf 108}, 664 (1998)], with mPW1LYP yielding the best results for first-row, and mPW1PW91 for second-row atoms. Indications exist that a hybrid of the type $a$ mPW1LYP + $(1-a)$ mPW1PW91 yields better results than either of the constituent functionals.Comment: Phys. Rev. A, in press (revised version, review of issues concerning DFT and electron affinities added

Guideline on urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is diagnosed predominantly in people over 60 years of age. The most common symptom is haematuria. Smoking is an important risk factor (relative risk 2.5 to 3). Cystoscopy is performed whenever bladder carcinoma is suspected. The recurrence rate of a non-muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma is high (31-78% within 5 years). A single intravesical instillation with a chemotherapeutic agent within 24 hours of transurethral resection (TUR) reduces the risk of recurrence. Carcinoma in situ (CIS) should be treated as high-grade urothelial carcinoma. Standard treatment for patients with non-metastasized muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma is cystectomy in combination with extensive lymph node dissection. There are several possibilities for urinary diversion following cystectomy, none of which are any better than the others. Bladder-sparing brachytherapy may be used in patients with solitary T1 - T2 urothelial carcinoma &lt; 5 cm. Neoadjuvant cisplatin-containing chemotherapy prior to cystectomy in muscle-invasive carcinoma only slightly improves survival. Cisplatin-containing combination chemotherapy is the standard treatment for metastasized urothelial carcinoma.</p