Analyzing the Distributions of the Stochastic Firm Growth Approach

Recently there has been a renewed interest in the study of firm size distributions and firm growth rate distributions. The stochastic firm growth approach builds on the assumption that firm growth rates are independent identically distributed and size is determined by a first order autoregressive process leaving the size distribution log-normal. This paper analyzes these distributional patterns in an empirical context questioning the foundation of the stochastic growth approach. In a cross section analysis of four industries using Danish data it is shown that the foundation for and the outcome of the stochastic firm growth process as it has so far been conceived are empirically far-fetched. In particular significant deviations from normality are found with respect to third and fourth moments.Firm Growth Rate and Size Distributions, Evolution of Industries

User community vs. producer innovation development efficiency: A first empirical study

In this paper we report upon a first empirical exploration of the relative efficiency of innovation development by product users vs. product producers. In a study of over 50 years of product innovation in the whitewater kayaking field, we find users in aggregate were approximately 3× more efficient at developing important kayaking product innovations than were producers in aggregate. We speculate that this result is driven by what we term “efficiencies of scope” in problem-solving. These can favor an aggregation of many user innovators, each spending a little, over fewer producer innovators benefitting from higher economies of scale in product development. We also note that the present study explores only one initial point on what is likely to be a complex efficiency landscape

Pen needle design influences ease of insertion, pain, and skin trauma in subjects with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE: Pen needles used for subcutaneous injections have gradually become shorter, thinner and more thin walled, and thereby less robust to patient reuse. Thus, different needle sizes, alternative tip designs and needles resembling reuse were tested to explore how needle design influences ease of insertion, pain and skin trauma. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: 30 subjects with injection-treated type 2 diabetes and body mass index 25–35 kg/m(2) were included in the single-blinded study. Each subject received abdominal insertions with 18 different types of needles. All needles were tested twice per subject and in random order. Penetration force (PF) through the skin, pain perception on 100 mm visual analog scale, and change in skin blood perfusion (SBP) were quantified after the insertions. RESULTS: Needle diameter was positively related to PF and SBP (p<0.05) and with a positive pain trend relation. Lack of needle lubrication and small ‘needle hooks’ increased PF and SBP (p<0.05) but did not affect pain. Short-tip, obtuse needle grinds affected PF and SBP, but pain was only significantly affected in extreme cases. PF in skin and in polyurethane rubber were linearly related, and pain outcome was dependent of SBP increase. CONCLUSIONS: The shape and design of a needle and the needle tip affect ease of insertion, pain and skin trauma. Relations are seen across different data acquisition methods and across species, enabling needle performance testing outside of clinical trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02531776; results

Rennestein: film noir i moderne tid

Skriftlig del av bacheloroppgave i DIGME, 2013Vi har laget vår egenproduserte film noir til den praktiske delen av Bacheloroppgaven. Denne filmen vil bli dratt inn som eksempel i løpet av oppgaven. Mesteparten av denne skriftlige oppgaven handler om film noir, og hvordan den har forandret seg frem til moderne tid. Vi vil se på disse tendensene ved å gå gjennom dens historie, og også trekke paralleller til vår egenproduserte film. I denne oppgaven vil det bli gått igjennom begreper som sjanger, stil, film noir, neo noir, og film noirens mise-en-scène. Det vil også bli forklart hvilken metode vi har tatt i bruk for å komme frem til våres konklusjon. Til slutt i oppgaven vil vi drøfte om vår egenproduserte film kan karakteriseres som en moderne film noir, og om den inneholder alle de kriteriene denne stilarten krever

Prediction: coveted, yet forsaken? Introducing a cross-validated predictive ability test in partial least squares path modeling

Management researchers often develop theories and policies that are forward‐looking. The prospective outlook of predictive modeling, where a model predicts unseen or new data, can complement the retrospective nature of causal‐explanatory modeling that dominates the field. Partial least squares (PLS) path modeling is an excellent tool for building theories that offer both explanation and prediction. A limitation of PLS, however, is the lack of a statistical test to assess whether a proposed or alternative theoretical model offers significantly better out‐of‐sample predictive power than a benchmark or an established model. Such an assessment of predictive power is essential for theory development and validation, and for selecting a model on which to base managerial and policy decisions. We introduce the cross‐validated predictive ability test (CVPAT) to conduct a pairwise comparison of predictive power of competing models, and substantiate its performance via multiple Monte Carlo studies. We propose a stepwise predictive model comparison procedure to guide researchers, and demonstrate CVPAT's practical utility using the well‐known American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) model