bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
External linkages and innovation in small and medium‐sized enterprises
Authors: Rothwell Roy , Dodgson Mark
Published: May 2007

While small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) can enjoy a number of behavioural advantages over their larger counterparts in the innovation process (e.g. rapid response to external threats and opportunities; efficient internal communication; interactive management style), they can also suffer from a number of mainly material disadvantages (e.g. inability to spread risk over a portfolio of new products; difficulties in market start‐up abroad; problems in funding longer‐term R&D). One area in which SMEs can suffer a marked disadvantage is that of establishing the appropriate network of contacts with external sources of scientific and technological expertise and advice.

This paper addresses the issue of SMEs’ external linkages and presents data from a number of studies showing the importance of in‐house technical skills to linkage activity; the importance of complementary between in‐house and external know‐how accumulation; and the importance of technology strategy in guiding the accumulation process. SME‐oriented public technology policies should be adapted to the specific needs of SMEs in that they should focus on facilitating vertical (supplier‐manufacturercustomer) linkages and offer support throughout the innovation chain from pre‐ competitive research through to product development.

Numerous studies testify to the importance of firms extensively ‘networking’ in order to improve innovation potential (for example, Mowery, 1988; Contractor and Lorange, 1988; CEST, 1990). The majority of these studies focus on formal technology agreements, such as R&D joint ventures,; tend to feature large firm collaboration rather than that undertaken by small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs); and while they often refer to the management problems involved in collaboration, few examine their management in any depth.

This paper will describe the extensive collaborations of innovative SMEs, and will emphasise how the employment of key personnel affects the range and scope of linkages. It will highlight the broad diversity of linkages used by SMEs for technological development. And, by means of a case study of a highly technologically advanced SME, it will examine some of the most important management problems facing the collaborative process.
Determinants of the foreign R&D locational decision in the pharmaceutical industry
Authors: Taggart J. H.
Published: May 2007

Locational determinants are an important input into any internationalisation process, but they are difficult to rank and measure. This paper describes an attempt to do both in the arena of the international pharmaceutical industry. In particular, the dispersal of R&D activities to six target countries (US, UK, West Germany, France, Italy, Japan) is examined using thirty location‐specific factors which are analysed in detail. In addition, indicators of differentiation between the perspectives of US and European firms are derived.
Strategic alliances between large and small research intensive organizations: experiences in the biotechnology industry
Authors: Forrest Janet E. , Martin M. J. C.
Published: May 2007

Abstract

For many firms, entering into some form of collaborative arrangement with other organizations has become a necessary step towards improving their competitive positions. This is particularly true of research intensive companies which frequently participate in such strategic alliances (SAs). This paper reports on the experiences of some 70 North American firms with SAs in the biotechnology industry. The sample includes small dedicated biotechnology companies (DBCs) and large organizations, such as pharmaceutical firms.
External technology acquisition in large multi‐technology corporations
Authors: Granstrand Ove , Bohlin Erik , Oskarsson Christer , Sjöberg Niklas
Published: May 2007

Based on different contractual forms and their associated degrees of organizational integration, a typology of strategies for technology acquisition (sourcing) is constructed. Based on a sample of corporations in Europe, Japan and US, it is shown that external acquisition of technology through various strategies increases in importance in general. Product case studies further show that external acquisition of technology is associated with technology diversification into increasingly costly new technologies. As a result corporations become multi‐technological (‘multech’). At the same time quasi‐integrated corporate systems of innovation arise in which in‐house R&D is managed together with a mix of strategies for external acquisition of technology, using various contractual forms. This presents new challenges to traditional in‐house R&D management. Technology diversification is moreover shown to be associated with growth of sales as well as with growth of R&D expenditures. A high level of external technology acquisition presents risks that ought to lead companies to consider technology based product diversification.
Assessing the impact of university interactions on an R&D organization
Authors: Bailetti Antonio J. , Callahan John R.
Published: May 2007

Large R&D organizations of firms operating in rapidly changing environments invest sizeable amounts to acquire knowledge through interactions with universities. The impact of these interactions on R&D organizations has received little attention in the literature. In this paper we propose a framework for evaluating the firm's investment in universities and in internal university interaction programs. The framework is comprised of three elements: objectives, relevant collectivity and structure. Objectives for the interaction are linked to the specific objectives of the R&D organisation. Individuals in the firm engaged in activities leading to the acquisition, assimilation and commercial exploitation which can potentially benefit from the new knowledge define the collectivity of interest. Structure is specified in terms of five components: network of relationships, technological guideposts, coordination arrangements, distribution of power, and shared beliefs and norms. Use of the framework is illustrated with four examples.
The role of process plant contractors in transferring technology
Authors: Grieve A. , Ball D. F.
Published: May 2007

Process plant contractors implement and bring to fruition the capital investment programmes in such sectors as chemicals and metals. In undertaking a contract they perform all or a number of the following: plant design and engineering, supply of process technology, procurement of equipment, supervision of construction, plant commissioning, and the arrangement of project finance. Specific characteristics of the industry are the variety of functions undertaken by the contractor and operation on a worldwide basis.

The nature and extent of contractor involvement in transferring technology is determined by a complex interaction of a number of economic and technological factors. The source of technology may be ‘in‐house’, a long term licence agreement, or some specific arrangement to meet a particular enquiry. The paper illustrates the various means for technology transfer drawing on examples from the experience of one contractor.
Stimulating ‘hot technologies’: interorganizational networks in Dutch ceramic research
Authors: Groenewegen Peter
Published: May 2007

The role of interorganizational R&D networks between firms and universities in knowledge transfer of advanced technologies is analyzed. The starting assumption (coinciding with reasons of government bodies to support technological cooperation) is that a national knowledge and technology system exists. From this assumption a number of questions that exist about knowledge and technology transfer can be discussed. Notably whether the knowledge push model of technological innovation is valid. This is done through the analysis of the differences in the pattern of external contacts that exists between the scientific, industrial and policy organizations.

Empirical results of a case study of the stimulation of advanced ceramic technology by the Dutch government form the basis. Advanced ceramics is considered to be an emergent technology within the larger framework of generic technologies. However, the Dutch university and industry structure in this area is weak which raises a number of important questions about the possibility to built a technological infrastructure through government support. The paper concentrates on the role of resource and information flows, which characterize the position of specific organizations in the R&D network. The three main positions in this case are occupied by government bodies, various firms and the university and government laboratories.

Two conclusions on knowledge transfer in university‐industry cooperation may be drawn. (a) Institutional (government and university) and industrial research networks are different in character and in fact they consist of different network elements. (b) Government policies, in this case, affect the outlook of scientists but not of firms.
Book Reviews
Authors: WILKINSON A.
Published: May 2007

Books reviewed in this article:

R&D for the 21st Century: an analysis of trends for industrial innovation.

Manufacturing Planning and Control: a reference model.

State Policies and Techno‐industrial Innovation 1991.
The coordination structure of international collaborative technology arrangements
Authors: Bailetti A. J. , Callahan J. R.
Published: May 2007

As the pace and breadth of technological progress increases around the world, companies both large and small are forming international collaborative arrangements as the basis for developing competitive advantage from technology. Management of these arrangements requires the creation and maintenance of a wide variety of strategic and operational interdependencies within and between companies. The paper introduces a method for developing a representation leading to a system level understanding of the coordination structure of international collaborative arrangements. The method is based on recent advances in coordination theory and object oriented domain analysis. We apply the method to represent four international collaborative arrangements. The representations that result are then used as data to identify five basic modules of the coordination structure of international collaborative arrangements: strategic management, intra‐firm management, joint management, technology exchange and customer interaction. The proposed method leads to increased organizational learning of the goal oriented coordination processes for which managers are responsible when establishing international collaborative technology arrangements.
Cross‐Pacific internationalization of R&D by U.S. and Japanese firms
Authors: Westney D. Eleanor.
Published: May 2007

Efforts by MNCs to develop coordinated international R&D networks have taken place from different historical bases of internationalization and in the context of differing trends in the role of R&D within the corporation, as the cross‐Pacific R&D investment in leading U.S. and Japanese firms in the electronics industry shows. Japanese firms, although they espouse a strategy of ‘localization’, are establishing wholly‐owned R&D centres in the U.S. with highly specialized technology mandates that to be used by the company must be networked with their parent organizations. U.S. firms rely on joint ventures or wholly‐owned labs with a wider array of technologies that face strong pulls to a local orientation. The patterns are somewhat out of line with the models of internationalization each side is espousing.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: RICHARDS ALBERT
Published: May 2007

Competitive Benchmarking: An Executive Guide, M. Zairi, Technical Communications (Publishing) Ltd, 1992.
Decision parameters in global R&D management
Authors: Pearson Alan , Brockhoff Klaus , Von Boehmer Alexander
Published: May 2007

This paper addresses the question of which variables have what kind of impact on the decision to locate new R&D facilities in countries different from the home country of a corporation. In the first section of the paper we demonstrate the complexity of this question by referring to empirical research, managerial statements and literature. We then develop a conceptual model for the location decision of international R&D activities. This is based on Porter's (1990) framework of the factors constituting the competitive advantage of nations. In the final section of this paper we show how such a model helps us to understand and also to explain a number of management issues related to global R&D activities.
‘Biological’ revolution and strategies for innovation in pharmaceutical companies
Authors: della Valle Francesco , Gambardella Alfonso
Published: May 2007

Fundamental advances in the life sciences are exerting a profound influence on the structure of the pharmaceutical industry and the strategies of drug companies. The ‘biological’ revolution makes it possible to apply a scientific method to drug research. This paper argues that pharmaceutical companies can take advantage of the new method only if they encourage ‘openness’ of their research. We also offer a framework to explain why innovations in this industry increasingly result from networks of agents with complementary skills and resources. Greater use of scientific knowledge implies that important information for innovation can be expressed in relatively general and universal forms. This eases information exchange, and encourages specialisation and division of labour in drug R&D and marketing. Finally, the possibility of a division of labour in innovation opens new opportunities for medium‐sized national pharmaceutical firms in Europe. Provided that they found their strategies on high‐quality research in specialised niches, they can set up alliances with partners that possess complementary knowledge, and supply resources for clinical development and international marketing.
Managerial perceptions of technology licensing as an alternative to internal R&D in new product development: an empirical investigation
Authors: Atuahene‐Gima Kwaku , Patterson Paul
Published: May 2007

Increasingly, companies are using the licensing approach to acquire external technology as an alternative to internal new product development. However, the licensing literature presents lists of benefits and costs without identifying either their relative importance or the underlying dimensions. This article presents the results of a survey of Australian licensee firms designed to fill this gap in the literature. The results show that the major reason for licensing relates more to the immediate need to gain competitive advantage than the relative low cost advantage of technology licensing or having access to future technology. The major impediments to licensing are the entry and exit costs and the loss of decision‐making autonomy resulting from licensor‐imposed restrictions. Further, only two factors, perceived search costs and low cost market entry advantage of licensing appear to vary among the industries studied. Future research and managerial implications of the results are discussed.
Organisational, technical and marketing antecedents for successful new product development
Authors: Calantone Roger J. , Di Benedetto C. Anthony , Divine Richard
Published: May 2007

Previous research in new product development has examined the role of organisational structure and marketing and technical skills and activities in encouraging successful innovation. This study examines the role played by organisational structure in supporting the marketing and technical/production activities in new product development, and direct and indirect effects of all of these antecedents on new product success. The goal of the study is to observe which factors lead to product success and to determine how they interconnect. Implications for new product management are provided in the concluding section.
Assessing the R&D capability of the Japanese pharmaceutical industry
Authors: Sapienza Alice M.
Published: May 2007

According to some observers, Japan's pharmaceutical industry ‘emerged as a global competitor’ in the 1980s. According to others, the same firms ‘face severe obstacles’ in the 1990s and may ‘run out of time in their internationalization efforts.’ To help clarify the competitive position of the Japanese industry, this article uses an original framework and set of estimates to codify the R&D capability of the nine major Japanese pharmaceutical companies (‘the nine majors’) and compare it with the R&D capability of their Western counterparts. On this basis the article concludes that the majors are not yet global competitors, although several could be by the end of the decade. The estimates help to quantify what has been described as a large gap between the R&D position of the Japanese companies and the position of the top Western pharmaceutical firms.
Motivations and obstacles to university industry cooperation (UIC): a Mexican case
Authors: López‐Martínez R. E. , Medellín E. , Scanlon A. P. , Solleiro J. L.
Published: May 2007

Within the context of linkage between universities and the productive sector in Mexico, this article seeks to answer the following questions: i) which are the principal motivations for researchers at universities to carry out technological research and to seek ties to industry? ii) which are the main motivations for industrial entrepreneurs to establish cooperation with universities to develop technology? and iii) which are the main barriers to a healthy relationship between both institutions?

Our answers are based on data from two sources: (a) an exploratory survey of 31 researchers at the National University of Mexico and of 28 Mexican entrepreneurs, half of whom had previous experience in collaborative projects; and, (b) a subsequent panel discussion among questionnaire respondents designed to elicit in‐depth qualitative data concerning motivations and obstacles to university‐industry cooperation.

The authors present the factors identified in the study as key elements in the development of liaisons between the two sectors in Latin American countries, and argue the need to rethink our conceptions of motivations and barriers within a theoretical framework of interinstitutional communications and organizational cultural change.
The allocation of R&D resource
Authors: Scholefield J. H.
Published: May 2007

Abstract

The allocation of R&D resource in a multi‐business organisation is often based more on current operating performance than on the relative potential for technological development of the businesses. The approach suggested in this paper attempts to overcome these problems by linking R&D allocation very closely to business strategy. The two key concepts are technology leverage, i.e. the extent to which technology can change the business environment in an industry to yield competitive advantage, and business leverage i.e. the current competitive strength of an individual business within an industry. Where technology leverage is weak, competitive advantage will be mainly dependent on factors other than R&D and it is suggested that levels of R&D effort at or below 1 % of turnover are appropriate. Where technology leverage is strong, R&D can be effective in maintaining strong business leverage by achieving technology mastery or in transforming a weak business position by creating a technological discontinuity. R&D intensities ranging from 3 to 15 or more % of turnover are thought to be appropriate in these cases. This framework can be used for policy debates on R&D allocation, for example whether the R&D allocation is appropriate for the business strategy or whether R&D could spearhead a more expansionist business strategy. The framework has been successfully used in ICI Chemicals and Polymers Limited during the annual R&D budget process.
A shift to external alliances for product development in the pharmaceutical industry
Authors: Whittaker Erica , Bower D. Jane
Published: May 2007

For a number of years, pharmaceutical companies have been departing from a tradition of strict vertical integration, looking to external sources for at least some of their novel technology and products. The aim of this study was to determine whether (1) this is a long term, industry‐wide trend, or (2) merely a temporary or local response to acquire the technical capabilities of the biotechnology revolution of the 1970's, after which, with the new generation of technology in‐house, they will revert to primarily in‐house innovation. Analysis of secondary data on a representative sample of the fifteen largest drug companies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland indicated that between 1977 and 1987, these pharmaceutical companies increased their external R&D alliances nearly six‐fold on average. A large and growing proportion of pharmaceutical companies’ R&D alliances are formed with biotechnology firms which have proprietary technology, due to financial and innovative pressures. Far from being temporary, this resort to external sources of technology in the pharmaceutical industry follows the trends of the wider industrial world towards functional specialization. Thus, biotechnology companies are increasingly taking on the role of suppliers of innovation.
Work with and implementation of new concepts for management of product development—experiences for the Swedish Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Carlsson Matts , Lundqvist Mats
Published: May 2007

Extensive organizational changes in the management of product development work of industrial companies are currently taking place. Speediness (time‐based competition) and/or ‘high’ quality (total quality) are emphasized and for this purpose concepts such as simultaneous, concurrent or integrated product development have been introduced. This paper describes a study of the importance of these concepts in 29 large Swedish manufacturing companies and how these companies deal with the implementation of the new product development concepts. In addition, three in‐depth studies have been carried out to enable a more detailed study to be made of the effects of the product development work on time and quality variables.
Book Reviews
Authors: GARNSEY ELIZABETH , RICHARDS ALBERT , BALL D. F. , ALBERTINI SERGIO , PHILIP A. S. , STIRLING H. J. , CROMTEC ALBERT RICHARDS , PRATT DAVID , CROMTEC RICHARD HULL
Published: May 2007

Technological Collaboration in Industry; strutegy, policy and internationalization in innovation

Corporate Venturing: Creating New Businesses within the Firm

Handbook of Innovation Management

Technology and enterprise in a historical perspective

Intellectual Property for Engineers

The Ernst & Young Business Plan Guide

crnagement as a New Technology

Mass Customization: The New Frontier in Business Competition
The design of an integrated group decision support system for technology assessment
Authors: Noori Hamid
Published: May 2007

Responding to the challenges of the marketplace compels firms to employ new production methods to improve product quality and delivery reliability, to reduce costs, and above all, to achieve greater flexibility. This paper outlines the system design of a group decision support system, developed to guide management through the process of new technology evaluation and adoption. The advantages of the proposed architecture include the opportunity to integrate a variety of independently developed components, the localisation of components (which leads to simplified maintenance) and the flexibility in the future for expanding and modifying the system.
Policies and structures for spinning off new companies from research and development organizations#
Authors: Roberts Edward B. , Malonet Denis E.
Published: May 2007

This paper develops five alternative structural ‘models’ for formal efforts aimed at spinning off new companies from universities, government laboratories, and other research and development organizations. In various ways the models combine the roles of the technology originator, the entrepreneur, the R&D organization itself, and the venture investor. The paper also presents the policies and structures of technology commercialization operations from investigations at eight R&D organizations in the United States and the United Kingdom. The data indicate that a R&D organization operating in an environment where venture capital and entrepreneurs are readily available (e.g., MIT and Stanford) can appropriately: (1) exercise a low degree of selectivity in choosing technologies for spin‐off creation, and (2) provide a low level of support during the spin‐off process. The spin‐off process is more difficult in environments where venture capital and entrepreneurs are scarce (e.g., ARCH) and mechanisms for high‐selectivity and a high level of support must be in place by the R&D organization to compensate for this scarcity.
Determinants of technology cycle time in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry’
Authors: Bierly Paul , Chakrabarti Alok
Published: May 2007

The focus of this study is to examine different factors that influence a firm's technology cycle time. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry is analyzed from 1977–1991. Specifically, the sample includes 21 firms that (a) primarily produce brand ethical drugs, (b) are publicly‐owned companies, and (c) have pharmaceutical sales account for a substantial portion of company sales.

Our measure of faster technology cycle time is positively correlated to measures of the knowledge base level of firms, the breadth of firms’ knowledge bases, size, and age; it is negatively correlated to advertising expenditures and the percent of US. firm sales to total sales. However, the most notable finding is that technology cycle time is significantly faster for firms that predominantly generate new knowledge internally, and slower for firms that rely more on external sources of new knowledge.
Management of capabilities and situations in R&D centres: the matrix of competences
Authors: Capaldo Guido , Volpe Antonio , Zollo Giuseppe
Published: May 2007

The paper presents the first results of research carried out by the authors in the research centre of an important Italian industrial group. The management of the centre is strongly interested in new methodological approaches to identify and to represent individual competences. To satisfy this specific need, the authors suggest a method based on the matrix of competences that is the set of relationships between capabilities and situations. The situations and the capabilities are identified by analysing the judgements that other subjects, internal or external to the organization, express on an individual's behaviour.

A sample of fifteen individuals has been investigated in order to identify their individual competences and the most significant situations within the centre. For each individual a network of subjects, the supervisor and some clients and collaborators, has been considered. On the basis of the results, the implications for management are discussed, with particular regard to the design of new procedures for personnel evaluation.
Networking in the Russian aerospace industry
Authors: Shaw Brian
Published: May 2007

This paper examines and explains the nature of networking in the Russian aerospace industry under the centrally administered innovation system and the impact on the network of the changes that have arisen post‐perestroika. The context, pre‐August 1991, was a centrally administered innovation system with the dominance of the military in resource allocation in a ‘shortage’ economy.

The network was made up of the ministry of defence, design bureaux, manufacturing plants, research institutes, specialist universities and testing centres and the Aircraft Certification Authority. The focal actor was the aircraft design bureaux.

The role and relationships between the actors concerned with aircraft design, development, manufacturing and marketing are determined by the activities that they perform in the seven stage innovation process, the resources available and the strategies that they adopt.

Post‐perestroika the need for new customers, international certification, western collaboration, and the presence of supply chain disruption and the funding crisis are reshaping the network. The new actors, post‐perestroika, include new customers, financiers, the Department of Aviation Industry, International Certification Authorities, the ICAO and ‘nearest and furthest abroad’ subcontractors. A major change has been the linking together of the design bureaux, aircraft manufacturing, engine and avionics plants, subcontractors, financial institutions and aircraft export agencies into joint stock Complexes, or Financial Industrial Groups (FIGS).
R&D networks and innovation: decentralised product development in multinational enterprises
Authors: Pearce Robert , Papanastassiou Marina
Published: May 2007

This paper documents the ways in which overseas R&D in MNEs now plays roles in what are innovative new approaches to innovation itself. Networks of laboratories are seen as supporting both the short‐term and long‐term competitive evolution of the MNE group's globally‐effective product innovation.

In terms of the immediate commercial application of new products for global markets it is argued that product development labs work within creative overseas subsidiaries in MNEs. These aim to derive variants of the new product that fully meet the distinctive needs of each key regional market.

Another separate network of decentralised MNE labs carry out precompetitive (basic or applied) research, embodying particular areas of technological comparative advantage of their host countries. This network of labs therefore provides inputs into a centrally‐articulated programme whose objective is to provide the basis of the longer‐term technological evolution of the MNE, by upgrading the core knowledge from which future generations of innovative products can emerge.
Competitive strategies and new technology: an empirical investigation in the UK polymer processing industry
Authors: Butler R. J. , Coates P. D. , Pike R. H. , Price D. H. R. , Turner R. S.
Published: May 2007

This paper examines how companies can achieve competitive advantage by fitting their business strategies to the way in which new technology implementation is managed. In particular, the inter‐relationship between strategy, technology and performance is examined. Five strategic types and seven types of technological objectives were used to find combinations which were associated with high performance. It was found that companies pursuing a prospector strategy (a strategy based on product innovation) combined with technological objectives emphasizing marketing, image and technical development were the highest performing group of companies. The lowest performing companies were those where strategy was dominated by price competition.

The general conclusion of the paper is that, in order to achieve competitive advantage, companies need to see technology objectives as an inherent part of strategy. The study was carried out on a sample of twenty companies within the polymer processing industry, but the findings should be applicable to companies in other industries, and particularly to smaller companies.
Core competencies and the strategic management of R&D
Authors: Coombs Rod
Published: May 2007

There is an increasing concern amongst R&D managers and their immediate ‘customers’ and sponsors within companies to have reliable mechanisms to direct R&D simultaneously toward effective rapid innovation and accumulation of long term technological strength. This is leading R&D managers to seek analytical tools to help them identify technologies which have particular significance for competitive advantage, for multiple SBUs, and for longer term strategic positioning, and to manage them in ways which do not leave them at the mercy of business unit strategies, but situate them closer to the core of corporate strategies. This paper conducts an examination of the parallel literature on the idea of core competencies as a new paradigm in corporate strategy and shows that core competencies can be useful focusing devices for assisting in the creation of this linkage between the technological and non‐technological aspects of the corporate strategy agenda. Implications are drawn out for: R&D decisions in the areas of shaping strategic research programmes; funding and organisation regimes for R&D and measuring the effectiveness of R&D.
Multiple Review
Authors: CARSTON ROBYN
Published: May 2007

Gavagai! or the Future History of the Animal Language Controversy. By DAVID PREMACK
Visual Imagery as the Simulation of Vision
Authors: CURRIE GREGORY
Published: May 2007

Abstract: Simulation Theory says we need not rely exclusively on prepositional knowledge of other minds in order to explain the actions of others. Seeking to know what you will do, I imagine myself in your situation, and see what decision I come up with. I argue that this conception of simulation naturally generalizes: various bits of our mental machine can be run‘off‐line’, fulfilling functions other than those they were made for. In particular, I suggest that visual imagery results when the visual system is run off‐line. I briefly review the empirical evidence and consider the philosophical implications, particularly concerning the mode of mental representation in imagery.
The Significance of the Theory Analogy in the Psychological Study of Concepts
Authors: MARGOLIS ERIC
Published: May 2007

Abstract:Many psychologists think that concepts should be understood on analogy with the terms of scientific theories, yet the significance of this claim has always been obscure. In this paper, I clarify the psychological content of the theory analogy, focusing on influential pieces by Susan Carey. Once plainly put, the analogy amounts to the view that a mental representation has its semantical properties by virtue of its role in a restricted knowledge structure. One of the commendable things about Carey's work is that, unlike many other psychologists who appeal to the theory analogy, she takes seriously the need to specify how these structures are constrained. At the same time, the constraints she offers are insufficient. Her account also faces challenges from recent work in the semantics of natural kind terms.
Why Reasons May Not Be Causes
Authors: TANNEY JULIA
Published: May 2007

Abstract:This paper considers Davidson's (1963) arguments for construing reasons as causes and attempts to show that he has failed to provide positive reasons for introducing causation into his analysis of rationalizing explanation. I consider various ways of spelling out his intuition that something is missing from explanation if we consider only the justificatory relation between reasons and action, and I argue that to the extent that there is anything missing, it should not be provided by construing reasons as causes. What is ostensibly missing, and what I think Davidson is after, is some kind of determinate relation between explanans and explanandum. I argue that this is too strong a requirement to place on rationalizing explanation.
Colourful Whorfian Ideas: Linguistic and Cultural Influences on the Perception and Cognition of Colour, and on the Investigation of Them
Authors: GELLATLY ANGUS
Published: May 2007

Abstract: The resent paper reviews three phases in the literature on cognition and colour, and also Luria's (1976) observations of the effects that literacy and/or schooling have on colour naming and colour categorization. It is argued that Luria's own interpretation of his findings is partiafly flawed by inconsistency, and by ethnocentric presuppositions concerning mediation and abstraction. A revised interpretation is proposed that draws on Gibson's (1950, 1966) contrast between direct and indirect perceptions. It is suggested that language usage and cultural practices come to exert a joint effect upon the experience of colour by selectively directing attention towards or away from the various perceptible aspects of coloured objects.
Pierre and the Fundamental Assumption
Authors: OWENS JOSEPH
Published: May 2007

Abstract: Kripke's Pierre puzzle undermines some of the central epistemic intuitions that underlie traditional defences of the Fregean assumption that sentences'S believes that Fa ‘and'S believes that Fb’ can differ in truth value, even though a = b. Millian theorists have seized on this and employed the puzzle to reject the Fregean assumption itself. I argue that Millians are correct in rejecting traditional defences of the Fregean assumption, but they are wrong in rejecting the Fregean assumption itself. To this end, I offer a different argument kr the assumption, one that is not open to Kripkean/Millian objections.
On Belief Content and That‐Clauses
Authors: TASCHEK WILLIAM W.
Published: May 2007

Abstract:This paper is about the relations between the contents of our beliefs and the contents of the sentences used in the that‐clauses of our belief ascriptions. Loar has argued that any inference from sameness or difference of correct beliefascriptionto sameness or difference of beliefcontentis illegitimate. In contrast, I defend a requirement (theLogic Requirement) that the logical properties of the sentence embedded in a belief ascription should, on that occasion of use, match the logical properties of the belief content ascribed.
Deontic Reasoning, Modules and Innateness: A Second Look
Authors: CHATER NICK , OAKSFORD MIKE
Published: May 2007

Abstract:Cummins (this issue) puts the case for an innate module for deontic reasoning. We argue that this case is not persuasive. First, we claim that Cummins’evolutionary arguments are neutral regarding whether deontic reasoning is learned or innate. Second, we argue that task differences between deontic and indicative reasoning explain many of the phenomena that Cummins takes as evidence for a deontic module. Third, we argue against the suggestion that deontic reasoning is superior to indicative reasoning, either in adults or children. Finally, we re‐evaluate Cummins’interpretation of differences in children's performance on deontic and indicative versions of Wason's selection task.
The Prospects for Dretske's Account of the Explanatory Role of Belief
Authors: MELNYK ANDREW
Published: May 2007

Abstract:When a belief is cited as part of the explanation of an agent's behaviour, it seems that the belief is explanatorily relevant in virtue of its content. In hisExplaining Behavior, Dretske presents an account of belief, content, and explanation according to which this can be so. I supply some examples of beliefs whose explanatory relevance in virtue of content apparently cannot be accounted for in the Dretskean way. After considering some possible responses to this challenge, I end by discussing how serious these counterexamples are for Dretske's account.
Accidental Associations, Local Potency, and a Dilemma for Dretske
Authors: NOORDHOF PAUL
Published: May 2007

Abstract:I argue that Fred Dretske's account of the causal relevance of content only works if another account works better, that put forward by Gabriel Segal and Elliot Sober. Dretske needs to appeal to it to deal with two problems he faces: one arising because he accepts that the mere association between indicators and indicated is causally relevant to the recruitment of indicators in causing behaviour, the other from the need to explain how a present token of a certain type of content is causally relevant. For this and other reasons their approach has clear advantages over Dretske's.
Granny versus Mother Nature—No Contest
Authors: DENNETT DANIEL C.
Published: May 2007

Abstract: Fodor's doubts about neo‐Darwinism are driven by something other than familiarity with evolutionary biology, so they should be set aside. His claim that a theory of intentionality cannot be constructed on an evolutionary foundation because there is no representation in the process of natural selection reveals that he has been blind to the chief beauty of Darwin's vision: its capacity to explain not just how the living can come, gradually, from the non‐living, but also how meaning can come, by incremental steps, out of the meaningless.
The Ambiguity Thesis Versus Kripke's Defence of Russell
Authors: RAMACHANDRAN MURALI
Published: May 2007

Abstract: In his influential paper ‘Speaker's Reference and Semantic Reference’, Kripke defends Russell's theory of descriptions against the charge that the existence of referential and attributive uses of descriptions reflects a semantic ambiguity. He presents a purely defensive argument to show that Russell's theory is not refuted by the referential usage and a number of methodological considerations which apparently tell in favour of Russell's unitary theory over an ambiguity theory. In this paper, I put forward a case for the ambiguity theory that thwarts Kripke's defensive strategy and argue that it is not undermined by any of his methodological points.
The erosion of employment in the UK; the need for a new response
Authors: Sparrow Paul
Published: May 2007

There has been much speculation about the future of work in moods ranging from euphoria to prophecies of doom. This article attempts to outline the undercurrents of change which will determine the reality behind this debate. It is based on analyses conducted for Work and Society, The Other Economic Summit and the Society for International Development.
The need for skills in the factory of the future
Authors: Senker Peter , Beesley Mark
Published: May 2007

The ‘automated factory’ as the culmination of ingenuity has fascinated engineers and social visionaries (albeit for different reasons) for a considerable period. This article discusses the skill requirements of advanced automated production.
Skill, deskilling and new technology in the non‐manual labour process
Authors: Rolfe Heather
Published: May 2007

This article discusses the concept of skill and, using material from case studies on non‐manual work, suggests that the microelectronic technology may have implications for work and skills that in each case will depend on a combination of social and technological factors.
Drawing the line: Computer‐Aided Design and the organisation of the drawing office
Authors: Baldry Chris , Connolly Anne
Published: May 2007

Draughtsmen could until recently legitimately be seen as a ‘white‐collar craft’ group. This article examines the degree to which Computer‐Aided Design is fragmenting the cohesiveness of the drawing office, and thus threatening to undermine the craft control which has been the basis of the strength of the union, AUEW/TASS.
The Tomteboda Mail Centre Revisited
Authors: Lansbury Russell D.
Published: May 2007

The first issue of NTWE featured a piece on work organisation at the Swedish Mail Centre at Tomteboda. In the light of a recent visit there, the author responds to that original account.
Technology, markets and the design of women's jobs—the case of the clothing industry
Authors: Truman Carole , Keating Joan
Published: May 2007

The clothing industry has been saved largely as a result of the introduction of new technology in response to an increasingly competitive market place. But what affect has this restructuring had upon jobs? We explore how women workers have experienced this change and why policy‐making should consider job design.
Microelectronics and manpower in China
Authors: Warner Malcolm
Published: May 2007

This article examines the relationships between microelectronics and manpower in Chinese enterprises in the context of the economic reforms. It focuses on skills and training developments and the potential for technology transfer.
Technological and organizational change in Canada
Authors: Newton Keith
Published: May 2007

Numerous studies conclude that technological and organizational innovations are mutually supportive. Yet Canadian evidence shows a relative lack of emphasis on the crucial organizational dimensions of the innovation process. This article examines the results of a survey of technological and organizational change in 1,000 establishments and discusses reasons for the relative neglect of organizational factors.
Legal responses to technological change in Canada
Authors: Fisher E G. , Robb J C.
Published: May 2007

Canadian labour laws ban lawful work stoppages while collective agreements are in force. Managerial prerogative generally governs technological change. Employees lawfully enjoy varying, but limited job security. Current laws may not deal adequately with the next wave of technology. Significantly, four jurisdictions provide midcontract arbitration.
New technologies and working time: The case of CAD introduction
Authors: Schmidt Volker H.
Published: May 2007

The introduction of new technology is often accompanied by changes in working time arrangements. These changes, however, are by no means homogeneous. They are contingent upon a variety of factors which may differ widely from organization to organization. Using findings from a study on the consequences of CAD application it is shown that among these factors the bargaining power of affected employee groups is particularly important.
Restructuring, productivity and workplace relations: evidence from the textile industry
Authors: Walsh Janet
Published: May 2007

This study analyses the nature of productivity improvements in the textile industry by focusing on the interplay between micro‐electronic technologies and changes in work practices at two hosiery plants and a cotton spinning mill. The findings highlight the uneven impact of technological change on workplace relations and patterns of occupational segregation.
Work organization and occupational development in CIM: the case of Swedish NC machine shops
Authors: Bengtsson Lars
Published: May 2007

This article reports the results of a large survey of Swedish manufacturing companies employing numerically‐controlled technology, on work organization and the changing nature of operator skills. The results are assessed in the light of likely changes in organizational structures and skill composition in future forms of computer‐integrated manufacturing.
Enterprise size, information technology and the service sector—the employment implications
Authors: Nisbet Peter
Published: May 2007

Using data gained from a study of the insurance and accounting industries, this article demonstrates the importance of the relationship between enterprise size and enterprise susceptibility to the employment effects of information technology in the service sector.
Construction robotics: technological change and work organization
Authors: Gann David , Senker Peter
Published: May 2007

Attempts to develop robots for use on construction sites are following different paths in Britain and Japan. Japanese construction firms have invested heavily in modification of existing equipment to improve productivity and quality by making good use of machine operators' skills. In contrast, British researchers are attempting to make ‘quantum leaps' in construction technologies by developing automated machinery which requires minimal human intervention and operator skills. The article assesses the viability of these two contrasting approaches.
The strategic management of a large scale IT project in the financial services sector
Authors: Currie Wendy
Published: May 2007

This article explores theoretical and empirical work on IT strategy formulation. While the managerialist focus upon a structured rational text‐book model is common in the literature, it is not supported by empirical research on IT projects in the financial services sector.
The ‘transformation game’: information systems and process innovation in organizations
Authors: Taylor J A , Williams H
Published: May 2007

The relationship between new information and communication technology and organizations is the subject of considerable debate. So too is the nature of organizational transformation. ‘Business process re‐engineering’, with its emphasis upon the strategic deployment of information systems, brings both debates together. But does it resolve any of the issues?
Introducing new computer‐based systems into Zenbank
Authors: Wilson Francis
Published: May 2007

Here the author examines the development and implementation of a computer‐based system within a financial services organization. It highlights emerging paradoxes within the developments of systems design which utilise quality management methodologies to support IT intensive business processes.