557 research outputs found
PRELIMINARY REVISIONS OF SOME GENERA OF MALAYSIAN PAPILIONACEAE I
The revisions have been performed by Miss M. S. van Meeuwen (Pycnospora, Smithia, Uraria), H. P. Nooteboom (Galactia, Moghania, Rhynehosia, Stylosanthes, Zornia), and C. G. G. J. van Steenis (Cyclocarpa, Neocollettia)
Pricing in the hotel and catering sector
A model explaining gross margins in the hotel and catering sector is developed. A cost-mark-up model for the retail sector is used as a starting point. Although we have to reject the hypothesis of mark-up pricing in the hotel and catering sector, the model proves a useful instrument to discriminate between such influences as sales composition, costs and their various components, scale and demand conditions on price setting. Our empirical evidence stems from the Dutch hotel and catering sector (1977 through 1981)
Market Disequilibria and Their Influence on Small Retail Store Pricing
In this paper a quantitative model is developed
to explain differences in average store price levels. We assume
that stores may operate under different economic regimes,
that is, under excess capacity or excess demand. Prices are
expected to be higher than average in case of an excess
demand regime and lower in an excess capacity situation.
Actual information regarding the regime that applies to each
individual store is not available. Therefore, we propose to use
a so-called 'switching model' with endogenous regime choice
to analyse the store price differences. The model developed m
the paper is estimated using four largely differing types of
stores from the Durch retail trade. These samples consist
mainly of small stores
Paradox as invitation to act in problematic change situations
It has been argued that organizational life typically contains paradoxical situations such as efforts to manage change which nonetheless seem to reinforce inertia. Four logical options for coping with paradox have been explicated, three of which seek resolution and one of which âkeeps the paradox openâ. The purpose of this article is to explore the potential for managerial action where the paradox is held open through the use of theory on âserious playfulnessâ. Our argument is that paradoxes, as intrinsic features in organizational life, cannot always be resolved through cognitive processes. What may be possible, however, is that such paradoxes are transformed, or âmoved onâ through action and as a result the overall change effort need not be stalled by the existence of embedded paradoxes
Small business economics: A perspective from The Netherlands
In the analysis of economic phenomena either within or across industries there is room for integrating the role of small business. This contribution can be made by aggregation or generalization of the findings at the meso level, which again are partly based upon analyses at the micro level.
The Netherlands has a long history in macro model building. A recent discussion among Dutch macro-economists considered the future of econometric model building at the macro level, and considered how best to improve this model building. The explicit integration of scale effects, however, was not mentioned. I am convinced that improvements in this respect are possible. In particular, I have in mind the role which small businesses play in certain areas such as wage structure, employment or investments. The dissection of macro prognoses into a small business component and a remaining component is a traditional practice in The Netherlands.1
Finally, there is much concern in The Netherlands for the calculation of regulatory effects, decomposed into effects for small and large businesses. If anywhere in the world there is a solid foundation for studying scale effects in both macro and sectoral models, it most certainly has been in The Netherlands. There is a strong tradition of macro-econometric model building; groups of econometricians specialized in small business research exist; Dutch policymakers show concern and the required research apparatus is available
In search of innovative capabilities of communities of practice : a systematic review and typology for future research
The concept of communities of practice has generated considerable debate among scholars of management.
Attention has shifted from a concern with the transmission and reproduction of knowledge towards their
utility for enhancing innovative potential. Questions of governance, power, collaboration and control have
all entered the debate with different theorizations emerging from a wide mix of empirical research. We
appraise these key findings through a critical review of the literature. From a divergent range of findings,
we identify four main ways in which communities of practice enable and constrain innovative capabilities
as (a) enablers of learning for innovation, (b) situated platforms for professional occupations, (c) dispersed
collaborative environments and (d) governance structures designed for purpose. Our conclusion signals the
way forward for further research that could be used to improve our understanding of different contextual
forms and how they may align with organizations in enabling rather than constraining innovative capabilities
Logistic innovation in global supply chains: an empirical test of dynamic transaction-cost theory
Organization, Evolution, Cognition and Dynamic Capabilities
Using insights from âembodied cognitionâ and a resulting âcognitive theory of the firmâ, I aim to contribute to the further development of evolutionary theory of organizations, in the specification of organizations as âinteractorsâ that carry organizational competencies as âreplicatorsâ, within industries as âpopulationsâ. Especially, I analyze how, if at all, âdynamic capabilitiesâ can be fitted into evolutionary theory. I propose that the prime purpose of an organization is to serve as a cognitive âfocusing deviceâ. Here, cognition has a wide meaning, including perception, interpretation, sense making, and value judgements. I analyse how this yields organizations as cohesive wholes, and differences within and between industries. I propose the following sources of variation: replication in communication, novel combinations of existing knowledge, and a path of discovery by which exploitation leads to exploration. These yield a proposal for dynamic capabilities. I discuss in what sense, and to what extent these sources of variation are âblindâ, as postulated in evolutionary theory.
Evaluating strategic environmental assessment in the Netherlands: Content, process and procedure as indissoluble criteria for effectiveness
To assess the effectiveness of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) we distinguish between its contribution to the quality of the ultimate policy choice (usefulness, applicability), the procedural quality of the planning process (transparency, timeliness) and the quality of stakeholder participation in the planning process (openness, equity, dialogue). In the context of two case studies involving Dutch planning practice, we argue that when and how an SEA is applied is crucial to understanding its e
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