Creating Products in the Absence of Markets: A Robust Design Approach

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine how firms deal with a situation of true uncertainty about their potential markets and technologies. Specifically, we ask how firms can create products when the corresponding market does not exist. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on a longitudinal study of a high-tech firm, combined with analysis of existing theory in Product Design and Entrepreneurship. Findings – Markets and products are usually a defining choice made early on by firms in their strategic process. Such a choice guides their development by providing a ‘stable concept' to which decisions can be related to. When markets do not exist yet, however, this approach is not effective: Early choice of products and markets limits firms' flexibility by constraining their ability and willingness to adapt, while fundamental new technical and market information is likely to emerge during the project that will prove the initial assumptions wrong. We show an alternative approach where products and markets actually result from a generic process of products and markets exploration driven by the firm. We suggest that this approach forms a robust design in that it allows the firm to deal with the uncertainty by simultaneously developing its products and exploring markets, while preserving the flexibility to adapt to the changing environment. Practical implications – The practical implication of this paper is to suggest an alternative approach to deliberate planning in high-tech ventures. With this approach, rather than markets and products, strategy defines a market and technology exploration process. Originality/value – The paper is original in three ways: 1) It links the product design and market exploration processes in high-tech firm development; 2) It is based on an in-depth longitudinal study; and 3) It results from an academic-practitioner collaborative work.New Product Development; uncertainty; high-technology venture.

Creating Products in the Absence of Markets: A Robust Design Approach

The purpose of this study is to examine how firms deal with a situation of true uncertainty about their potential markets and technologies. Specifically, we ask how firms can create products when the corresponding market does not exist. Design/methodology/approach : This paper is based on a longitudinal study of a high-tech firm, combined with analysis of existing theory in Product Design and Entrepreneurship. Findings – Markets and products are usually a defining choice made early on by firms in their strategic process. Such a choice guides their development by providing a ‘stable concept' to which decisions can be related to. When markets do not exist yet, however, this approach is not effective: Early choice of products and markets limits firms' flexibility by constraining their ability and willingness to adapt, while fundamental new technical and market information is likely to emerge during the project that will prove the initial assumptions wrong."New Product Development";"uncertainty";"high-technology venture"

Social Structure and Clearance Rates: The Effect of Neighborhood Characteristics on Aggravated Assault Case Outcome

The ability of police to make an arrest for a crime is one of the most visible aspects of the criminal justice system. As a result, it is no surprise that clearance rates are one of the most commonly used measures of police effectiveness. Previous studies of clearance rates focus heavily on the clearance of homicide cases, as many researchers examine the effect of individual level characteristics on case outcomes. Using Donald Black\u27s theory of law, which places an emphasis on social space, i.e., vertical and horizontal distances between victims and offenders, this study examines the effect of neighborhood characteristics on case outcome for the crime of aggravated assault. Logistic regression analysis (N=1575) indicates some support for Black\u27s theory at the neighborhood level. However, the majority of variation in clearance rates appears to occur due to individual level factors

Creating Products in the Absence of Markets: A Robust Design Approach

The purpose of this study is to examine how firms deal with a situation of true uncertainty about their potential markets and technologies. Specifically, we ask how firms can create products when the corresponding market does not exist. Design/methodology/approach : This paper is based on a longitudinal study of a high-tech firm, combined with analysis of existing theory in Product Design and Entrepreneurship. Findings – Markets and products are usually a defining choice made early on by firms in their strategic process. Such a choice guides their development by providing a ‘stable concept' to which decisions can be related to. When markets do not exist yet, however, this approach is not effective: Early choice of products and markets limits firms' flexibility by constraining their ability and willingness to adapt, while fundamental new technical and market information is likely to emerge during the project that will prove the initial assumptions wrong

Managerial coordination challenges in the alignment of capabilities and new subsidiary charters in MNEs

Subsidiary-level change requires the alignment of subsidiary charters and capabilities. Yet, the mechanisms through which the alignment of charters and capabilities unfolds are not yet well understood. In this paper, we investigate alignment from the perspective of managerial coordination. Drawing on a longitudinal study of a global IT firm, we identify three coordination mechanisms (charter-, experience-, and interaction-based coordination). By tracing the shifts in these coordination mechanisms over time and by specifying the implications of each mechanism for capability level change, we explain how managerial coordination influences alignment via subsidiary level capability change as well as alignment via the potential renegotiation of charters. This also allows us to provide new insights into situations of misalignment by explaining that particular mechanisms of coordination may become a source of decoupling between subsidiary actions and HQ mandates and may also result in capability level inertia. Moreover, while prior research has already acknowledged the role of interaction-based coordination for capability level change we show how and why such a mechanism of coordination emerges

The mRNA transcription/processing factor Ssu72 Is a potential tyrosine phosphatase

Ssu72 is an essential and highly conserved protein involved in mRNA transcription and 3-end processing. The biochemical function of Ssu72 was so far unknown. We report here evidence that Ssu72 is a phosphatase that resembles protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases). First, recombinant Ssu72 cleaves the phosphotyrosine analogue p-nitrophenylphosphate, and this catalytic activity is impaired by PTPase-inhibiting agents. Second, the Ssu72 sequence contains the CX5R signature motif of PTPases; mutation of the catalytic cysteine in this motif abolishes Ssu72 activity in vitro and has been shown to confer lethality in vivo. Third, secondary structure prediction and site-directed mutagenesis predict that Ssu72 adopts the fold of PTPases of the low molecular weight family. Distinguishing features, such as a short “aspartate loop” at the active site, suggest however that Ssu72 is the founding member of a new phosphatase subfamily. The novel Ssu72 activity may regulate coupling events during mRNA biogenesis

Datenschutz in kirchlichen Einrichtungen - Eigenständigkeit des kirchlichen Datenschutzes und die Eigenart des kirchlichen Beschäftigtendatenschutzes

Durch das Inkrafttreten der DSGVO finden sich die verfassten Kirchen nunmehr zur Begründung eigener Gesetzgebungskompetenz im Bereich des Datenschutzes in einem trilateralen Verhältnis wieder. Neben das innerstaatliche Verhältnis zwischen Staat und Kirche tritt das Unionsrecht sowohl auf Primär- als auch auf Sekundärrechtsebene. Die Arbeit untersucht zunächst die datenschutzrechtliche Situation der öffentlich-rechtlichen Kirchen in Deutschland. Durch die Verlagerung der datenschutzrechtlichen Gesetzgebungskompetenz zugunsten der EU hängt die Gesetzgebungskompetenz der Mitgliedstaaten und damit schlussendlich auch die der öffentlich-rechtlichen Kirchen von der Erlaubnis der EU ab. Gleichzeitig ist die datenschutzrechtliche Gesetzgebung Gegenstand innerstaatlicher Kompetenzverteilung. Die Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob und auf welcher Kompetenzgrundlage die öffentlich-rechtlichen Kirchen die Anwendung eines eigenen Datenschutzrechts stützen können. Darüber hinaus behandelt die Arbeit die materiellen Anforderungen an kirchliches Datenschutzrecht sowie die Umsetzungen der EKD und VDD. Insbesondere wird neben den allgemeinen Anwendungsvoraussetzungen des Art. 91 Abs. 1 DSGVO auch auf die kircheneigene Datenschutzaufsicht nach Art. 91 Abs. 2 DSGVO eingegangen. Abschließend befasst sich die Arbeit mit den Regelungen des DSG-EKD und KDG zum Beschäftigtendatenschutz. Untersucht werden die Anforderungen der einschlägigen Öffnungsklausel, Art. 88 DSGVO, das allgemeine Verhältnis der Kirchengesetze zur DSGVO sowie die einschlägigen und anwendbaren Regelungen im Beschäftigungskontext

Scientific Utopia III: crowdsourcing science

Most scientific research is conducted by small teams of investigators who together formulate hypotheses, collect data, conduct analyses, and report novel findings. These teams operate independently as vertically integrated silos. Here we argue that scientific research that is horizontally distributed can provide substantial complementary value, aiming to maximize available resources, promote inclusiveness and transparency, and increase rigor and reliability. This alternative approach enables researchers to tackle ambitious projects that would not be possible under the standard model. Crowdsourced scientific initiatives vary in the degree of communication between project members from largely independent work curated by a coordination team to crowd collaboration on shared activities. The potential benefits and challenges of large-scale collaboration span the entire research process: ideation, study design, data collection, data analysis, reporting, and peer review. Complementing traditional small science with crowdsourced approaches can accelerate the progress of science and improve the quality of scientific research

Managerial coordination challenges in the alignment of capabilities and new subsidiary charters in MNEs

Subsidiary-level change requires the alignment of subsidiary charters and capabilities. Yet, the mechanisms through which the alignment of charters and capabilities unfolds are not yet well understood. In this paper, we investigate alignment from the perspective of managerial coordination. Drawing on a longitudinal study of a global IT firm, we identify three coordination mechanisms (charter-, experience-, and interaction-based coordination). By tracing the shifts in these coordination mechanisms over time and by specifying the implications of each mechanism for capability level change, we explain how managerial coordination influences alignment via subsidiary level capability change as well as alignment via the potential renegotiation of charters. This also allows us to provide new insights into situations of misalignment by explaining that particular mechanisms of coordination may become a source of decoupling between subsidiary actions and HQ mandates and may also result in capability level inertia. Moreover, while prior research has already acknowledged the role of interaction-based coordination for capability level change we show how and why such a mechanism of coordination emerges. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHO

Putting the self in self-correction: findings from the loss-of-confidence project

Science is often perceived to be a self-correcting enterprise. In principle, the assessment of scientific claims is supposed to proceed in a cumulative fashion, with the reigning theories of the day progressively approximating truth more accurately over time. In practice, however, cumulative self-correction tends to proceed less efficiently than one might naively suppose. Far from evaluating new evidence dispassionately and infallibly, individual scientists often cling stubbornly to prior findings. Here we explore the dynamics of scientific self-correction at an individual rather than collective level. In 13 written statements, researchers from diverse branches of psychology share why and how they have lost confidence in one of their own published findings. We qualitatively characterize these disclosures and explore their implications. A cross-disciplinary survey suggests that such loss-of-confidence sentiments are surprisingly common among members of the broader scientific population yet rarely become part of the public record. We argue that removing barriers to self-correction at the individual level is imperative if the scientific community as a whole is to achieve the ideal of efficient self-correction