Critical Success Factors for Innovative Performance of Individuals - A Case Study of Scania

The competitive corporate environment of today, as marked by continuous changes and enhanced global competition, forces companies to constantly adapt their current business activities and increasingly excel. Innovation is considered a critical imperative in order to respond to these increased competitive threats. Hence, innovation ought to permeate corporate environments and their inherent business activities. Recent global studies indicate that innovation is considered particularly vital within the highly competitive automotive industry; 93 percent of its senior executives rank innovation as critical to long-term corporate success. Companies thus must embrace innovation through the consequent incorporation of levers for enhanced innovative performance throughout organisational settings and adherent contexts. The critical importance of particularly innovative individuals has been elucidated in recent studies. Therein, particularly innovative individuals have been identified as the single most critical element of innovative success of companies. To scrutinise the underlying critical success factors for the significant innovative performance of these particularly innovative individuals can thus be considered a key to long-term corporate innovative success and according also to corporate survival. Purpose: The purpose of this master thesis project was to identify critical success factors for innovative performance of individuals within Scania specifically. Hence, this master thesis project aimed at increasing the corporate understanding therein. Method: Throughout this master thesis project, a system approach with a qualitative grip was applied, in order to capture complex interlinks and interdependencies. An explorative case study with focus on internal top innovators was conducted at Scania. It was preceded by exhaustive desk studies along with a quantitative survey of Scania‟s internal patent III database, which selected the survey units to include in the case study. As a key performance indicator of innovative performance, the number of registered invention submissions during the years of 2009, 2010 and 2011 was applied. Interviews, previous research and literature studies were the main data gathering techniques used. Semi-structured interviews with the selected top innovators provided qualitative primary data and constituted the major source of empirical data. Previous research provided exhaustive quantitative secondary data through register data from Scania‟s internal patent database, along with company-specific information. Literature studies provided foremost qualitative secondary data to the initial desk studies. Conclusions: The authors present six different critical success factors for innovative performance of individuals within Scania; motivation, creativity, innovative features, assignment, time for innovation and collaboration. Motivation must be in place through the presence of foremost intrinsic motivation but also extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivators must be present within all individuals. Moreover, extrinsic motivators, especially synergistic ones, must be in place throughout the organisation of Scania. Creativity must be in place within individuals through the presence of all its three components; i.e. creativity skills, task motivation and expertise. Yet, creativity skills were identified as the most critical component of creativity. Expertise was identified as the least critical component of creativity, as it can be compensated for through various external means. Innovative features must be present within individuals through three subcategories that were identified by the authors. These are personal traits, practical approach and intellectual skills. No single innovative feature was distinguished as utterly critical. Yet, individuals must possess innovative features of all three identified subcategories and preferably be particularly strong in at least one innovative feature of each subcategory. Assignment entails assigned general work field and inherent work tasks. Work field was identified to determine the general degree of innovation potential and hence is indirectly critical. Work tasks were identified as utterly critical, through their entailed degree of radical novelty, exposure to novel technologies and offered overall exploration potential. Particularly notably; assignment as a critical success factor for innovative performance was not explicitly articulated throughout the studied theory. Time for innovation must be offered through a certain degree of incorporated organisational slack. Yet, three identified fundamental prerequisites must be in place, in order for it to be favourable; the organisational slack must be balanced, flexible and properly managed. Collaboration is generally important to innovative performance. Yet, it is only critical on condition that some identified fundamental prerequisites are in place within the actual team. The most critical prerequisites of IV favourable collaboration are shared elementary knowledge, clear communication and unified attitudes. Moreover, networks and skunk works were identified as the utmost favourable designs of collaboration. In order to summarise the six identified critical success factors for innovative performance of individuals within Scania, the authors present the MCIATC framework for individual innovative profile, which can be considered an applicable tool in order to support the enhancement of innovative performance throughout the organisation of Scania

TRACKING THE P–T PATH OF PRECAMBRIAN ECLOGITE USING PSEUDOSECTION, Ti-IN-QUARTZ AND Zr-IN-RUTILE THERMOBAROMETRY

International audienceSveconorwegian eclogite occur as a nappe within the high-grade metamorphic region in southernSweden, which constitutes a window into the deepest part of this Precambrian mountain belt. Distinctmicrostructural domains (i.e., garnet core, garnet rim, and matrix) in a Fe-Ti-rich eclogite variety containabundant quartz, rutile and zircon.A pseudosection approach was first applied and compared to results from a combination of Zr-in-rutileand Ti-in-quartz. The pressure input used for both thermometers was first deduced for each microstructuraldomain from the pseudosection. For the garnet core, Zr-in-rutile yields temperatures of 700-715°C and Ti-inquartz~ 635°C at 7 kbar. For the garnet rim, temperatures of 760-790°C (Zr-in-rutile) and 740-890°C (Ti-inquartz)at 12-18 kbar were calculated. Matrix rutile recorded temperatures of ~ 810°C, while quartz recordedtemperatures up to ~ 890°C. Additionally, direct combination of Ti content in quartz and Zr content in rutileisopleths (i.e., independent from the pseudosection) yield a prograde path in nearly perfect agreement withthe one deduced from the pseudosection.The pseudosection shows that rutile was produced by continuous breakdown of ilmenite during the earlystages of prograde metamorphism, a reaction that ran to completion at ~ 730°C. Most rutile grains in garnetrim and matrix are interpreted to subsequently form by recrystallization of smaller matrix grains. However,they generally do not record the peak-P temperatures and instead range mostly between 775 and 815°C,interpreted as a result of more efficient recrystallization during a dehydration reaction (progressivereplacement of hornblende by clinopyroxene).This study illustrates that both Zr-in-rutile and Ti-in-quartz thermometry cannot only robustly constrain aprograde evolution, but when combined with a pseudosection model can also yield information onrecrystallization processes. In fact, the combination of these three methods provides an unrivalled tool forpetrologic interpretation.The variation in Ti concentration in quartz is small regardless of crystal size. This P–T path reach veryhigh temperatures (up to 875°C) with a high dP/dT ratio, both during prograde and retrograde histories. Thesteep P–T path, together with preservation of garnet growth zoning, symplectitic textures and the lack ofsignificant Ti diffusion in quartz is consistent with a short residence time at high-temperature, implyingunusual fast burial and exhumation of the eclogite-bearing nappe

Picture This! Community-Led Production of Alternative Views of the Heritage of Gwynedd

The digital camera has become ubiquitous. Every mobile phone has one built in, almost everyone has a mobile phone, and people use them constantly for all kinds of things, including taking pictures. In a new collaborative project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Bangor, Aberystwyth and Manchester Metropolitan Universities have teamed up with Gwynedd Archaeological Trust to develop tools to allow communities to picture their heritage and upload the images to an automated photogrammetry server to create metrical 3D models of the sites and objects they are recording. The data created will then feed into the local Historic Environment Record, providing a valuable tool for monitoring changes to heritage sites, while providing communities with added information and alternative views of their heritage. This paper is not intended to provide a formal research design or a fully developed prototype. Rather, it is intended to outline an experimental and collaborative approach that is situated as both practice and research, with neither enterprise being privileged over the other. The activities outlined here will be developed and evaluated over the next year and a half, after which we will report on whether or how the contingent aims and outcomes expressed were realized

Tumour Necrosis Factor Inhibitor monotherapy versus combination therapy for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis: combined analysis of European biologics databases

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) combination therapy with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARD) is more effective for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and/or improves TNFi drug survival compared to TNFi monotherapy. METHODS Five PsA biologics cohorts were investigated between 2000 and 2015: the ATTRA registry (Czech Republic); the Swiss Clinical Quality Management PsA registry; the Hellenic Registry of Biologics Therapies (Greece); the University of Bari PsA biologics database (Italy); and the Bath PsA cohort (UK). Drug persistence was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and equality of survival using log-rank tests. Comparative effectiveness was investigated using logistic regression with propensity scores. Separate analyses were performed on (1) the combined Italian/Swiss cohorts for change in rate of Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28); and (2) the combined Italian, Swiss, and Bath cohorts for change in rate of Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). RESULTS In total, 2294 patients were eligible for the drug survival analysis. In the Swiss (P = 0.002), Greek (P = 0.021), and Bath (P = 0.014) databases, patients starting TNFi in combination with methotrexate had longer drug survival compared to monotherapy, while in Italy the monotherapy group persisted longer (P = 0.030). In eligible patients from the combined Italian/Swiss dataset (n = 1056), there was no significant difference between treatment arms in rate of change of DAS28. Similarly, when also including the Bath cohort (n = 1205), there was no significant difference in rate of change of HAQ. CONCLUSION Combination therapy of a TNFi with a csDMARD does not appear to affect improvement of disease activity or HAQ versus TNFi monotherapy, but it may improve TNFi drug survival

The lancet weight determines wheal diameter in response to skin prick testing with histamine

BACKGROUND:Skin prick test (SPT) is a common test for diagnosing immunoglobulin E-mediated allergies. In clinical routine, technicalities, human errors or patient-related biases, occasionally results in suboptimal diagnosis of sensitization. OBJECTIVE:Although not previously assessed qualitatively, lancet weight is hypothesized to be important when performing SPT to minimize the frequency of false positives, false negatives, and unwanted discomfort. METHODS:Accurate weight-controlled SPT was performed on the volar forearms and backs of 20 healthy subjects. Four predetermined lancet weights were applied (25 g, 85 g, 135 g and 265 g) using two positive control histamine solutions (1 mg/mL and 10 mg/mL) and one negative control (saline). A total of 400 SPTs were conducted. The outcome parameters were: wheal size, neurogenic inflammation (measured by superficial blood perfusion), frequency of bleeding, and the lancet provoked pain response. RESULTS:The mean wheal diameter increased significantly as higher weights were applied to the SPT lancet, e.g. from 3.2 ± 0.28 mm at 25 g to 5.4 ± 1.7 mm at 265 g (p<0.01). Similarly, the frequency of bleeding, the provoked pain, and the neurogenic inflammatory response increased significantly. At 265 g saline evoked two wheal responses (/160 pricks) below 3 mm. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE:The applied weight of the lancet during the SPT-procedure is an important factor. Higher lancet weights precipitate significantly larger wheal reactions with potential diagnostic implications. This warrants additional research of the optimal lancet weight in relation to SPT-guidelines to improve the specificity and sensitivity of the procedure

Plant trait-mediated drag forces on seedlings of four tidal marsh pioneer species

Salt marshes play an important role in coastal protection by reducing the impact of waves and shoreline erosion risks. While mature vegetation is responsible for the persistence and stability of marsh ecosystems, seedling survival of pioneer species is especially crucial for marsh propagation. Marsh seedlings, however, may be threatened by climate change induced increased coastal storm surge intensity and accompanying (extreme) wave conditions, imposing stronger drag forces on marsh seedlings. We test the hypothesis that drag forces experienced by seedlings increase with horizontal orbital velocity (Uw) in a species-specific manner, and that the drag forces experienced are individual-plant trait-mediated. To test our hypotheses, seedlings of four contrasting pioneer marsh species (Bolboschoenus maritimus, Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, Spartina anglica, and Puccinellia maritima) were exposed to storm wave conditions in a flume, where Uw and experienced drag forces were measured. Linear mixed effect models demonstrated that seedling’s susceptibility to storm wave conditions is at least partly mediated by individual plant traits. Drag forces experienced by seedlings tended to increase with Uw, and with stem length and diameter. The interplay of both traits was complex, with increasing stem length being the most important trait accounting for increases in drag forces experienced at low to moderate Uw, while the stem diameter became more important with increasing Uw. Furthermore, experienced drag forces appeared to be affected by species-specific traits such as rigidity and leaf growth, being highest for Bolboschoenus maritimus and lowest for Puccinellia maritima. Our results provide important mechanistic insights into the drivers of tidal marsh seedling vulnerability to storm wave conditions due to experienced drag, both based on the traits of individual plants and species-specific ones. This type of knowledge is of key importance when modelling saltmarsh establishment and resilience under climate change

Synoptic analysis of a decade of daily measurements of SO2 emission in the troposphere from volcanoes of the global ground-based Network for Observation of Volcanic and Atmospheric Change

Volcanic plumes are common and far-reaching manifestations of volcanic activity during and between eruptions. Observations of the rate of emission and composition of volcanic plumes are essential to recognize and, in some cases, predict the state of volcanic activity. Measurements of the size and location of the plumes are important to assess the impact of the emission from sporadic or localized events to persistent or widespread processes of climatic and environmental importance. These observations provide information on volatile budgets on Earth, chemical evolution of magmas, and atmospheric circulation and dynamics. Space-based observations during the last decades have given us a global view of Earth's volcanic emission, particularly of sulfur dioxide (SO2). Although none of the satellite missions were intended to be used for measurement of volcanic gas emission, specially adapted algorithms have produced time-averaged global emission budgets. These have confirmed that tropospheric plumes, produced from persistent degassing of weak sources, dominate the total emission of volcanic SO2. Although space-based observations have provided this global insight into some aspects of Earth's volcanism, it still has important limitations. The magnitude and short-term variability of lower-atmosphere emissions, historically less accessible from space, remain largely uncertain. Operational monitoring of volcanic plumes, at scales relevant for adequate surveillance, has been facilitated through the use of ground-based scanning differential optical absorption spectrometer (ScanDOAS) instruments since the beginning of this century, largely due to the coordinated effort of the Network for Observation of Volcanic and Atmospheric Change (NOVAC). In this study, we present a compilation of results of homogenized post-analysis of measurements of SO2 flux and plume parameters obtained during the period March 2005 to January 2017 of 32 volcanoes in NOVAC. This inventory opens a window into the short-term emission patterns of a diverse set of volcanoes in terms of magma composition, geographical location, magnitude of emission, and style of eruptive activity. We find that passive volcanic degassing is by no means a stationary process in time and that large sub-daily variability is observed in the flux of volcanic gases, which has implications for emission budgets produced using short-term, sporadic observations. The use of a standard evaluation method allows for intercomparison between different volcanoes and between ground- and space-based measurements of the same volcanoes. The emission of several weakly degassing volcanoes, undetected by satellites, is presented for the first time. We also compare our results with those reported in the literature, providing ranges of variability in emission not accessible in the past. The open-access data repository introduced in this article will enable further exploitation of this unique dataset, with a focus on volcanological research, risk assessment, satellite-sensor validation, and improved quantification of the prevalent tropospheric component of global volcanic emission

Summary of the ISEV workshop on extracellular vesicles as disease biomarkers, held in Birmingham, UK, during December 2017

This report summarises the presentations and activities of the ISEV Workshop on extracellular vesicle biomarkers held in Birmingham, UK during December 2017. Among the key messages was broad agreement about the importance of biospecimen science. Much greater attention needs to be paid towards the provenance of collected samples. The workshop also highlighted clear gaps in our knowledge about pre-analytical factors that alter extracellular vesicles (EVs). The future utility of certified standards for credentialing of instruments and software, to analyse EV and for tracking the influence of isolation steps on the structure and content of EVs were also discussed. Several example studies were presented, demonstrating the potential utility for EVs in disease diagnosis, prognosis, longitudinal serial testing and stratification of patients. The conclusion of the workshop was that more effort focused on pre-analytical issues and benchmarking of isolation methods is needed to strengthen collaborations and advance more effective biomarkers