Coordination, Cooperation, and Collaboration: Defining the C3 Framework

The term C3 refers to the framework of coordinative, cooperative and collaborative relationships within the realm of external supply chain partnerships. Each unique partnership offers both benefits and challenges within a supply chain and must be aligned with company and supply chain strategy in order to achieve maximum effectiveness. This paper aims to fill the current void in supply chain literature concerning C3 by defining each term based upon current supply chain research as well as give the most prevalent characteristics and differences between each “C” in this phase model. This research is then compared to the industry through a case study of a major international retailer. Finally, we propose a set of propositions that organizations can use to assess at what level their external relationships reside within the phase model as well as how companies move and evolve their relationships between the levels and what the trigger mechanisms are in this evolution

Development of an Instrument for the Assessment of Scenarios of Work 4.0 Based on Socio-Technical Criteria

The mechanical engineering and related industries are increasingly being dominated by information and communication technology, leading to the development of cyber-physical systems. However, these systems have to be seen from a broader angle, incorporating several other environmental factors such as the organizational structure or human factors. For this reason, the technology cannot be seen as solitary system, but should rather be included in the context of a scenario of work 4.0. These scenarios can help to classify new technologies, their advantages and constraints in order to provide guidance for the digital development of organizations. While several frameworks have been proposed in terms of technological guidance, most of them focus heavily on technology, neglecting their organizational- and human factors. In order to form a uniform understanding of the construct of industry 4.0, we developed an instrument for rating scenarios of work 4.0 on the relevant dimensions 'technology', 'human' and 'organization'. This paper describes the chosen relevant criteria including possible constraints we encountered. Future work on this topic will include the creation of profiles of scenarios of work 4.0, further validation of the criteria

Adhesion-mediated mechanosignaling forces mitohormesis.

Mitochondria control eukaryotic cell fate by producing the energy needed to support life and the signals required to execute programed cell death. The biochemical milieu is known to affect mitochondrial function and contribute to the dysfunctional mitochondrial phenotypes implicated in cancer and the morbidities of aging. However, the physical characteristics of the extracellular matrix are also altered in cancerous and aging tissues. Here, we demonstrate that cells sense the physical properties of the extracellular matrix and activate a mitochondrial stress response that adaptively tunes mitochondrial function via solute carrier family 9 member A1-dependent ion exchange and heat shock factor 1-dependent transcription. Overall, our data indicate that adhesion-mediated mechanosignaling may play an unappreciated role in the altered mitochondrial functions observed in aging and cancer