bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovation in the Business Sector: Where There's a Will There's a Way. Managers’ Perception of Science and R&D and Firms’ Engagement in Innovation
Authors: Rey-Rocha Jesús , González-Bravo M. Isabel , López-Navarro Irene
Published: June 2021

This research considers the hypothesis that firms’ propensity to undertake innovation activities is linked to variables related to their perception of science, their appraisal of the benefits and risks of R&D investing, and their attitude towards the role science plays within the firm, besides their economic and structural characteristics. We explore an empirical approach to studying the implications of managers’ perceptions and attitudes towards science and R&D on firms’ engagement in innovation. Research is based on the survey ‘Scientific culture, perception and attitudes towards science and innovation in the business sector’. Results evidence that corporate innovation decisions are not just a matter of money, and confirms the combined effect of a firm’s economic characteristics and perception of science on innovation engagement. Results confirm that managers’ attitude towards science and R&D is related to firms’ commitment to innovation, suggesting that their attitudes and behaviour in relation to science and investment in R&D should be given a more prominent role in S&T and innovation studies and in developing models of innovation in the future. This study provides some important implications for the management of innovation in the business sector. It stresses that innovation is related with managers having a perception of science and R&D that paves the way for the allocation of a firm’s resources to activities oriented towards knowledge generation and innovation. The results obtained here are still important regarding the way to address possible initiatives aimed at encouraging innovation in the business sector.
Measuring reciprocity: Double sampling, concordance, and network construction
Authors: Ready Elspeth , Power Eleanor A.
Published: June 2021

Reciprocity—the mutual provisioning of support/goods—is a pervasive feature of social life. Di- rected networks provide a way to examine the structure of reciprocity in a community. However, measuring social networks involves assumptions about what relationships matter and how to elicit them, which may impact observed reciprocity. In particular, the practice of aggregating multiple sources of data on the same relationship (e.g., “double-sampled” data, where both the “giver” and “re- ceiver” are asked to report on their relationship) may have pronounced impacts on network structure. To investigate these issues, we examine concordance (ties reported by both parties) and reciprocity in a set of directed, double-sampled social support networks. We find low concordance in people’s responses. Taking either the union (including any reported ties) or the intersection (including only concordant ties) of double-sampled relationships results in dramatically higher levels of reciprocity. Using multilevel exponential random graph models of social support networks from 75 villages in India, we show that these changes cannot be fully explained by the changes in density resulting from aggregation. Respondents’ tendency to name the same people as both givers and receivers of support plays an important role, but this tendency varies across contexts and relationships type. We argue that no single method of aggregation should necessarily be seen as the “correct” choice for aggregation of multiple sources of data on a single relationship type. Methods of aggregation should depend on the research question, the context, and the relationship in question.
Decolonizing the single mentality approach to solving underdevelopment and rural poverty in the Global South: A Book Review
Authors: Quarshie Philip Tetteh
Published: June 2021

What is the best way to tackle global poverty and underdevelopment? How much confidence should we put into the free market and democracy for the poor? This book review decolonizes the single mentality approach to addressing global challenges such as poverty and underdevelopment in developing nations.
مَدى الْتِزام شِرِكَةِ التّكافل الفِلسْطينيّة للتّأمين بِتَطبيقِ التّأمين التّكافلي الإسْلامي وَدَوْرُ هَيْئِة الرَّقابَةِ الشّرعيَّة في ذلك- دِراسَةٌ تحْليليَّةٌ تقْويميَّةٌ
Authors: محمد شندي إسماعيل
Published: June 2021

هدف البحث الحالي إلى بيان مدى التزام شركة التّكافل الفلسطينية للتّأمين بتطبيق التّأمين التّكافلي الإسلامي، وبيان دور هيئة الرّقابة الشرعية في ذلك، وقد انبنى من ثلاثة مباحث وخاتمة، كان المبحث الأول في التعريف بشركة التّكافل الفلسطينية للتّأمين والتّأمين التّكافلي الإسلامي، والثاني في بيان مدى التزام شركة التّكافل الفلسطينية للتّأمين بتطبيق التّأمين التّكافلي الإسلامي، والثالث في بيان دور هيئة الرّقابة الشرعية في شركة التّكافل الفلسطينية للتّأمين في التزام الشركة بتطبيق التّأمين التّكافلي الإسلامي. وفي سبيل معالجة هذه المباحث والوصول إلى النتائج المرجوّة استخدم الباحث المنهج الوصفيَّ التحليلي، القائم على دراسة وتحليل الوثائق وعقود التّأسيس والتقارير السنوية والنشرات والنماذج والإجراءات المختلفة. وقد خلص البحث إلى جملة من النتائج لعلَّ أبرزها أن شركة التّكافل الفلسطينية للتّأمين تلتزم بتطبيق التّأمين التّكافلي الإسلامي، ولهيئة الرّقابة الشرعية في الشركة دور مهمٌّ في مراقبة ومتابعة كلّ ما يحصل في داخل الشركة للتّأكد من انسجامه مع أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية الغرّاء.
الليبرالية الإسلامية في سنغافورة دراسة تطبيقية واقعية
Authors: سعيد بني عبد الرحمن رائد , حفيظ الدين بن خميس محمد
Published: June 2021

يهدف البحث إلى بيان مفهوم الليبرالية الإسلامية عند المجتمع السنغافوري، من خلال الكشف عن حقيقتها والأسباب التي أدت إلى ظهورها، وبيان آثارها في المجتمع، وكذلك بيان أسباب الفساد لهذه الفكرة، وذكر موقف الحكومة والمجالس الدينية والفتاوى منها. وتتجه الدراسة نحو الاعتماد على المنهج الوثائقي المقارن، والمنهج التحليلي. وخلصت الدراسة إلى أن الليبرالية الإسلامية لها مفهوم خاص في سنغافورة، وهي فكرة فاسدة عند عرضها على العقيدة الإسلامية، والشريعة، والأخلاق، لكنها مقبولة عند الحكومة السنغافورية؛ مما ساعد على انتشارها في المجتمع.
Sukuk İhraçlarına Yeni Bir Dayanak Varlık Önerisi Olarak Elektronik Ürün Senetleri (ELÜS)
Authors: KAZANCI Fatih
Published: June 2021

Türkiye’de ve dünyada Sukuk ihraç işlemlerinin geçmişi çok kısa bir döneme yayılmıştır. Bu süreç içerisinde sukuklar pek çok çeşitli dayanak varlığa dayalı olarak ihraç edilegelmişlerdir. Alt yapı projeleri, mal alım satımı, duran varlıklar, kullanım hakkı sahipliği vb. yapılar dayanak varlıklar olarak kullanılmaktadır. Tarıma dayalı varlıklar kullanılarak ihraç edilen sukuklar ise oldukça kısıtlıdır. Son yıllarda tarım ürünleri, Lisanslı Depo İşletmelerinde depolanarak karşılığında depolanan ürünü temsil eden Elektronik Ürün Senetleri (ELÜS) adı verilen sertifikalar ihraç edilmektedir. Bu sertifikaların dayanak varlık olarak kullanımı sayesinde hem sukuk ihraçlarına yeni bir dayanak varlık kazandırılacak hem de ELÜS’lerin kullanım alanının genişlemesine katkı sağlanacaktır. Makalede dayanak varlık olarak ELÜS kullanılarak, hem varlığa dayalı hem de varlık temelli dört farklı sukuk ihraç yöntemi modellenmiştir.
İdeal Devletten İmkânsız Devlete: İslam İktisadında Devlet Düşüncesi
Authors: YILMAZ İsa , ATEŞ Burak , SOYLU Merve
Published: June 2021

Bu çalışma Wael B. Hallaq’ın İmkânsız Devlet adlı eserinden yola çıkarak İslam iktisadı literatürüne önemli katkılarda bulunmuş kurucu figürlerin devlet-piyasa ilişkilerinde devlete atfettikleri role dair mukayeseli bir değerlendirme sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Hallaq’ın görüşlerinin esas alınmasının ardında kendisinin oryantalist bir bakış açısının ötesinde şeriat, ahlak ve piyasa ilişkilerine dair devletin rolünü de dahil eden özgün bir yaklaşım sunması yatmaktadır. Mevcut literatürde, İslam iktisadının kurucu figürlerinin devlete dair yaklaşımları da ele alındığında, İslam ve devlet daha çok soyut düzlemde ve ideal olumlu çağrışımlarıyla ele alındığı için bu çalışma İslam iktisadına dair çalışmalarda modern devletin yapısını sorgulamaksızın özgün bir iktisadi alternatiften bahsedilemeyeceğini iddia etmektedir.
The Critical View Of Safety : Une Attitude Pour Prévenir L’erreur D’identification Dans Les Cholécystectomies Laparoscopiques.
Authors: Tidjane Anisse , Boudjenan-Serradj Nabil , ikhlef Nacim , benmaarouf noureddine , Tabeti Benali
Published: June 2021

Résumé: Avec la généralisation de la cholécystectomie laparoscopique, l’incidence des traumatismes opératoires des voies biliaires a augmentée de façon significative. La perte de la sensation haptique, la vision bidimensionnelle, et l’éclairage centré favorisent l’illusion aboutissant à des erreurs d’identifications, où le chirurgien confond voie biliaire principale et canal cystique. Ce phénomène explique l’augmentation des traumatismes biliaires à l’ère de la laparoscopie.Récemment, et grâce aux recommandations des sociétés savantes comme la SAGES sur les bonnes pratiques chirurgicales, l’incidence de ces traumatismes est en régression et tend a rejoindre celle décrite à l’ère de la chirurgie ouverte. Parmi ses recommandations, la SAGES met l’accent sur l’adoption par tous les chirurgiens de la « Critical View of Safety » durant la réalisation de la cholécystectomie par voie laparoscopique. L’objectif de cette mise au point est de décrire cette attitude, mais surtout analyser son efficacité et ses limites dans la prévention des traumatismes opératoires des voies biliaires.Abstract:With the generalization of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the incidence of operative bile ducts injury has increased significantly, the loss of haptic sensation, the two-dimensional vision, and the centered lighting favor the illusion leading to misidentifications, as consequences the surgeon confuses the main bile duct and the cystic duct. This phenomenon explains this increase in the incidence of bile duct injuries in the era of laparoscopy.Recently, and thanks to the recommendations of some learned societies such as SAGES on good surgical practices, the incidence of these complications is declining and tends to join that described in the era of open surgery. Among its many recommendations, SAGES recommends the adoption by all surgeons of the “Critical View of Safety” during the performance of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, an attitude that we will describe, and analyze its effectiveness and its limits in prevention of operative bile ducts injury.
Poverty and development
Authors: Churchman C. West
Published: June 2021

The paper discusses the need to combine development planning and one of its antithetical opposites: poverty.
The management of structural adjustment and macroeconomic reform in Vietnam
Authors: Griffin Keith
Published: June 2021

Vietnam has been remarkably successful in managing structural adjustment and macroeconomic reform. As a result, it has achieved very rapid economic growth during the present decade without, apparently, a substantial increase in inequality. All sectors of the economy have grown rapidly and yet there has been dramatic structural change. This growth and structural change, according to official data, have occurred despite a relatively low rate of investment. Our analysis suggests, however, that savings and investment have been understated, that actual output is higher than the national accounts data indicate and that growth is even faster than the official figures suggest. These results are a consequence of the nature and sequencing of the policy reforms that were introduced from the 1980s onwards.
Who or what is a development manager?
Authors: Clarke Ron
Published: June 2021

Although ill-defined, the term “development management” is broadly understood to refer to the management of economic and social development, and the reduction of poverty, at various levels from macro to micro, in lower income countries. “Development management” pre-supposes “development managers”, but this term is even less well defined. Popular perceptions suggest that the concept is less easily applied at the macro level, but more readily at the micro, and also more to someone who is development-minded than someone whose job is to manage or implement development policies and processes, although the two can overlap. This perception – and its implications for management training – is followed through to suggest a profile of a development manager as someone who is forward-thinking, people-oriented, resourceful, flexible in his or her approach to means of achieving objectives, and morally committed.
Multiple criteria decision making: eight concepts of optimality1
Authors: Zeleny Milan
Published: June 2021

Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is firmly rooted in an alternative concept of optimality where multiple (rather than single) criteria characterize the notion of “the best” (or optimal), as is prevalent in the areas of economics, engineering, management and business. These are often constrained problems where search for an optimal solution requires some form of evaluating criteria performance tradeoffs. Because there are no tradeoffs along a single criterion, optimality is an essentially multi-criteria concept. In this paper we extend and develop the notion of optimum as a balance among multiple criteria. We introduce eight different, separate and mutually irreducible optimality concepts in a classification scheme where the traditional single-objective optimality is only a special case. These eight optimality concepts provide a useful initiatory framework for the future MCDM research and applications.
Global outsourcing and its managerial implications
Authors: Chen Qiyang , Lin Binshan
Published: June 2021

Our purpose in the paper is to provide a concrete framework to help managers rethink about global outsourcing and focus on how to manage the alliances to ensure its success in the global market. This paper discusses the driving factors for the global outsourcing and the opportunities exposed to information technology and information systems (IT/IS) society. Major issues that a developing country may face for improving its environment to be a bidding candidate in global outsourcing business are explored and strategies are suggested as well.
Globalization, competition and collective decision
Authors: Oral Muhittin , Kettani Ossama , Poulin Diane
Published: June 2021

This paper offers some reflections on the dynamics of globalization, competition, networking and collective decision making in relation with human systems in general and with collective decision making in particular. Globalization and competition are closely connected to one another and their interaction fosters worldwide networking among companies, organizations, and governments. This considerably changes and influences the nature of group dynamics of stakeholders and the interrelationships among themselves. The most important of all is the way decisions are made. What is needed most now is a process of consensual decision making in order to reflect the values and interests of all those stakeholders who are involved in, implicated or affected by such a process. Although the interaction between globalization, competition, and networking will be discussed in some detail, the emphasis will be on collective and consensual decision making. The paper concludes by suggesting a framework for a research agenda.
Innovation with imported technology in a dynamic global economy: the case of Korean industry
Authors: Kim Youn-Suk , Jung Yongseung
Published: June 2021

With more international trade, business, and technology, the World Trade Organization will promote the world economy toward globalized markets, more consolidation and greater efficiency in production. That is, national boundaries signify much less than they used to in terms of the flow of technology. Having the changing position of technology policy in Japan and the United States, Korea has to comply with the new situation of global economy, reformulate its technology policy, and promote its technological collaboration with the United States. In the era of global competition, Korea can no longer rely on technology and R&D imports. It has to evolve its own R&D institutions, reformulate its technology policy and re-engineer its corporations. In Korea, the government has deliberately and directly undertaken a very active policy towards creating a climate conducive to enhancing science and technology for catching-up high technology. This paper examines the ways in which Korea’s industrial innovation has been undertaken from imported technology. Korea with a modern educational system and a strong internal scientific and engineering community, can promote its own technological innovation complemented by technological transfer. As a medium-level-tech country, Korea might actively involve US investment as a partner so as to facilitate joint ventures of R&D and production.
Sustainable development: framework for a General Theory
Authors: Hiwaki Kensei
Published: June 2021

This article deals with a theoretical framework for sustainable development. We define sustainable development as a balanced socioeconomic development compatible with environmental conservation. To begin with, we argue against the short-run macroeconomics. We also take issue with the classical paradigm of development consisting of Self-Interest and Invisible Hand. We, then, elaborate on our value premises consisting of basic assumptions and general features relevant to a new paradigm for sustainable development. Finally, we describe the mathematical characteristics of long-run variables, society–economy interactions, continuous development, and so on.
Process knowledge bases: understanding processes through cause and effect thinking
Authors: Dooley Kevin J. , Skilton Paul F. , Anderson John C.
Published: June 2021

Organizations and individuals can benefit from the ability to reason about the causal relationships that lie behind the products and processes they manage. Cause and effect thinking helps individuals understand what they observe and predict the outcomes of their actions. This paper discusses the characteristics of a process knowledge base, a special type of information system that facilitates effective decision making through the application of models that capture the causal structure of the process. In doing so, they also capture how the various structural elements of the process relate to one another, and how the activities constituting the process are sequenced over time. The purpose of the paper is to define this particular class of computer information systems so as to focus attention in both research and practice. We will operationally define what is meant by the term “process knowledge base”, and discuss the different sources of knowledge that can contribute to the development of a process knowledge base. A scheme for representing process cause and effect is given, and we summarize how the use of a process knowledge base can effect both individual and organizational learning.
Markets, hierarchies, networks, districts: A cybernetic approach
Authors: Biggiero Lucio
Published: June 2021

IDs are regional hyper-networks that survived the socioeconomic evolution of modern capitalism. They also promise to succeed in the coming post-Fordist development. Italian experience has shown that industrial districts are highly important, perform successfully, and are increasing their survival rates. Beyond definition problems, they are multi-dimensional, complex, and adaptive systems. They can be replicated elsewhere and, regardless of the contingent triggering factors, can grow and change their early imprinting features. Cybernetics offers a sound theoretical basis for understanding the key concepts and redirecting industrial policy interventions.
Evolutionary patterns of Italian industrial districts
Authors: Corò Giancarlo , Grandinetti Roberto
Published: June 2021

This paper describes the results of a survey that was carried out in nineteen industrial districts in Italy. The data collected clearly show that the districts examined are undergoing a period of transition towards configurations that diverge from the neo-Marshallian model. In the past, industrial districts functioned as rather closed local networks whose only points of contact outside their confines were established at the extremities of the district system of value. This closure to the outside environment has certainly not inhibited, until the last years, the competitive advantage of the industrial districts or the firms that operate inside them. Today, on the other hand, the competitiveness of closed local networks has to meet the increasing level of globalization in the economy. The key transformation observed in all the districts included in the survey is the opening-up of the local system of value that goes beyond the mere acquisition of raw materials or the sale of goods. In other words, the districts are relating more and more with external holders of knowledge and resources, transforming a relatively closed system of exchange at local level into something rather different.
Industrial districts and local governance in the Italian experience
Authors: Mistri Maurizio
Published: June 2021

This paper focuses on the problem of the governance of industrial districts in Italy. The analysis begins with an assessment of the dynamic processes that characterize the development of industrial districts, particularly as concerns the elements of a cultural nature. The relationship between local political attitudes and forms of local growth is considered, generally revealing how in the various practical examples there is a convergence between models of political behavior and the needs of the system of small enterprises. The paper ends with a brief discussion of the law 317/91, designed to establish the responsibilities and roles of the industrial districts.
The performance of IDs. Some insights from the Italian case
Authors: Paniccia Ivana
Published: June 2021

Behind the term ID, extensively used in various disciplinary fields, different organizational arrangements and firms’ endowment can be recognized. However, the attempts to offer a sound measurement of their performance on a comparative basis are still few. This paper explores the conundrums of defining and measuring the performance of IDs, taken, in general terms, as complex socio-economic systems, as meso-organization between the firm and the industry. The discussion is based on a first attempt to measure the performance as well as the socio-economic structure of 24 Italian local/subprovincial areas. Performance is then related to the structural factors that literature has highlighted. The results show how a large variety of institutional arrangements in Italian IDs is combined with a positive social or economic performance. New organizational forms, such as larger firms, networks, or constellation of firms may as well generate external economies for the local environment.
Path-dependency vs. industrial dynamics: an analysis of two heterogeneous districts
Authors: Belussi Fiorenza
Published: June 2021

This paper studies the genesis and growth of two Italian industrial districts specialised in leather upholstered furniture. The first is of recent formation and is located on the border between two regions, Basilicata and Puglia, in the South of Italy. The second, which began during 1970s, is based in Emilia–Romagna in the area around Forlì. Both are specialised in upholstered furniture: sofas, armchairs, and others small items related to these products. The Forlì case resemble the typical Marshallian district, where, over time, a local system of small-specialised producers has formed. The case of Forlì represents a typical path dependent process. Here, a certain industrial structure, once favourable conditions has allowed it to emerge, has tended to reproduce itself, following over time the same pattern of interactions. Low levels of learning among firms is found. They use the local knowledge, historically produced within the area with little absorption and elaboration of external knowledge. On the contrary, the case of Matera–Altamura–Santeramo represents a quite new agglomeration in a rapidly growing industrial network, made up of large and medium size units, in which firms have activated a process of creation of new contextual (and localised) technical knowledge. Here local firms show a notable propensity toward generative learning (new knowledge is absorbed from the outside and combined with the existing local knowledge). Obviously, not all firms in the district are innovative, but a few of them are (particularly certain dominant final firms that head large production networks). While agent proximity favours imitative behaviours, over time, the propagation of knowledge in Forlì has socialised craft-based skills. In contrast, in Matera–Altamura–Santeramo, the existence of a Schumpeterian-driven process, has accelerated the diffusion of new knowledge, stressing the dynamics of an endogenous growth process internally generated by knowledgeable entrepreneurs. A thick network of hierarchical firms has worked as an accelerator of technical change.
The procurement process in the Virtual Vertical Enterprise scenario: the point of view of Large Enterprises
Authors: Santoro Roberto
Published: June 2021

The extraordinary development of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) allows for innovative relationships among enterprises, organised in extended networks and regardless of their location. In this scenario, Large Enterprises can re-organise their traditional supply chains (generally formed by Small and Medium Enterprises) according to VIrtual Vertical Enterprise concepts and methodology, in order to obtain: (1) better control of subcontractors activities; (2) cost and delivery time reduction; (3) decrease of subcontractors number.
PLENT: A European Project on SME co-operation
Authors: Mezgár István , Kovács George L.
Published: June 2021

Today enterprises expand their activities and co-operate with each other in order to adapt their production to the fast changing market environment. The different forms of co-operation need new management approaches from the individual enterprises, to co-ordinate the work of the different manufacturing organisations. A new, co-operative manufacturing network model is proposed for co-ordinating the production of SMEs, based on the holonic paradigm. The model has been developed in the frame of an ESPRIT Project by four countries. The paper shortly describes the main modules of the model and introduces an application under realisation in Hungary, in an agricultural SME network.
Transportation management in distributed enterprises
Authors: Hasle Geir
Published: June 2021

The recent trend towards globalisation, with a tendency towards geographical distribution of manufacturing in distributed enterprises, has generally increased the complexity of transportation management. Other driving forces towards higher complexity in transportation logistics are the implementation of Just-In-Time principles, the explosion of Internet trade (including home shopping), a strengthening of environmental concerns, and the implementation of new legislation. Moreover, there is higher emphasis on customer service, timeliness, reactivity, and efficiency in the transportation function. We may safely conclude that there is a need for highly optimised transportation management practices at the strategic, tactical and operational control levels. Today, lack of planning and co-ordination is the cause of excess travel for commercial vehicles, with detrimental effects on economy and the environment. In distributed enterprises, these tasks (if supported at all) typically use isolated IT tools that cannot address the full problem, fail to address important constraints, cannot balance partially conflicting objectives, do not react to dynamics, and, cannot interact with the user in a timely and meaningful way. Recent advances in Information and Communication Technologies have enabled us to remedy these shortcomings. As a point in case, the GreenTrip Esprit project has developed a rapidly re-configurable, generic software tool for optimised transportation management. With GreenTrip as an illustration, this paper will describe state-of-the-art decision-support tools in transportation logistics, their underpinning technologies, and their possible impacts on business.
Distributed Enterprise from the supplier point of view on the example of WSM Krotoszyn
Authors: Białek Zdzisław , Gruszka Józef , Karolczak Tadeusz , Koch Tomasz
Published: June 2021

This paper addresses the methods, techniques and co-operation rules employed by the company WSM in its relations with its customers, in the frame of a distributed enterprise. These issues are mainly emphasised on an example of co-operation between WSM and Volvo. The MPS-95 system (Material Planning System 95) is presented and compared to previous co-operation rules between a supplier and a customer. The paper describes also systems for evaluation and analysis of the suppliers as well as training systems. The main attention will be focussed on the communication system in the frame of a distributed enterprise with its technical aspects on the example of Volvo’s EDI system.
An example of a shop-floor control system application in a Polish manufacturing company
Authors: Chrobot Jaroslaw , Klukowski Andrzej , Koch Jan , Rakowski Jaroslaw , Smalec Zbigniew , Weiner Markus
Published: June 2021

This paper describes the motivation and requirements as well as the experience gained when introducing an adaptable Shop Floor Control system (SFC) in a Polish manufacturing company of the mechanics industry. The system was developed within the COPERNICUS project No. CP94-337 – “Adaptable Low Cost Shop-Floor Control System”. In the first part of the paper (Sections 2 and 3), the situation of a company from Central and Eastern Europe, which is subject to technical and organisational restructuring process, is shown on the example of the PZL HYDRAL S.A. company located in Wroclaw (Poland). The second part of the paper (Section 4) presents the function range and application field of SFC systems and their co-operation within the company’s information flow. In the last part of the paper (Sections 5 and 6), features of the developed system as well as the preparations for its implementation in one of the PZL HYDRAL S.A. company’s production departments are described.
Communication systems in manufacturing and their role in automation
Authors: Koch Jan , Smalec Zbigniew , Reiner Jacek , Skura Krzysztof
Published: June 2021

Nowadays, there is a trend to extend the requirements for manufacturing systems. It is caused by the increasing needs for manufacturing flexibility and series time reduction as well as by the possibility of production variety and reduction of production and installation costs. Therefore, today it is necessary not only to introduce the most modern electronic controllers and information technology but also industrial communication systems. This paper presents typical application fields of different communication solutions such as Fieldbus networks for the sensors level and executive parts, I/O distributed modules and distributed control and communication for devices at the cell level. It also focuses on industrial (i.e., MAP3.0/MMS, Industrial Ethernet) and office communication standards. Finally, it describes a project carried out at the Institute of Production Engineering & Automation at Wrocław University of Technology that deals with an application of communication systems in manufacturing.
Mobile robots in industrial environments
Authors: Batlle J. , Ridao P.
Published: June 2021

It is known that mobile robot applications have a preponderant role in industrial and social environments and, more specifically, helping human beings in carrying out difficult tasks in hostile environments. From teleoperated systems to autonomous robots, there is a wide variety of possibilities requiring a high technological level. Many concepts such as perception, manipulator design, grasping, dynamic control, etc. are involved in the field of industrial mobile robots. In this context, human–robot interaction is one of the most widely studied topics over the last few years together with computer vision techniques and virtual reality tools. In all these technical fields, a common goal is pursued, i.e., robots to come closer to human skills. In this paper, first some important research projects and contributions on mobile robots in industrial environments are overviewed. Second, a proposal for classification of mobile robot architectures is described. Third, results achieved in two specific application areas of mobile robotics are reported. The first is related to the tele-operation of a mobile robot called ROGER by means of a TCP/IP network. The control system of the robot is built up as a distributed system, using distributed object oriented software, CORBA compatible. The second is related to the teleoperation of an underwater robot called GARBI. (Research project co-ordinated with the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Prof. Josep Amat) and financed by the Spanish Government.) The utility of this kind of prototype is demonstrated in tasks such as welding applications in underwater environments, inspection of dammed walls, etc. Finally, an industrial project involving the use of intelligent autonomous robots is presented showing how the experience gained in robotics has been applied.
Managing the organizational aspects of electronic commerce
Authors: Wang Shouhong
Published: June 2021

Electronic commerce should be viewed less as a phenomenon of business on-line and more as a challenge of organization redesign. Five general leading approaches to organization design are examined from the perspective of electronic commerce. A quasi-general organization design approach is proposed specifically for electronic commerce projects. The proposed approach emphasizes the organizational support for the electronic commerce strategy identification, network organization design, task design, and reward system design in the electronic commerce age.
Structured Total systems Intervention systemic multi-MEthodology of VIable Systems and metasystems (STIMEVIS)
Authors: Assimakopoulos Nikitas A.
Published: June 2021

In this paper we present the Viable System Model (VSM) of Beer by examining its effectiveness in practice using a different and structured design. In order to support better viable systems, we deliver briefly our Problem Structuring Methodology (PSM) in strategic and procedure level. The conceptual environment of VSM within PSM will be presented as a systemic multi-methodology called “STIMEVIS” using the principles of Total Systems Intervention (TSI) methodology. In the new viable and operational system we analyse organisational structures in strategic and procedure level where control and meta-control systems are used for decision and meta-decision making. For this methodology, we present a real application for an Internet Service Provider. Finally, we give our personal aspects for Total Viable Development including Human Development.
Networking, strategic positioning and creative knowledge in industrial districts
Authors: Pilotti Luciano
Published: June 2021

This work is the last part of a unitary framework of analysis, the first part of which was published in HSM, Special Issue, Vol. 18, No. 2. The principal aim of the analysis is the pattern of transformation of local production systems. They are discussed as a complex institutional form of the division of labour and knowledge between firms by means of institutions and meta-organisers as actors of a post-Fordist local economy. A specific production system is defined as a peculiar governance form of interrelations, mediated by cognitive resources such as internal/external competencies of a population of firms localised in a sharing context. In this way there emerges a process of internalisation of competencies through evolutionary networking in which efficiency is not simply an output but a fundamental input for both growth and innovation. Our aim is to describe the peculiarity of the institutional networking system in the Italian case of Northeast industrial districts, assuming that a specific industrial economy evolves on the basis of differentiated learning capacities according to a complex system of economic and social relations, encouraging the circulation of useful knowledge and information for the economic enlargement based on industrial leadership and firm networks: they form a complex and dynamic Multilevel Neural Network. Two main types of district emerge: the evolutionary district (e.g., Montebelluna, specialised in ski-boot production) and non evolutionary static and adaptive districts (e.g., Maniago, specialised in knife production), where we find limited leadership and limited division of labour between firms.
Emerging patterns of teleworking in Singapore
Authors: Endeshaw Assafa , Tung Lai-Lai
Published: June 2021

This study seeks to establish the general trend in telecommuting in Singapore. Results indicated that the highly rated reasons cited for telecommuting are often practical ones such as that it is a better form of working and enables higher work productivity, while social reasons such as taking care of one's dependants figure on a lower level. In addition, while telecommuters enjoy certain benefits, they do not do so without having to bear certain costs. This study also found that accountants/auditors in general reported to their supervisors more frequently than insurance agents and information consultants. The higher levels of reporting indicate that the former is more regulated and controlled than the latter.
Industry foresight with intelligent agents
Authors: Walden Pirkko , Carlsson Christer , Liu Shuhua
Published: June 2021

Modern time managers have access to many more data sources than managers of earlier times, and better instruments and resources to deal with large amounts of data. In principle, this means that they have a better command of facts and should be able to work out better assessments of their business environment. In reality, however, information overflow and problems with the quality and reliability of information complicate the picture. We have a support system with intelligent agents to help managers conduct constantly active scanning and interpretation activities with hundreds of data sources. The system was built on a Java platform and has been enhanced and developed in several versions. The first implementation was at the Alko Group (the producers of the Finlandia vodka). The system is expected to provide mangers with a broad and comprehensive first approximation of environmental trends and events as needed, and will help them extract useful information from large volumes of data. (Originally presented at the ISDSS’99 Conference, Melbourne, July 19–22, 1999.)
Information Systems Project in China: action research and soft systems methodology
Authors: Bell Simon , Coleman Gilroy , Guo Jian Qiang , Sewell Martin
Published: June 2021

Developing Information Systems is a process fraught with danger and often resulting in failure. Failure rates now run at 80% and there is no sign of decline [16,17,18,20,21,30,31,35,36,40]. If Information Systems (IS) projects are high risk even in industrialised societies, then projects in developing countries and newly emerging economies are even more prone to failure. Putting IS projects together with the developing economies would appear to be a recipe for disaster but this paper describes an IS project developed between the UK and China which has got to beta testing stage and shows early signs of success. The paper describes the process whereby the project was developed, the methodology applied and the problems and difficulties encountered. Taking as its point of reference the autumn 1999 review mission, the paper describes the situation for the Feasibility and Appraisal Information System (FAIS) at that time and draws out some policy and methodology learning issues relevant to others planning IS in similar contexts.
Sustaining enterprise competitiveness – is human capital the answer?
Authors: Rastogi P.N.
Published: June 2021

In today's volatile environment of business, competitive advantages of firms are temporary. Top managements do not, and cannot, have all the answers to increasingly complex and rapidly changing problem situations facing their firms. In such a context, people of an organization constitute its core resource for continuing competitiveness. This resource comprises people's individual and collective learning and knowledge, skills and expertise, creativity and innovation, competencies and capabilities i.e., people's continuous capacity for providing customer-valued outcomes. In terms of their continual enhancement of such a capacity, the people of an enterprise constitute an appreciating resource i.e., its human capital. This paper explicates an inclusive concept of human capital, and specifies its necessary and sufficient conditions. It further highlights the embededness of human capital within a dynamic multi-loop nexus of social capital, learning, and management of knowledge. Intellectual capital of a firm is an emergent from this nexus. The framework developed here also helps outline a set of propositions regarding the nature and process of human capital development.
Working anywhere, anytime and with anyone
Authors: Walden Pirkko , Turban Efraim
Published: June 2021

Ten teams of 2–3 full time undergraduate business students, at Abo Akademi University in Finland were to collaborate with a corresponding team of 3–4 part time MBA students at California State University, Long Beach in the USA. A 10-hour time difference, as well as different cultural backgrounds separated the teams. Students were challenged to push the limits of Internet by collaborating on a joint task on electronic commerce with people they never met face-to-face. The teams co-operated with ten Finnish companies, and the study was taken all the way to an implementable plan for companies doing business on the Internet. This paper confirms several observations of previous researchers and identifies several new issues related to distributed groupwork.
The e-landscape: an unexplored goldmine of the new millennium
Authors: Liang Thow Yick
Published: June 2021

The Internet is an intangible cyberworld created by the human mind. Exploring and exploiting this e-landscape requires a totally redefined mindset. The fact that it exists in the mental realm also makes it a nonlinear system. In this respect, understanding both intangible and nonlinear dynamics is a requisite to the proper exploitation of e-commerce. The e-landscape is a new edge of chaos where order and disorder co-exist. It could be a goldmine for those who swiftly recognize structure in this highly disordered territory. The tremendous number of opportunities and uncertainties embedded in the submerged portion of this iceberg are still awaiting their explorers. Very likely existing strategies will have to be modified and new strategies will have to be used. This paper analyzes Singapore's e-commerce experience on the national basis with respect to this background.
Ethical aspects of managing customer privacy in electronic commerce
Authors: Kelly Eileen P.
Published: June 2021

The rapid spread of electronic commerce and online technology has created tremendous opportunities for economic efficiency and customer choice. However, at the same time, technology poses unparalleled intrusions into personal informational privacy. This article examines some of the ethical aspects of electronic commerce and consumer privacy.
Legal aspects of electronic commerce and their implications for the accounting profession
Authors: Ragothaman Srinivasan , Davies Thomas , Dykstra DeVee
Published: June 2021

The electronic commerce (e-commerce) revolution is changing the business processes dramatically. It permits new kinds of interactions among business firms, their customers and suppliers, as well as internally within the firms. E-commerce is shaking the foundations of many industries and is leading to new types of e-business models. The vast potential of this exciting way of doing business has led many universities to offer courses, options, majors, and even degrees in e-commerce. The objectives of this paper are to describe some of the legal issues that impact e-commerce activities and to explore their implications for the accounting profession. While both business-to-business e-commerce and business-to-consumer e-commerce are expanding at a brisk pace, laws dealing with e-commerce are lagging behind. This paper provides a brief overview of several legal issues that have emerged in the arena of e-commerce including the following: jurisdictional issues, web linking practices, intellectual property and copyrights, libel laws, sales and use tax issues, encryption regulation, privacy rights, domain name disputes, electronic agreements, and digital signatures. Implications of e-commerce related legal issues for the accounting profession and accounting students are also discussed.
An exploratory framework for understanding electronic bill presentment and payment model selection
Authors: Luo Wenhong , Cook David , Joseph Jimmie , Ganapathy Bopana
Published: June 2021

Electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) provides an opportunity for firms to decrease their billing costs, while increasing their customer interaction. While many models exist, there is a dearth of information for determining which model would best fit customer characteristics and needs. This article examines the three primary models of EBPP, the characteristics of recurring bills, and customer concerns to develop an exploratory framework for determining which EBPP model a bill generating firm should deploy.
An Intranet-based knowledge repository: A structure for learning organizations in franchising
Authors: Chen Y.S. , Chong P. Pete , Justis R.T.
Published: June 2021

Most franchisors do not have necessary knowledge to run their businesses in this information age. This article describes our experience in designing and implementing a Franchising Knowledge Repository (FKR) prototype. This knowledge repository, available on the Intranet, will be an electronic distribution center of franchising-related materials. Based on a framework of knowledge management, this repository is a series of modules organized into two important dimensions: (1) levels of knowledge and (2) levels of user skills. This new form of knowledge dissemination increases the integration of theory and practice. The repository's knowledge modules adhere to a consistent format so users can locate the information easier. As an example, we describe in this paper a knowledge module for Location and Site Selection, a pictorial methodology for evaluating alternatives for site selection.
Internet storefront reengineering using an element schema approach1
Authors: Trappey Charles V. , Trappey Amy J.C. , Chang Ya-Ping
Published: June 2021

This research provides a standard for generalizing the content of Internet storefronts. An element schema, which is created and defined using HTML tags categorizes the user interface and information elements presented on Internet storefronts. In order to explore the rule that elements play in characterizing popular and unpopular Internet storefronts, an analysis of the distribution of elements within the best and worst Internet storefronts was conducted. After extracting the elements underlying the construction of the best and worst Web-sites, a prototype storefront was reengineered to demonstrate the derived principles.