Roles played by relational trust in strategic alliances

In this paper we develop the concept of relational quality as a proxy for relational trust. Exploration of data from 67 alliances confirms that relational quality is composed of three elements: initial conditions, partner interactions, and external events. We offer propositions on the relative importance of each of these elements depending on the different roles relational trust may play in strategic alliances: the role of a control mechanism, of a governance mechanism, or as an enabler of high risk initiativesManagement; Strategy

Relational quality: A dynamic framework for assessing the role of trust in strategic alliances

The organizational literature has always posited that «trust» plays a key role in economic exchanges, particularly when one or another party is subject to the risk of opportunistic behaviour, incomplete monitoring, or when moral hazard problems arise. These conditions are almost always present in the case of alliances and joint ventures between independent parties. This paper explores the concept of «relational quality» in one such inter-organizational form ­dyadic alliances­ where past experience and the shadow of the future play an important role. Relational quality is important, as it affects the extent to which partners substitute reliance on trust for more formal control mechanisms. Building on theory, case studies and survey data, we develop a framework for thinking about trust in dynamic and practical terms. We define three elements affecting relational quality in alliances: the initial conditions surrounding the exchange, the cumulative experiences of the parties with each other's behaviours as they interact, and the impact that external events have on perceptions of behaviour and attitudes of the parties about each other's trustworthiness. We use data on a sample of alliances with one Spanish partner to explore the relative impact of these elements and develop a more precise set of propositions from this framework. The paper should guide further work towards quantifying the role of trust as a control mechanism in the performance of strategic alliances.Alliances; economic exchanges; joint ventures;

Relational quality: Managing trust in corporate alliances

The management literature has often argued that "trust" plays a key role in economic exchanges, particularly when one or another party is subject to the risk of opportunistic behaviour and incomplete monitoring, or when problems due to moral hazard or asymmetric information arise. These conditions are almost always present in the case of corporate alliances and joint ventures. We propose that one aspect of trust, what we call "relational quality", is fundamental to the maintenance of good working conditions in two-party alliances where past experience and the shadow of the future play important roles. Relying on a growing body of theory and a number of case studies, we develop a framework for thinking about trust in dynamic and practical terms. We conclude that a reservoir of relational quality exists in any such relationship, and that the level of trust implied in such a reservoir will not only influence whether and how future conflicts are resolved, but also is itself affected by the positive (or negative) resolution of such conflicts. Finally, we identify three elements that contribute to the relational quality reservoir in alliances: 1) the initial conditions surrounding the alliance formation; 2) the cumulative experience of the parties with each others' behaviours as the alliance unfolds; and 3) the impact that external events or behaviours outside the alliance's context have on the perceptions and attitudes the parties have about each other's trustworthiness. We conclude with some recommendations for more effective management of corporate alliances.corporate alliances; economic exchanges; monitoring;

Células solares de puntos cuánticos coloidales

Treball Final de Màster Universitari en Física Aplicada. Codi: SIN019. Curs acadèmic 2012-2013Scarcity of oil reserves together with the increasing environmental awareness are motivating the scientific community to dedicate much effort toward the development of new technologies for producing energy from renewable sources, including photovoltaics. So far, the main handicap of this technology is the high economical cost, therefore the researchers are focusing on the development of cheaper materials and innovative technologies. Among all the available materials, colloidal quantum dots are expected to be excellent candidates for photovoltaics,due to the combination of low-cost processing, high extinction coefficients, band-gap tunability and relatively high stability. The present work focuses on the study of the working principles of quantum dot based solar cells in the solid state (without liquid electrolytes), by following a standard procedure to prepare the corresponding devices in a reproducible and systematic way. Different samples have been prepared under different conditions and treatments to elucidate their effect on the performance of the devices, which were characterized using different optoelectronic techniques. Devices are prepared on basis to the typical depleted heterojunction configuration (Figura 1), which consists of a mesoporous electron transport layer (TiO2) deposited on a conductive glass (FTO), a PbS quandum dot layer and finally a metalic contact (Au) evaporated on the top. In order to reduce the number of short-circuited devices, a compact layer of TiO2 was included between the mesoporous TiO2 layer and the FTO. The nanostructured TiO2 electrode was functionalized with organic ligands, which promoted an improvement on the FF values and consequently, a significant increase of the device efficiency. Moreover, several parameters such as the amount of photoactive material, the significance of using a mesoporous layer of TiO2 or the effect of the nature of the inter-dot ligands, among others, were studied and optimized. After the realization of this work, we were able to prepare devices in a reliable and systematic manner with maximum efficiencies of 2,1%

Stability of thick brane configurations

Presented at the XXXI International Conference of Theoretical Physics, “Matter to the Deepest”, Ustroń, Poland, September 5–11, 2007.We study higher dimensional models with a cutoff Λ (lambda) and determine conditions under which brane configurations can be generated by dynamics at scales below Λ (lambda). Then we study the stability of these configurations

Process issues in alliance management: A panel discussion.

The purpose in this series of papers is to examine different perspectives on the evolution of the process of collaboration and the management challenges therein by focusing on a single case experience. The literature on alliance and collaboration has grown immensely in the last few years. Much attention has been given to the economic rationale for intermediate organizational forms, the so-called «swollen middle» (Hennart, 1993) that lies between market and hierarchical solutions, and to the conditions under which such structures are optimal (Hennart, 1988; Balakrishnan & Koza, 1993; Buckley and Casson, 1996). More recently, there has been a virtual explosion in the treatment of the managerial challenges involved in inter-firm collaboration, ranging from issues of negotiation and conflict resolution to the role of strategic intent or prior experience, as well as numerous attempts to conceptualize and measure that most ephemeral and over-abused concept, trust. The initial paper in the series introduces the specifics of the case on which our discussion is based, and presents a view on the role that perceptions of efficiency and equity between the partners within a relationship have on the evolution of their collaboration. As elaborated in the paper, efficiency perceptions refer to the partners' views on the potential for value creation within the alliance, relative to other organizational choices. Equity perceptions relate to the expected balance between the partners' relative costs and benefits in the alliance, that is, the potential for fairness in value appropriation. The paper starts by summarizing the facts of a failed international joint venture, and chronicles the process of its disintegration through a series of events in its 3-year history. The concepts of efficiency and equity are then defined and formalized. Next, the authors provide their own interpretation of the case data and propose a structure for the analysis of the inter-partner relationship. Finally, they offer a model of the evolution of collaboration that is driven by the maintenance of relational quality among the partners, including the accommodation of changes in both the business environment and the strategies of the partners over time. The three other papers in the series elaborate on this interpretation and bring a broader set of concerns derived from each author's own research trajectory. Since two of these were responsible for earlier models on which the initial case analysis was based, they have a unique opportunity to revisit their original thinking and reinterpret it in view of the facts presented. They take a more dynamic view and incorporate more recent theoretical insights from the management process literature to the collaborative process. The last paper ventures beyond the dyadic framework of the original analysis to examine the lessons that can be drawn for broader networks of collaborative alliances. A final section on conclusions summarizes the arguments and suggests where there may be convergence, as well as proposing new avenues for research.alliances; evolution process collaboration; management challenges;

The course of depression in late life: A longitudinal perspective

Depression in old age deserves special attention in view of the fact of progressive population ageing, because of the way in which depression and risk factors interact in this period of life and the particularly negative impact of late-life depression on health and quality of life. This editorial aims to provide some insight into longitudinal aspects of depression in old age. Depression may follow varying trajectories (e.g. episode emergence, recurrence) across the lifespan. Late-life depression is not an exception. A symptom-based approach is presented as an appropriate research method to study the predictors and course of affective syndromes in old age. Findings from our studies on depressive symptom trajectories in old age revealed that participants with a course of unremitting elevated symptoms showed the highest levels of loneliness across the trajectory groups and that participants with subclinical symptoms also showed higher levels of loneliness than their counterparts with a minimal-symptom course trajectory. This highlights the need to address loneliness as a way of dealing with depression in old age.This work was supported by the 5-year Ageing Trajectories of Health: Longitudinal Opportunities and Synergies (ATHLOS) project. The ATHLOS project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 635316; Instituto de Salud Carlos III-FIS under grant number PI16/00218; and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM)

El Cristo de la Humildad: una marcha de procesión inédita de Francisco Alonso López (1887-1948) para la Semana Santa de Granada

Holy Week in Granada began to take shape as we know it today in the last decades of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, despite having evidence dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Parallel to the evolution of the festivity, we find musical evidences that will develop in the same way until the end of the 19th century. However, it was not until well into the 20th century that we find composers, compositions and musical groups linked to this celebration. In this context, the composer of zarzuelas from Granada, Francisco Alonso López (1887-1948), gives us a musical sample with El Cristo de la Humildad, a processional march with saeta dedicated to the Jesus Christ sculpture of the recently founded brotherhood, which is probably the first composition for modern Holy Week in Granada.La Semana Santa en Granada comienza a configurarse como la conocemos hoy día a partir de las últimas décadas del siglo XIX y las primeras del siglo XX, a pesar tener testimonios desde los siglos XV y XVI. Paralelamente a la evolución de la festividad, encontramos manifestaciones musicales que se irán desarrollando del mismo modo hasta llegar a finales del siglo XIX. Sin embargo, no será hasta bien entrado el siglo XX cuando hallemos compositores, composiciones y formaciones musicales ligadas a esta celebración. En este contexto, el compositor de zarzuelas granadino Francisco Alonso López (1887-1948), nos aporta una muestra musical cofrade con El Cristo de la Humildad, una marcha de procesión con saeta dedicada al titular de la recién fundada cofradía que pasa, previsiblemente, por ser la primera composición para la Semana Santa granadina moderna

Informática forense: auditoría de seguridad

En este proyecto se muestra el proceso de realización de una auditoría de seguridad a una red empresarial para cumplir con la normativa establecida para los organismos oficiales del estado. Debido a que para la realización de la auditoría se debe contar con una red empresarial, también se realiza el diseño e implementación de la misma. Por lo tanto el presente proyecto consta de dos partes bien diferenciadas. En la primera parte del proyecto, se parte de una política establecida por una empresa para realizar el diseño de la red y su posterior implantación. A lo largo de la misma, se explican los diferentes procedimientos realizados para la toma de decisiones. Posteriormente, partiendo del diseño establecido se realiza la implementación de la red empresarial explicando los diferentes programas utilizados y las configuraciones utilizadas. De esta manera, se realiza la implementación de la red para la realización de la auditoría. Una vez se cuenta con la red empresarial, se procede a la realización de la auditoría. En ésta se realiza, tanto una revisión de la normativa que se aplica a los organismos oficiales del estado, como una revisión de la seguridad de la empresa, tanto de la seguridad física como de las posibles vulnerabilidades existentes en los diferentes equipos. Para la realización de esta auditoría se utilizan las herramientas actuales como son Kali™ o Metasploit . Por último, se presenta un informe en el que se resumen los diferentes incumplimientos de la normativa y su solución, así como, un resumen de las diferentes brechas de seguridad existentes en la empresa. Este informe sería el informe a presentar a la empresa tras la realización de la auditoría para que corrija sus problemas de seguridad.This project shows the process of a security audit to a business net to accomplish the fulfilment of the official security normative. Due to a network is needed to make a security audit, the design of the net and its implementation would also be done. Therefore, the project consists of two distinct parts. In the first part of the project, it begins from a policy established by the company to realize the design and implementation of the network. Along this part, the different procedures to take decisions are explained. Later, starting with the established design the implementation of the network is realized, showing the different programs and configurations used. In this way, the implementation of the net is done preparing it to the security audit. Once a business network have been design, it proceed to the security audit realization. On the security audit it realizes a normative revision and a business security revision, reviewing both physical security and possible vulnerabilities. For this realization some actual auditing tools will be used such as Kali™ or Metasploit . In the end, it presents a report where it resume the different violations of the normative and its solution, as well as, an abstract with the different security breaches that exist on the company. This report would be the one that will be given to the client company after the security audit, so it can solves its security breaches