A Mechanism-Based Explanation of the Institutionalization of Semantic Technologies in the Financial Industry

Part 3: Creating Value through ApplicationsInternational audienceThis paper explains how the financial industry is solving its data, risk management, and associated vocabulary problems using semantic technologies. The paper is the first to examine this phenomenon and to identify the social and institutional mechanisms being applied to socially construct a standard common vocabulary using ontology-based models. This standardized ontology-based common vocabulary will underpin the design of next generation of semantically-enabled information systems (IS) for the financial industry. The mechanisms that are helping institutionalize this common vocabulary are identified using a longitudinal case study, whose embedded units of analysis focus on central agents of change—the Enterprise Data Management Council and the Object Management Group. All this has important implications for society, as it is intended that semantically-enabled IS will, for example, provide stakeholders, such as regulators, with better transparency over systemic risks to national and international financial systems, thereby mitigating or avoiding future financial crises

Evaluation of harmonic suppression devices

An assessment has been conducted of five commercially available devices to determine their ability to provide clean sinusoidal voltage to nonlinear loads and to eliminate harmonic currents demanded by nonlinear loads. The devices tested were a passive series-shunt filter, a delta-wye isolation transformer, a ferroresonant magnetic synthesizer, an active power line conditioner, and an active injection mode filter. These devices were installed in existing Department of Energy facilities that had substantial non-linear loads which drew a significant harmonic current. These devices were then compared in the following categories: cancellation of harmonic currents, supply of nondistorted voltage, supply of regulated voltage, elimination of transients and impulses, efficiency, reliability, and cost

Survey of harmonics measurements in electrical distribution systems

An assessment of the harmonics found in the electrical distribution system of several buildings in the three Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge plants in Tennessee has yielded several conclusions useful in the design of electrical distribution systems. A preliminary survey to determine where significant amounts of harmonic currents of voltages existed in the distribution system was performed at several buildings by comparing readings taken with true root-mean-square (RMS) multimeters and averaging multimeters (non-true RMS meters). From these measurements and subsequent calculations, facilities that appeared to have significant levels of harmonics present were analyzed with a power analyzer that could record waveforms and give the spectrum and magnitude of harmonics. Among the non-linear loads for which sample waveforms are illustrated are fluorescent lighting (both magnetic and electronic ballasts), variable frequency drives, switch mode power supplies, and uninterruptible power supplies. A discussion as to how various harmonic waveforms come about as a result of these nonlinear loads is also outlined in this paper

Choosing how to choose : Institutional pressures affecting the adoption of personnel selection procedures

The gap between science and practice in personnel selection is an ongoing concern of human resource management. This paper takes Oliver´s framework of organizations´ strategic responses to institutional pressures as a basis for outlining the diverse economic and social demands that facilitate or inhibit the application of scientifically recommended selection procedures. Faced with a complex network of multiple requirements, practitioners make more diverse choices in response to any of these pressures than has previously been acknowledged in the scientific literature. Implications for the science-practitioner gap are discussed

The Emergence of Hospital Federations: An Integration of Perspectives from Organizational Theory

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68464/2/10.1177_107755878704400206.pd

Professions, organizations, and institutions: Tenure systems in Colleges and Universities

10.1177/0730888411412725Work and Occupations383340-37

The diffusion and use of institutional theory: A cross-disciplinary longitudinal literature survey

There is a plethora of theories to explore the disciplines of business, management and sociology, with institutional theory being widely used to explore a range of research challenges. In the area of Information Systems (IS), the use of institutional theory remains in its infancy, with much potential for adoption. Much of the rationale underpinning the proposed research is that a systematic review and synthesis of the normative literature may support the direction of further research and the use of institutional theory in exploring pertinent research challenges facing the IS community. This study also serves to signpost cross-disciplinary research, and thus opens up a whole new research paradigm. Therefore, this article seeks to provide a bibliometric analysis and a comprehensive and systematic review of the literature pertaining to institutional theory to ascertain the current ‘state of play’ of the theory. Information on a series of variables was extracted after conducting a review of 511 articles across various disciplines that have utilised institutional theory, published in 210 peer-reviewed journals between 1978 and 2008. The findings suggest that the positivist paradigm, empirical and quantitative research, the survey method and organisation/firm as a unit of analysis was used predominantly in combination with institutional theory. The results of this study may have implications for researchers, journal editors, reviewers and universities

Mismatching of persons and jobs in the Netherlands: Consequences for the returns to mobility

Contains fulltext : 72906.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)This article answers three questions.To what extent do Dutch workers voluntarily change employers or positions within the firm, do objective and subjectively experienced job characteristics influence voluntary mobility, and does voluntary mobility result in changes in these job characteristics? Analyses show that voluntary mobility occurs quite often. Objective job characteristics do not predict the odds of voluntary mobility. The subjective evaluation of aspects of the job, such as for instance the job in general, the income, the job content and colleagues, and workload, however, do. The stronger this mismatch of persons and jobs, the more likely one is to be voluntarily mobile. Panel analyses furthermore show that this voluntary mobility improves objective job characteristics such as income and status, and reduces an unfavourable evaluation of the person—job fit. Clearly, an unfavourably experienced person—job fit pushes workers out of their jobs, and on average this step brings positive returns.22 p