Explorative R&D collaboration: Searching for effective and efficient governance mechanisms.

Explorative R&D collaboration is an important alternative for the internal development of new technologies. The high failure rate of this type of inter-organizational collaboration, however, indicates that governing explorative R&D collaboration is not a straightforward task. Moreover, we argue that different theoretical perspectives have formulated contradictory advice of how to govern explorative R&D collaboration. Given high risks of opportunistic behavior and high coordination costs within explorative R&D collaboration, Transaction Cost Economics and Organization Theory emphasize the need for formal governance mechanisms. The innovation literature, however, stresses that formal governance mechanisms prohibit the carrying out of explorative activities which are necessary to develop new technologies. We also suggest two alternatives to address these paradoxical requirements. In specific, we argue that effective and efficient governance of explorative R&D collaboration can be achieved by 1) collecting second-hand information about potential partners, allowing for the substitution of formal governance by relational governance, and 2) combining formal and relational governance mechanisms. Based on these theoretical findings, we emphasize the importance of longitudinal, multi-level research to study the characteristics and dynamics of different governance mechanisms within inter-organizational collaboration.Behavior; Characteristics; Coordination; Cost; Costs; Dynamics; Economics; Governance; Information; Innovation; Organization theory; R&D; Requirements; Research; Risk; Studies; Substitution; Technology; Theory; Transaction cost;

Factors influencing direct costs dynamics of building projects - team members perception in Delta state, Nigeria

Inaccurate costs forecast of building projects is traceable to variation in direct and indirect costs caused by several factors. This study evaluates the severity of the impact of eighty factors responsible for direct costs  dynamics of building projects in Delta State, Nigeria. The objective is to compare consultants and contractors perception of the severity of the  factors on direct costs differential. A field survey of 85 contractors and 67 consultants was conducted with the aid of structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using mean score, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis  tests. The study concludes that consultants and contractors have similar  perception of the effect of the direct cost variation factors (p-values  between 0.365 and 0.930). Construction, resources, and performance  factors are the most significant of the groups (MS range = 3.66 to 4.33), though no significant variation among groups’ importance in the evaluation (p-values = 0.42 and 0.19). The study recommends that clients should  count on consultants and contractors for direct cost advice, provided they accommodate all the direct cost variation groups during cost advice, with priority on the leading factors of each group. Key words: Building projects, Consultants, Contractors, Cost dynamics, Direct costs

Інституційна складова ринку праці як фактор зниження трансакційних витрат в трансформаційній економіці

В статті досліджені інституційні механізми інфраструктури ринку праці, як визначального фактора зниження трансакційних витрат його суб’єктів; визначені основні тенденції та проблеми функціонування інститутів правового забезпечення, регулювання та контролю, посередництва та інформаційної підтримки ринку праці; виявлено вплив функціональних проблем цих інститутів на динаміку трансакційних витрат суб’єктів трудових відносин та запропоновано шляхи щодо їх вирішення.The article examines labor market infrastructure institutional mechanisms, which is the main factor of its subjects’ transactional costs reduction. Primary tendencies and functional problems of legal institutes of implementation, regulation and control are defined in the article, as well as the institutes of mediation and labor market informational support. The article reveals the functional problems influence of such institutes on the transactional costs dynamics, suggesting possible solutions

Resource and cost management

Educational lecture notes contains the fundamentals of a general theory of resource and cost management, classification of costs for decision-making, methods of constructing cost functions of the enterprise, analysis of the relationship between costs, volume and profits, the methods and systems of cost calculation, principles of cost management system. Designed for students directions 073 «Management» and 076 «Entrepreneurship, trade and exchange activity»

What Matters to Metros: Foundational Indicators for Economic Competitiveness

Foundational Indicators for Economic Competitiveness helps community leaders identify factors that are associated with economic growth in mid-sized U.S. metropolitan areas in a post-recession economy. This work builds upon six previous iterations (called the dashboard of economic indicators) and assesses the relationship of 55 variables to economic growth across four measures: per capita income, gross metropolitan product (GmP), productivity and employment, between 1990 and 2011.Results of the study indicate that growth is not a one-size-fits-all proposition for America's mid-sized metros. education and innovation remain highly associated with GmP, productivity and per capita income growth over the past two decades, but strong performance in those areas has been insufficient to restore jobs to many of our communities. Alternatively, many metro areas that have been successful in adding jobs, struggle to translate that growth into rising incomes. This research provides data that civic leaders can use to ask more strategic questions about how "growth" can be pursued, and to identify their own distinct approaches to get there

Specifics of the market of functional foods and food supplements

International processes and general trends in the pharmaceutical sector reflect on changes in the pharmaceutical market and on the user profile.The pharmaceutical industry is in a rapidly changing environment of healthcare reforms and government initiatives aimed at controlling costs. Dynamics are observed both in customers and in the industry as a whole. Some of the current trends that have the greatest impact on the industry are: globalization and consolidation, as well as technology.Due to overestimated health literacy, unequal and limited access to health and pharmaceutical care and services, as well as economic inequality and limitations, people are increasingly resorting to self-medication methods—mainly through over-the-counter drugs (the so-called OTC), food supplements, functional foods, herbal products. This also raises the question of risk management in their use.The aim of this article is to take into account the aspects influencing the market of OTC medicinal products, food supplements, and functional foods