Supporting agile innovation and knowledge by managing human resource flexibility

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the implications of managing human resource (HR) flexibility and absorptive capacity (AC) of knowledge for the implementation of agile innovation methods in the new product development (NPD) process of manufacturing firms. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve this, the authors have carried out a meta-analysis by defining first a research question that determines the design of bibliometric data and compilation. The study question is: How firms can support agile initiatives in innovation considering their HR flexibility and AC? The Web of Science Collection has been consulted in three steps with several search strings. The analysis of 161 references without duplicities in the period 1997–2021 provides the foundations for exploring the research question. Findings: The authors propose research hypotheses to analyze the interrelationship between HR flexibility, AC and agile innovation according to the literature-based discussion. The authors have identified and develop metrics to pilot the transition to agile that have been also adapted to specific innovation departures points before the transition. The authors also propose and discuss some organizational changes and practical guidelines to pilot transitions to agile that should be useful to the firm’s strategic decision of implementing the most adequate type of agile innovation. Originality/value: Even though flexibility and innovation are very important needs for many firms, agile schemes are still under-studied topics in the NPD of manufacturing firms. There are no specific studies in the literature that analyze the interrelationship between HR flexibility, AC and agile innovation, identifying common aspects and different approaches. Thus, this study is of original nature and the developed managerial tools, composed of metrics and organizational changes, will be useful to managers and permitted the authors to achieve the proposed goal. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

Agile production, innovation and technological cooperation: Overlapping priorities of manufacturing firms

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze in a sample of Spanish manufacturing firms the relationship between agile manufacturing and the firm’s management capacities related to innovation and production flexibility. Complementarily the survey addresses the implementation of agile production and its measurement. Design/methodology/approach For data collection, a survey through mail to operations and human resource managers of manufacturing firms and telephonic interviews with managers from 25 selective firms was carried out. The population of the study included firms from the Sistema de Análisis de Balances Ibéricos database with NACE codes 24–32 and at least 200 employees. Quantitative methods (linear hierarchical regression and mean differences) were used to test research hypotheses, and a qualitative method (interview analysis) was used to analyze an implementation and measurement model of agile production. Findings The results of the study show that high-agile firms use more intensively a comprehensive set of agile facilitators (design, manufacturing and supply). They also innovate and cooperate externally more on innovation than low-agile firms. The authors have found that external technological cooperation moderates the firm’s production flexibility. Research limitations/implications The implications of this research indicate, on one hand, that firms interested in implementing agile production should focus on the agility management of supply chains, the skills and knowledge development of human resources and in the implementation of agile manufacturing technologies. On the other hand, firms in less cooperative environments should focus more on their internal manufacturing systems to reinforce the relationship between production flexibility and agility that offers broader scenarios to compete under this production paradigm. The main limitations of the research design are the use of cross-sectional data and the use of managerial perceptions to assess most of the variables. Originality/value This paper offers a model of agile production implementation that it is complemented with measurement indicators to analyze the firm’s evolution toward agility. The combination of multivariate analysis and managers’ interviews to obtain and validate results creates a value for managers interested in agile production

Distribution and Abundance of Chaetognatha on the Yucatan Shelf During May, 1986.

An analysis of chaetognath species distribution and abundance from the Yucatan Shelf during May 1986 is presented. Zooplankton samples and associated hydrographic data were collected at 21 stations off the northern and northwestern coasts of the peninsula. Density data were classified and analyzed by calculating the Euclidian distance. In addition, the Importance Value of the species was obtained. Highest abundance (1000 to 5000 orgs./100m3) occurred in the northern and northwestern zones off the peninsula, while species richness was higher at oceanic stations farther offshore. The most abundant and frequent species were Sagitta enflata and S. bipunctata. The classification analysis based on the Euclidian distance showed three zones in the study area with different predominant species: (1) The northeast oceanic region of the Peninsula, with S. minima, S. serratodentata, S. enflata and S. bipunctata; (2) the west and northwest neritic region with S. enflata and (3) the near northeast and west coastal region with S. bipunctata

Hybrid lotteries for financing public goods

We propose a new, voluntary mechanism (the "hybrid lottery") as a means for financing the provision of public goods. We find that, under some conditions, the mechanism can mitigate the free-riding problem and that, for each player, the (weakly) dominant strategy is the one that -in equilibrium- implements the first best. We also find that the mechanism is quite robust to modifications of the basic model, including heterogeneity in incomes and preferences, different utility functions and incomplete information. Finally, the mechanism is "self-financed"(i.e., it never runs out of money, neither on- nor off-equilibrium path) and -because of the use of dominant strategies- it is very easy to solve by players. Thus, the mechanism is simple to implement in the real world by charities and other organisations that rely on voluntary contributions

Entry in Beauty-Contest Games

We study how voluntary participation in Beauty Contest Games (BCGs) affects the actions and payoffs of type-heterogenous players. In a BCG, players have two goals --one personal, the other social-- and so BCGs appropriately model relevant economic situations like participating in a social network, partaking in the coding of an open-source software, or the choice of research topics by academics, among others. Key in these and other cases is the concept of "social norm" that will emerge in the associated "community", and so people's entry choices will depend crucially on their expectations regarding not only how many but who (which types) will join in. We find that in equilibrium there is entry as long as the BCG is "attractive" and that there might be multiple equilibria, each indexed by its associated social norm. We also find that, when finite, there is an odd number of equilibria and that --if ordered based on the value of the associated social norm-- odd/even equilibria are stable/unstable. Further, for low attractiveness, equilibrium social norms are univocally associated with the extrema of the distribution of types in the economy, so that stable/unstable equilibria are linked to maxima/interior minima. We find that "universal" communities in which everybody joins the BCG (as implicitly assumed by the literature) only occur when the BCG is sufficiently attractive and the economy's average type is not extreme. In non-universal communities, social norms are affected by the attractiveness of the BCG and the functional form of the distribution of types in the economy (especifically, its skewness around extrema). Attractiveness affects both the size and the composition of the community. Thus, an increase in attractiveness could lead both to the entry of new members and to the exit of some others

Hybrid lotteries for financing public goods

We propose a new, voluntary mechanism (the "hybrid lottery") as a means for financing the provision of public goods. We find that, under some conditions, the mechanism can mitigate the free-riding problem and that, for each player, the (weakly) dominant strategy is the one that -in equilibrium- implements the first best. We also find that the mechanism is quite robust to modifications of the basic model, including heterogeneity in incomes and preferences, different utility functions and incomplete information. Finally, the mechanism is "self-financed"(i.e., it never runs out of money, neither on- nor off-equilibrium path) and -because of the use of dominant strategies- it is very easy to solve by players. Thus, the mechanism is simple to implement in the real world by charities and other organisations that rely on voluntary contributions

Entry in Beauty-Contest Games

We study how voluntary participation in Beauty Contest Games (BCGs) affects the actions and payoffs of type-heterogenous players. In a BCG, players have two goals --one personal, the other social-- and so BCGs appropriately model relevant economic situations like participating in a social network, partaking in the coding of an open-source software, or the choice of research topics by academics, among others. Key in these and other cases is the concept of "social norm" that will emerge in the associated "community", and so people's entry choices will depend crucially on their expectations regarding not only how many but who (which types) will join in. We find that in equilibrium there is entry as long as the BCG is "attractive" and that there might be multiple equilibria, each indexed by its associated social norm. We also find that, when finite, there is an odd number of equilibria and that --if ordered based on the value of the associated social norm-- odd/even equilibria are stable/unstable. Further, for low attractiveness, equilibrium social norms are univocally associated with the extrema of the distribution of types in the economy, so that stable/unstable equilibria are linked to maxima/interior minima. We find that "universal" communities in which everybody joins the BCG (as implicitly assumed by the literature) only occur when the BCG is sufficiently attractive and the economy's average type is not extreme. In non-universal communities, social norms are affected by the attractiveness of the BCG and the functional form of the distribution of types in the economy (especifically, its skewness around extrema). Attractiveness affects both the size and the composition of the community. Thus, an increase in attractiveness could lead both to the entry of new members and to the exit of some others

Validity of a self-reported diagnosis of depression among participants in a cohort study using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I).

Abstract Background: Depression assessment in population studies is usually based on depressive symptoms scales. However, the use of scales could lead to the choice of an arbitrary cut-off point depending on the sample characteristics and on the patient diagnosis. Thus, the use of a medical diagnosis of depression could be a more appropriate approach. Objective: To validate a self-reported physician diagnosis of depression using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I) as Gold Standard and to assess the factors associated to a valid self-reported diagnosis. Methods: The SUN Project is a cohort study based on university graduates followed-up through postal questionnaires. The response to the question included in the questionnaire: Have you ever been diagnosed of depression by a physician? was compared to that obtained through the SCID-I applied by a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist. The percentages of confirmed depression and non-depression were assessed for the overall sample and according to several characteristics. Logistic regression models were fitted to ascertain the association between different factors and a correct classification regarding depression status. Results: The percentage of confirmed depression was 74.2%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) =63.3-85.1. Out of 42 participants who did not report a depression diagnosis in the questionnaire, 34 were free of the disease (%confirmed non-depression=81.1%; 95% CI=69.1- 92.9). The probability of being a true positive was higher among ex- smokers and non-smokers and among those overweight or obese but the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The validity of a self-reported diagnosis of depression in the SUN cohort is adequate. Thus, this question about depression diagnosis could be used in further investigations regarding this disease in this graduate cohort study

Informe de ejecución proyecto de proyección social “Propuesta de acompañamiento a comerciantes del sector de Chapinero Central en los temas relacionados con lo contable, tributario y financiero, para el crecimiento económico del sector”

El proyecto que se presenta a continuación se encuentra integrado al Macro Proyecto 2020-2024 que ejecuta la Universidad Piloto de Colombia para los comerciantes del sector de Chapinero. Chapinero es la localidad número dos del Distrito Capital de Bogotá, la cual se encuentra ubicada al nororiente de la ciudad y está compuesta de tres grandes sectores urbanos: Chapinero, El Lago y Chicó. Junto a Santa Fe, La Candelaria y Teusaquillo, esta es una de las localidades tradicionales de la ciudad. Allí se encuentra un gran número de comerciantes que en algunos casos se encuentran de manera informal y que desean formalizar sus negocios. En el caso de los proyectos económicos, éstos se enfocan a capacitar y apoyar al sector productivo de la localidad y realizar programas estratégicos para aumentar la productividad y oportunidades de empleo. Sin embargo, la ciudad no ha profundizado en la identificación y definición de las políticas e instrumentos para promover el desarrollo económico de sus localidades. Especialmente, se carece de información y análisis sobre las características de la estructura económica y empresarial de las localidades., (tomado de Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá. (2021). Perfil economico y empresarial sector de chapinero. Obtenido de https://bibliotecadigital.ccb.org.co/bitstream/handle/11520/2879/6222_perfil_economico _chapinero.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Por esta razón, para mejorar la gestión económica local es indispensable contar con información y análisis de las características, estructura y el tipo de relacionamiento entre los empresarios con el entorno donde desarrollan su actividad empresarial, así como, con las 7 políticas públicas locales. Esta información permitirá dimensionar las prioridades que deben atender las autoridades y las que requieren la participación del sector privado para mejorar el entorno, promover la sostenibilidad del empleo y un mejor nivel de vida para sus habitantes (Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá, 2021