An Endogenous Group Formation Theory of Co-operative Networks: The Economics of La Lega and Mondrag.n

co-operatives, networks, game theory, Mondrag.n, La Lega, Legacoop, labour managed firm

An endogenous group formation theory of co-operative networks: The economics of La Lega and Mondragón

This paper develops a theory of endogenous league formation and considers its implications for policy in developing countries. We generalize from features of the two most prominent European co-op leagues, Mondragón and La Lega, to develop the first formal model of the endogenous formation of co-operative networks and their constituent member coops. We show that if co-op leagues are formed through an open membership game, there can be two Nash equilibria, one with and one without a co-op league; and in this case, the equilibrium with a co-op league Pareto dominates the latter. In examining the formation of constituent co-operative firms, we show that, when payoffs to joining a co-op for potential worker members are initially increasing in membership and then decreasing, the outcome of the game depends on the rules of co-op formation. If payoffs are equal to the alternative wage at a single, unique membership size, then open membership and exclusive membership rules of the game yield the same outcome that either no co-op will be formed, or all co-ops formed will have the same number of members; but the coalition unanimity game has a unique outcome with co-op formation. If worker member payoffs exceed the alternative wage, our three alternative rules of co-op formation yield different outcomes. In the open membership game where some workers work for conventional firms, coops will be formed at the largest size for which co-op payoffs are equal to the alternative wage. However, if co-op payoffs exceed the conventional wage only when all workers join coops, then equilibrium co-op sizes can potentially include a wide range of membership sizes. In the exclusive membership game, all co-op sizes in the interval for which co-op payoffs are at least as large as conventional wages are equilibria. Finally, in the coalition unanimity game, only co-op sizes at which the highest income per member is achieved are equilibria. Only the latter result corresponds to the traditional neoclassical Ward-Vanek labour managed firm literature (though not necessarily with its comparative statics implications). A series of modelling extensions are discussed. Implications for existing and potential co-op leagues in developing countries are appraised, and implications for policy examined

Adapted customer relationship management implementation framework:facilitating value creation in nursing homes

This paper proposes a framework to support Customer Relationship Management (CRM) implementation in nursing homes. The work extends research by Cheng et al. (2005) who conducted in-depth questionnaires to identify critical features (termed value-characteristics), which are areas identified as adding the most value if implemented. Although Cheng et al. did proposed an implementation framework, summary of, and inconsistent inclusion of value-characteristics, limits the practical use of this contribution during implementation. In this paper we adapt the original framework to correct perceived deficiencies. We link the value characteristics to operational, analytical, strategic and/or collaborative CRM solution types, to allow consideration in context of practical implementation solutions. The outcome of this paper shows that, practically, a 'one solution meets all characteristic' approach to CRM implementation within nursing homes is inappropriate. Our framework, however, supports implementers in identifying how value can be gained when implementing a specific CRM solution within nursing homes; which subsequently support project management and expectation management

Organizational Alignment and Performance: Past, Present and Future

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and define the types of organizational alignment – vertical and horizontal; to examine the evidence for the alignment‐performance relationship, and propose research questions and practical implications to advance the theory and practice of managing alignment. Design/methodology/approach – The study is a conceptual examination based on a thorough review of both theoretical and empirical research. Findings – The paper finds that vertical alignment has received considerably more attention in the literature. Studies of horizontal alignment within organizations are less common. When horizontal alignment is studied, the focus tends to be dyadic – between two functional areas. The limitations posed by the dyadic approach suggest gaps in the research and opportunities for future research. As firms grow and diversify, becoming multi‐business organizations, the importance of horizontal alignment will be elevated. Research limitations/implications – Research on vertical alignment should focus on developing larger sets of moderating variables, such as the morale of the workforce, or the life cycle of the firm or industry. Research on horizontal alignment should explore multi‐point horizontal alignment. Practical implications – Managers in organizations with multiple strategic business units could use the application questions in the study to assess the state of alignment in their respective units and the organization as a whole. Originality/value – The paper documents existing literature on the concept of organizational alignment and identifies new opportunities to continue to build and expand the research stream. It also provides a list of application questions that may be used to assess organizational alignment in organizations

Total Determination of Material Parameters from Electromagnetic Boundary Information

In this paper we complete the proof that the material parameters can be obtained for a chiral electromagnetic body from the boundary admittance map. We prove that from the admittance map, the parameters are uniquely determined to infinite order at the boundary. This removes the assumption of such knowledge in the result of the second author regarding interior determination for chiral media

Prediction of Metabolism-Induced Neurotoxicity on a 384PillarPlate

Metabolism of compounds including neurotoxins primarily occurs in the liver by a variety of drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) followed by a series of downstream responses. Unmodified (or parent) neurotoxins are transported into human hepatocytes through several influx transporters or via passive diffusion and undergo Phase I and Phase II biotransformation by DMEs before they are cleared. Neurotoxins and their metabolites generated from human hepatocytes could potentially lead to the toxic effects on neural stem cells (NSCs) as the reactive metabolites have potential for producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can lead to irreversible oxidative damage to NSCs via lipid peroxidation, DNA, mitochondrial and protein damage, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Our goal is to evaluate molecular actions of compounds and their metabolites within NSCs and their cellular consequences by a suite of high-content toxicology assays. A 3D NSC culture on a 384PillarPlate will be combined with human liver cell aggregates expressing cytochrome P450s in an ultralow attachment (ULA) 384-well plate to demonstrate metabolism-induced neurotoxicity. Model compounds will be added in the 384-well plate containing liver cells and sandwiched with 3D NSCs on the 384PillarPlate. High-content imaging assays will be performed to evaluate the effect of compounds and their metabolites in NSCs to analyze the metabolism-induced neurotoxicity.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/u_poster_2018/1066/thumbnail.jp

Multi-dimensional relationships among dementia, depression and prescribed drugs in England and Wales hospitals

Additional file 5. Standardised features