Empirical Analysis of Factors Promoting Product Innovation in ASEAN Economies: Focusing on Absorptive Capacity and ICT Use

In recent years, East Asian economies have been rapidly developing. The reason is that firms have been successfully achieving product and process innovation by introducing advanced technologies and know-how from MNCs. In order to enhance innovation, firms have to own technology, capability and ICT use. In particular, collaborations with outside organizations such as MNCs (Multi-national corporations), universities, public organizations, local firms are indispensable for firms in developing economies. Authors’ previous research clarified external linkages enhance innovation capability and ICT use, and innovation capability and ICT use promote product innovation in ASEAN firms. These studies analyzed under what conditions firms can promote absorptive capability if they had external linkages. Whether or how absorptive capacity affected innovation capability and ICT use were not explained there. Based on survey data from four ASEAN economies such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, from 2013 to 2014, this study clarifies how absorptive capacity, ICTs, and innovation capability such as QC and cross-functional team enhance product innovation by using SEM (Structural equation modeling). As a result, the following causality from external linkages (origin) to innovation (final outcome) is demonstrated: (i) absorptive capacity is enhanced by external linkages such as local firms, public organizations, and universities; (ii) absorptive capacity enhances innovation capability; (iii) innovation capability enhances ICT use; and (iv) innovation capability and ICT use promote product innovation. These are similar to those of authors’ previous research. Since data are different, it is difficult to compare the results, but the robustness of the results is demonstrated

Role of ICT in the innovation process based on firm-level evidence from four ASEAN economies: An SEM approach

Although the East Asian economies have been developing in the 21th century, innovation is indispensable for their further economic development. In order to achieve successful innovation, firms have to elevate their capability including technology, human resources, business organization, ICT use and so on by collaborating with outside organizations such as MNCs (Multi-national companies), universities, public organizations. The outside organizations are termed as external linkages. Based on authors' survey data of four ASEAN economies such as Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand from 2012 to 2013, this paper examines how factors such as organizational learning, ICT use, and technology enhance product and process innovation. These factors are used as latent variables in analysis and consist of the following variables: (i) technology such as capital goods, (ii) organizational learning including QC, cross-functional teams, (iii) ICT use such as B2B, B2C, EDI, SCM, ERP, CAD/CAM, groupware, SNS etc., and (iv) external linkages, such as MNCs, local and public organizations, and universities. This study employs SEM (Structural equation modeling) in order to analyze the causal relationships not only among the above four latent variables but also between these and innovation. The six hypotheses were postulated as follows: H1. External linkages enhance organizational learning; H2. External linkages improve capital goods; H3. External linkage improves ICT use; H4. Organizational learning improves capital goods; H5. Organizational learning improves ICT use; and H6. Organizational learning, ICT use, and capital goods enhance innovation. Estimation results on product innovation demonstrate that organization learning, technology (capital goods), and ICT use enhance product innovation. On the other hand, organization learning promotes technology (capital goods) and ICT use, which promotes process innovation. Accordingly, this study clarifies that ICT use, technology and innovation capability enhance product and process innovation

High harmonic spin-orbit angular momentum generation in crystalline solids preserving multiscale dynamical symmetry

Symmetries essentially provide conservation rules in nonlinear light-matter interactions, that facilitate control and understanding of photon conversion processes or electron dynamics. Since anisotropic solids have rich symmetries, they are strong candidate to control both optical micro- and macroscale structures, namely spin (circular polarization) and orbital angular momentum (spiral wavefront), respectively. Here, we show structured high harmonic generation linked to the anisotropic symmetry of a solid. By strategically preserving a dynamical symmetry arising from the spin-orbit interaction of light, we generate multiple orbital angular momentum states in high-order harmonics. The experimental results exhibit the total angular momentum conservation rule of light even in the extreme nonlinear region, which is evidence that the mechanism originates from a dynamical symmetry. Our study provides a deeper understanding of multiscale nonlinear optical phenomena and a general guideline for using electronic structure to control structured light, such as through Floquet engineering

アキレス腱付着部症に対しアキレス腱モーメントアーム長が及ぼす影響

Insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT) is caused by traction force of the tendon. The effectiveness of the suture bridge technique in correcting it is unknown. We examined the moment arm in patients with IAT before and after surgery using the suture bridge technique, in comparison to that of healthy individuals. We hypothesized that the suture bridge method influences the moment arm length. An IAT group comprising 10 feet belonging to 8 patients requiring surgical treatment for IAT were followed up postoperatively and compared with a control group comprising 15 feet of 15 healthy individuals with no ankle complaints or history of trauma or surgery. The ratio of the moment arm (MA) length/foot length was found to be statistically significant between the control group, the IAT group preoperatively and the IAT group postoperatively (p < 0.01). Despite no significant difference in the force between the control and preoperative IAT groups, a significantly higher force to the Achilles tendon was observed in the IAT group postoperatively compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that a long moment arm may be one of the causes of IAT, and the suture bridge technique may reduce the Achilles tendon moment arm.博士（医学）・甲第845号・令和4年9月28日© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)