Microsourcing - Using Information Technology to Create Unexpected Work Relationships and Entrepreneurial Opportunities

Offshore outsourcing has increased to the point where it is now part of the mainstream consciousness. The same tools that enable remote work sharing in corporations also allow individuals to outsource their own work (microsourcing)—either with company approval or covertly. As an innovative work practice, microsourcing can bring greater flexibility to the workforce. It also has the potential to undermine control of the work process as well as introducing new risks and ethical issues to the workplace. The appearance of brokers to facilitate microsourcing suggests that entrepreneurs perceive there is a demand for these arrangements. Due to the potential threats to intellectual property, even employers and managers who do not use or approve of the practice should take some steps to educate themselves about microsourcing. This research is the first known attempt to use a theoretical framework to understand microsourcing as an individual level work strategy as well as its context and drivers. This study uses Structuration Theory as a guideline in the investigation of different microsourcing implementations

Myocyte-specific overexpression of stromal cell-derived Factor 1 facilitates cardiac regeneration and improves myocardial function after infarction in mice.

Background: Interruption of cardiac stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF1)-CXCR4 axis by chronic AMD3100 administration increased myocardial injury after permanent coronary artery ligation, demonstrating the important role of this chemokine in cardiac regeneration. Hypothesis: Cardiomyocyte-specific conditional overexpression of SDF prevents heart failure after permanent coronary ligation and facilitates cardiac regeneration. Methods and Results: Tetracycline-controlled, a-myosine heavy chain promoter directed overexpression of cardiac SDF resulted in a significant increase of SDF expression (SDF: 8.1 ng / g protein) compared with littermate WT mice (0.02 ng / g protein) four weeks after doxycycline withdrawal. SDF overexpression increased AKT and casein kinase 1 levels in the heart. Although there was no difference in cardiac function and scar size one week after infarction, SDF overexpression improved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (47±5% vs. 29±4%, p \u3c 0.05) decreased end-diastolic volume (78±10 vs. 158±30, p \u3c 0.05) and reduced infarct size measured by trichrome staining (SDF): 13±3% vs. WT (n=15): 23±3% of LV wall, p \u3c 0.05) four weeks after permanent ligation. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) staining revealed increased regeneration indicated by a 5-fold increase in BrdU+ / a-sarcomeric actin+-cells in the border zone of the infarct (22±3% cardiomyocyte (CM) nuclei vs. 5±1% CM nuclei, p \u3c 0.01). Increased proliferation in SDF mice was confirmed by a higher number of Ki67+ cells compared to WT mice. Cardiomyocyte cross sectional area in the border zone was significantly reduced in SDF mice (375±13 µm2 vs. 434±10 µm2, p \u3c 0.001) while capillary density remained unchanged (2348±151 / mm2 vs. 2498±153 / mm2) compared to WT mice. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that cardiac-specific overexpression of SDF increases myocardial regeneration and improves LV function after permanent coronary ligation

A Framework for Healthcare Information Systems: Exploring a Large System of Systems Using System Dynamics

Government and private health agencies are being compelled by internal and external forces to integrate their electronic records and resources. Many medical systems consist of isolated, disparate implementations that are now being required to interoperate with other systems. This study reviewed the literature on healthcare and other large systems of systems (SOS) implementations and frameworks to determine common problem themes. Reports on large government systems revealed that planning frameworks had difficulty accounting for unexpected aspects of system behavior when a systems\u27 whole exceeds the sum of its parts. System Dynamics modeling, first developed at MIT, was examined as a possible answer to comprehending large system behaviors without being overcome by implementation details

A conceptual perspective of internal audit quality and local government performance in Nigeria

The study highlights the influence of internal audit quality on the performance of an organization.Internal audit quality components such as competence, quality of internal audit work, objectivity and independence, training and development, and management support for the internal audit function are critical for enhancing organizational processes.It relies on extant literature in developing the conceptual framework and arriving at hypotheses that guide the study. Thus, the study suggests that the quality of internal audit influences performance and this link opens up a new perspective in examining the local government performance in Nigeria

UNDERSTANDING METHODS TO REDUCING REDUNDANT MEDICAL LAB TEST ORDERING ? A CASE STUDY ON VISTA/CPRS AND THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Reducing redundant medical lab tests has been discussed in the literature as a cost saving benefit of Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption; however the literature does not provide a great deal of information on the mechanics of achieving this goal. Laboratory ordering using an EHR occurs within a complex socio-technical context that can be difficult to understand. A case study was performed on an EHR that provided insight into the interplay of these elements as well as the current state of laboratory ordering guidelines. A theoretical framework, using Strong Structuration Theory was used to guide the research. The result was improved insight into required technological capabilities to support clinical care and the environmental contexts that shape them

Integrating sustainability into new product development: The role of organizational leadership and culture

While corporate sustainability research continues to grow, we contend that key organizational factors influence the ability of firms to strategically integrate sustainability orientation to the performance of new products. Using data from 349 product developers, this paper examines organizational factors that instill a sustainability orientation leading to market performance of new products. Specifically, we construct a model where organizational leadership (i.e., leadership practices, employee incentives, and a focus on patents), and culture (i.e., innovation culture and geocentricity) lead to sustainability orientation that results in the translation of firm resources into improved new product development outcomes. Our results support our contention; sustainability orientated firms are likely to realize improved market performance of new products as these firms benefit from an innovative organizational culture exposed to the global environment with complementary leadership that provides focus and reward mechanisms for employees