Regional differences in technology : theory and empirics

The aim of this paper is, on the one hand, to give a review of several streams in the litera-ture which differ with respect to the extent they assume knowledge to spread over regions. On the other hand, this paper shows the extent to which these theories are supported empirically. The regional neoclassical growth model focuses on the immediate diffusion of technological knowledge. Alternative theories like cumulative causation and imperfect diffusion theories focus on the issue that technology gaps between regions will persist over time. Cumulative causation assumes that there exists no diffusion of knowledge, while imperfect diffusion theories assume that diffusion will take place, though slowly. These theoretical insights lead to several testable hypotheses on the presence and the development over time of regional technology gaps. This paper attempts to use a new set of data on R&D in the European Union to explore this field. Evidence from regional R&D statistics will be used to highlight differences in technological activity between the regions within the leading European economies. Also the factors that are proposedly related to the relative technological activity of a region are analysed, in addition to the long term implications of technology gaps.research and development ;

The Geographic Distribution of Patents and Value Added Across European

Until recently, the geographic element of concentrations of economic activity and knowledge spillovers was almost completely disregarded by economic theory. Although space is a central concept in theories in the field of geography, geographers have not attached great value to technology as a motivating factor for clustering of economic activity. A pooled market of skilled labour and the availability of nontraded inputs are considered much more important as factors that induce the clustering of firms (Krugman 1991). Several recent studies for the US (among others Jaffe, Trajtenberg and Henderson 1993, Audretsch and Feldman 1994, Feldman 1994) examined the extent to which innovative as well as economic activity clusters spatially. Until recently there were no data available for Europe on this issue. By means of a new data set, namely regional patent data for Europe, this paper will try to identify differences in geographic concentration in patents (as a proxy for innovation) and manufacturing value added over several industries. Several statistical techniques will be used to gather information on the spatial pattern of variation in patents and manufacturing value added across European regions.regional and urban economics ;

The Jatropha Biofuels Sector in Tanzania 2005-9: Evolution Towards Sustainability?

Biofuel production has recently attracted a great deal of attention. Some anticipate substantial social and environmental benefits, while at the same time expecting sound profitability for investors. Others are more doubtful, envisaging large trade-offs between the pursuit of social, environmental and economic objectives, particularly in poor countries in the tropics. The paper explores these issues in Tanzania, which is a forerunner in Africa in the cultivation of a bio-oil shrub called Jatropha curcas L. We trace how isolated Jatropha biofuel experiments developed since their inception in early 2005 towards a fully fledged sectoral production and innovation system; and investigate to what extent that system has been capable of developing ànd maintaining sustainable practices and producing sustainable outcomes. The application of evolutionary economic theory allows us to view the development processes in the sector as a result of evolutionary variation and selection on the one hand, and revolutionary contestation between different coalitions of stakeholders on the other. Both these processes constitute significant engines of change in the sector. While variation and selection is driven predominantly by localised learning, the conflict-driven dynamics are highly globalised. The sector is found to have moved some way towards a full sectoral innovation and production system, but it is impossible to predict whether a viable sector with a strong “triple bottom line” orientation will ultimate emerge, since many issues surrounding the social, environmental and financial sustainability still remain unresolved.biofuels, evolutionary theory, innovation systems, sustainability, stakeholder conflict, learning, Tanzania.

Formación profesional : revista europea

Los nuevos modelos incorporados a la enseñanza superior basados en el desarrollo de capacidades en lugar de la reproducción de conocimientos, ponen de relieve la importancia de la aplicación del conocimiento y del desarrollo de competencias. Las universidades buscan posibilidades para ofrecer a su alumnado materiales didácticos orientados al desarrollo de competencias sin sobrecargar la labor evaluadora del profesorado. Se describe un ejemplo práctico de un curso de marketing diseñado por la Facultad de Ciencias de la Gestión de la Universidad Abierta de los Países Bajos.LU

How perceptual differences between leaders and followers affect the resilience-workability relationship

Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory and its notion of resource passageways, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between resilience and workability, and particularly the extent in which this relationship is buffered or strengthened by differences in perception between leaders and employees about the degree in which a certain influence tactic (pressure or rational persuasion) is used. To this end, this study uses a two-wave time-lagged survey design with a multi-sourced sample of 146 leader-follower dyads. Findings indicate that leader-follower perceptual differences about the use of pressure as an influence tactic buffers the positive resilience-workability relationship of followers. No evidence was found of a similar effect with respect to rational persuasion as an influence tactic

Employee resilience: considering both the social side and the economic side of leader-follower exchanges in conjunction with the dark side of followers’ personality

The aim of this study is to propose and empirically test theorizing on the alignment of social and economic leader-member (SLMX and ELMX) approaches for employee resilience. Additionally, we explore a new approach to LMX relationships that views follower narcissism as a trait that is adaptive in certain contexts. The findings of our polynomial regression analysis with surface response analysis indicate that for LMX to optimally contribute to employee resilience, SLMX needs to dominate over ELMX. However, for narcissistic followers, employee resilience is strongest at both the low SLMX-low ELMX end of the spectrum and at the high SLMX-high ELMX end of the spectrum, thus questioning the usefulness of an average or imbalanced shaping of LMX for narcissists’ thriving in a dynamic organizational environment. Our findings imply that by developing and nurturing reciprocal trust-based long-term relations with their followers, leaders can strengthen employee resilience. When being confronted with narcissistic followers, leaders need to either embrace an ambidextrous approach additionally emphasizing the transactional nature of the relationship, or a laissez-faire approach to foster employees’ effective dealing with change and setbacks at work