bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Crowdsourcing, innovation and firm performance
Authors: Xu Yejun , Ribeiro-Soriano D. Enrique , Gonzalez-Garcia J. 
Published: July 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to identify whether firms that correctly use crowdfunding tools perform significantly better than firms that do not. For that purpose the authors develop a model that relates crowdfunding, innovation distinctive competences and its potential to create value in the firm. The authors want to know if crowdsourcing has more impact on Schumpeterian distinctive competences or continuous distinctive competences. Another aim is to create a new scale to measure the degree of crowdsourcing introduction in a firm.Design/methodology/approach– Within the knowledge intensive industries, the universe selected was the Chinese population of biotechnology and telecommunications industries. The information on the three variables was collected in a primary study, carried out by mail questionnaire. The questionnaire respondent was the manager of the firm. The measuring instrument was pre-tested in 30 firms, 15 from the biotechnology and 15 from the telecommunications industries. The fieldwork was undertaken between January and May 2013. The questionnaire was sent to all the firms making up the population. The sample finally included 393 firms (201 from the biotechnology industry and 192 from the telecommunications industry).Findings– Although the potential of crowdsourcing systems and its indirect relationship with firm performance is complex, the authors have showed that those firms who use these technologies to capture the knowledge of the customers and transform it in innovation competences can obtain a better performance. This result has important managerial implications. Biotechnology and telecommunications companies should use information systems in an efficient way to immediately satisfy constantly changeable customer desires and needs, since firms that are not able to generate this added value across their information and technology systems, risk being relegated to price competition. Firm information systems should be used strategically to develop a deep understanding of preferences and behaviors of its customers in order to foster loyalty and retention. One way to improve innovation competences in a firm is to introduce information technology applications oriented to capture the needs of the customers.Originality/value– This work is an interesting contribution to the literature in that it exacts a knowledge of the causal relationship between crowdsourcing and innovation. The implantation of crowdsourcing techniques is not able to directly improve firm performance, but it exerts an indirect influence by developing innovation distinctive competences. A firm will successfully introduce crowdsourcing if it is able to imbue their principles and practices with processes, routines and individuals, in order to increase its organizational memory and its ability to improve or create new products. The authors have created a new scale to measure the degree of crowdsourcing introduction in a firm. It meets all the sociometric properties required to social sciences.
Speed leaders and quality champions
Authors: Leng Zongyang , Liu Zhiying , Tan Min , Pang Jiangang 
Published: July 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to develop a concept of an alignment between market and technology orientations (MTs) and investigates the difference in new product innovation activities and performance among the four groups of high-tech firms which are classified into four categories labeled as MT, technology orientation (TO), market orientation (MO) and conservative (CO) firms.Design/methodology/approach– Data were collected from 360 high-tech firms in China. MANOVA was used to identify whether or not new product innovation activities (i.e. timing of market entry and product quality) and performance vary across the four groups.Findings– The results indicate that the four groups of firms significantly differ with respect to new product performance and with new product innovation activities pertaining to timing of market-entry strategy and product quality. Further, the results show that first, MT firms have highest new product performance; second, TO firms are speed leaders which have first-to-market with new product; and third, MO firms are quality champions which are best for the perceived new product quality.Originality/value– This paper responds to call for synthetic studies of multiple orientations and cross-disciplinary research, especially in the areas of marketing and strategic management. This paper is the first to integrate MO and TO and examine the interactive effects of these two orientations on new product innovation. Against prior study believing the combination of strategic orientations play an important role in innovation management, the findings that TO firms are speed leaders and MO firms are quality champions suggest that the combination of different strategic orientations is not beneficial to all respects of new product innovation, such as timing of market-entry strategy and product quality.
Supporting entrepreneurial business success at the base of pyramid through entrepreneurial competencies
Authors: Rahman Syed Abidur , Amran Azlan , Ahmad Noor Hazlina , Taghizadeh Seyedeh Khadijeh 
Published: July 2015

Purpose
– Large private organisations (LPOs) creating entrepreneurship opportunities for people at the base of the economic pyramid (BoP) is a thought-provoking issue for researchers. The main purpose of this paper is to empirically explore the influence of support from LPOs on entrepreneurship business success among the BoP segment through entrepreneurial competencies.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper follows a quantitative research approach. Data were collected from a sample of 134 BoP entrepreneurs in Bangladesh using a structured survey instrument. Partial least square has been employed as a statistical technique to analyse the data.

Findings
– The influence of support provided by LPOs, in terms of technical and training, increased entrepreneurial competencies among the BoP entrepreneurs. Further, entrepreneurial competencies contribute to the proliferation of the BoP entrepreneurship business success and play a mediating role to achieve business success as long as technical and training supports are provided.

Practical implications
– It is expected that business organisations can embrace this framework as a business model and contribute to the social initiatives.

Originality/value
– This paper invokes research on the entrepreneurship domain particularly focusing on the BoP segment of the society. The significant relationship between support of LPOs and success of small-scale entrepreneurship business can be viewed as a novel contribution in BoP domain.
Exploring absorptive capacity in cross-sector social partnerships
Authors: Pittz Thomas G , Intindola Melissa 
Published: July 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore cross-sector partnerships (CSSPs) from a strategic perspective to consider collaborations that are long lasting and transcend initial objectives. The authors integrate the concept of absorptive capacity (ACAP) with the CSSP literature and derive two new antecedents of ACAP, trust and goal interdependency, with relevance to this context. This work responds to a call from ACAP scholars to consider the construct in alternative settings and from collaboration scholars to employ strategy research that approaches CSSPs from a viewpoint beyond a mere transactional approach.Design/methodology/approach– This manuscript presents a thorough analysis of the process literature regarding CSSPs and the construct of ACAP to consider the importance of knowledge sharing and participatory decision making in the success of collaboration efforts. The combination of these research streams results in a refined model of ACAP to be used in the CSSP context.Findings– This manuscript provides conceptual and theoretical insights into how knowledge is acquired and exploited within CSSPs. A model for ACAP in CSSPs is proposed and suggests that two new antecedents of ACAP, trust and goal interdependence, be explored in this context through subsequent empirical research.Research limitations/implications– This type of conceptual work can benefit greatly from subsequent empirical research to test the developed propositions. This model shows considerable promise for future testing, however, and has the potential to encourage additional research into knowledge sharing and long-term success of cross-sector collaborations.Practical implications– This paper fulfills the need to apply a strategic lens to CSSPs and invites future research into the mutual organizational benefits derived from collaborations that cross economic sectors. It suggests that internal organizational mechanisms exist to be developed by managers that have the potential to enhance a firms ability to recognize the value of external knowledge, acquire it, and transform it for commercial and/or social objectives.Social implications– As collaborations across economic sectors are proving vital for addressing complex social needs, this manuscript provides a new model to serve as a guidepost for successful partnerships.Originality/value– This manuscript fulfills a need to integrate strategy scholarship with CSSPs that transcends the heretofore transactional perspective. Through an exploration of the literature, a new model for ACAP is proposed including two new antecedents, trust and goal interdependence, with application to the context of cross-sector collaborations.
International market development
Authors: Rundh Bo 
Published: July 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the international market development process in small- and medium-sized exporting firms (SMEs) and to examine the influence of “unexpected market events” in relation to actual market activities.

Design/methodology/approach
– The discussion is illustrated with a multiple case study. The data in the cases were collected by using secondary data, but also through face-to-face interviews with export executives in the firms. The cases for this research were selected on the basis of suggestions from the Swedish Export Council who applied their own interpretations of firms that have shown rapid export development.

Findings
– SMEs are becoming more involved in international activities and exhibiting market behaviours not previously seen. The recognition that internationalization is affected by multiple influences has led to a growing interest in contingency approaches. The findings in the study are illustrated by a typology of international market behaviour.

Research limitations/implications
– The study is limited to a few exporting firms within the manufacturing industry so the results of the study can only be tentative.

Practical implications
– The number of SME firms operating in international markets has grown. The findings in this paper emphasize the importance of the fact that management has the interest, experience and commitment necessary for international activities.

Originality/value
– The interest in the study is focused on capturing the steps in the development process that diverts internationalization in a firm from the traditional path of exporting in SMEs. The multiple case studies illustrate the fact that unexpected market events can influence the firm’s marketing behaviour and the international marketing strategy.
What managers should never want to hear: silence
Authors: Haskins Mark E. , Freeman R. Edward 
Published: July 2015

Purpose
– Every organizational member makes a daily decision to speak up or to be silent on a host of issues. Silence can be problematic. The purpose of this paper is to posit that managers should listen for the silence, not mistaking its presence for agreement or for understanding from those they work with and lead.

Design/methodology/approach
– This paper’s “reflections on practice” (Schon, 1983) spring from 60+ years of discussions with practicing managers involving such questions as: “what makes for a sound, robust, successful decision-making process? How do you empower those you lead? What was missing in the decisions you have observed that went awry?”.

Findings
– A critical set of seven questions and six statements that managers should want to periodically hear from their employees are presented and discussed. Four root causes of silence are also presented, along with suggestions for their mitigation.

Practical implications
– The specifics presented are easily, broadly, and beneficially applicable.

Originality/value
– Readers are cued to: the problematic nature of silence, the key questions and statements they should want to hear from time to time, the likely reasons for the silence they hear, and ideas for remediating those reasons.
On the role of loan officers’ psychological traits in predicting microcredit default accuracy
Authors: Baklouti Ibtissem 
Published: July 2015

Purpose
– The present paper’s aim lies in providing an empirical analysis of whether the loan officers’ psychological traits display an explanation of their subjective prediction accuracy.

Design/methodology/approach
– A qualitative and qualitative analysis has also been applied.

Findings
– The reached results reveal that, with respect to microfinance institutions, the loan officers’ accurate subjective judgment crucially relies on the principle of learning-through-experience so as to construct a special type of relevant skills and competences. Learning is both an intellectual and an emotional process, whereby loan officers acquire certain specific experience likely to enhance their cognitive skills and shape their emotional intelligence, which would, in turn, sharpen their forecasting accuracy. In fact, the higher emotional intelligence is, the easier it makes it for loan officer to adjust or reduce their judgmental errors and make a more effective application of the pertinent heuristics. Conversely, however, the lack or absence of emotions and feelings of novice loan officer is likely to hinder and inhibit the cognitive as well as the learning processes.

Originality/value
– The paper considers the role of individual psychological traits on the decisions of experienced and inexperienced individuals when deciding on the default risk in the context of loan decisions. Learning is both an intellectual and an emotional process, whereby loan officers acquire certain specific experience likely to enhance their cognitive skills and shape their emotional intelligence, which would, in turn, sharpen their forecasting accuracy.
Four-Dimensional Printing for Freeform Surfaces: Design Optimization of Origami and Kirigami Structures
Authors: Kwok Tsz-Ho , Wang Charlie C. L. , Deng Dongping , Zhang Yunbo , Chen Yong 
Published: July 2015

Abstract
A self-folding structure fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM) can be automatically folded into a demanding three-dimensional (3D) shape by actuation mechanisms such as heating. However, 3D surfaces can only be fabricated by self-folding structures when they are flattenable. Most generally, designed parts are not flattenable. To address the problem, we develop a shape optimization method to modify a nonflattenable surface into flattenable. The shape optimization framework is equipped with topological operators for adding interior/boundary cuts to further improve the flattenability. When inserting cuts, self-intersection is locally prevented on the flattened two-dimensional (2D) pieces. The total length of inserted cuts is also minimized to reduce artifacts on the finally folded 3D shape.
Deepwater Pipeline Challenges
Authors: Sinha Nitesh , Kishore Raj 
Published: July 2015

With the ever-increasing demand of energy in the country, the Indian exploration and production is now compelled to move into deepwater frontiers. The country’s energy reserve is getting exhausted with drying shallow water assets and the mainland is already overwhelmed with the pressure of sustaining the world’s second largest population. Therefore, “the upstream oil and gas fraternity of the country” has to now enter “less explored” Indian deepwater block which has already started with the launch of the NELP block by the government.
Although, the world has moved into deepwater long back, the Indian industry is still developing the ways and means to tackle the challenges involved in deep water. This paper presents the insights into design and installation of deepwater pipelines along with case study of Middle East to India Deepwater Pipeline (MEIDP) of M/s SAGE, which shall be laid at a maximum water depth of 3450 m.
This paper broadly elucidates the challenges in designing the deepwater pipelines such as requirement of thick-walled line pipes to sustain collapse due to external over-pressure and tensile stresses generated due to installation forces, pipeline route selection and optimization, geo-hazard assessment & mitigation, design against fault line crossings/ seismic design, free span, repair systems, seabed intervention etc. It also covers the additional manufacturing & testing requirements including tighter tolerances for line pipes suitable for deepwater installations. It also highlights the deepwater installation capabilities of Pipe lay Barges for the laying of pipeline in the deepwater to ultra-deep waters along with new evolving testing and commissioning philosophies.
This paper intends to bring awareness among the “oil and gas fraternity” regarding challenges involved in deep water pipelines with respect to design, installation etc.
Composite Material Pipes for Transportation of Effluent and Hydrocarbon
Authors: Mohan Vidit , Ramesh Ashwin P. , Toshniwal Anirudh , Mohan Prakhar 
Published: July 2015

The objective of this paper is to evaluate current and potential use of composite pipe especially Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) for transportation of effluent and hydrocarbon in onshore field. This paper brings out the followings:
1. Details of composite pipes along with its advantages like corrosion resistance, less weight, low maintenance requirement and better flow characteristics etc. compared to conventional steel.
2. Comparison of composite material pipes to conventional CS pipes.
3. Standards, specifications & recommended practices for use of GRE pipelines.
4. Current and planned use of GRE pipes in India.
5. Repair and maintenance of GRE pipelines.
6. Limitations of use of GRE pipes for hydrocarbon transportation.
7. Safety and environmental considerations for use of GRE pipelines.
8. Regulatory framework for use of GRE pipeline in India.
Impact of different meander sizes on the RF transmit performance and coupling of microstrip line elements at 7 T
Authors: Rietsch Stefan H. G. , Quick Harald H. , Orzada Stephan 
Published: July 2015

Purpose:In this work, the transmit performance and interelement coupling characteristics of radio frequency (RF) antenna microstrip line elements are examined in simulations and measurements.Methods:The initial point of the simulations is a microstrip line element loaded with a phantom. Meander structures are then introduced at the end of the element. The size of the meanders is increased in fixed steps and the magnetic field is optimized. In continuative simulations, the coupling between identical elements is evaluated for different element spacing and loading conditions. Verification of the simulation results is accomplished in measurements of the coupling between two identical elements for four different meander sizes. Image acquisition on a 7 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system provides qualitative and quantitative comparisons to confirm the simulation results.Results:Simulations point out an optimum range of meander sizes concerning coupling in all chosen geometric setups. Coupling measurement results are in good agreement with the simulations. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of the acquired MRI images substantiate the coupling results.Conclusions:The coupling between coil elements in RF antenna arrays consisting of the investigated element types can be optimized under consideration of the central magnetic field strength or efficiency depending on the desired application.
Automated cortical bone segmentation for multirow‐detector CT imaging with validation and application to human studies
Authors: Li Cheng , Jin Dakai , Chen Cheng , Letuchy Elena M. , Janz Kathleen F. , Burns Trudy L. , Torner James C , Levy Steven M. , Saha Punam K 
Published: July 2015

Purpose:Cortical bone supports and protects human skeletal functions and plays an important role in determining bone strength and fracture risk. Cortical bone segmentation at a peripheral site using multirow‐detector CT (MD‐CT) imaging is useful for in vivo assessment of bone strength and fracture risk. Major challenges for the task emerge from limited spatial resolution, low signal‐to‐noise ratio, presence of cortical pores, and structural complexity over the transition between trabecular and cortical bones. An automated algorithm for cortical bone segmentation at the distal tibia from in vivo MD‐CT imaging is presented and its performance and application are examined.Methods:The algorithm is completed in two major steps—(1) bone filling, alignment, and region‐of‐interest computation and (2) segmentation of cortical bone. After the first step, the following sequence of tasks is performed to accomplish cortical bone segmentation—(1) detection of marrow space and possible pores, (2) computation of cortical bone thickness, detection of recession points, and confirmation and filling of true pores, and (3) detection of endosteal boundary and delineation of cortical bone. Effective generalizations of several digital topologic and geometric techniques are introduced and a fully automated algorithm is presented for cortical bone segmentation.Results:An accuracy of 95.1% in terms of volume of agreement with manual outlining of cortical bone was observed in human MD‐CT scans, while an accuracy of 88.5% was achieved when compared with manual outlining on postregistered high resolution micro‐CT imaging. An intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.98 was obtained in cadaveric repeat scans. A pilot study was conducted to describe gender differences in cortical bone properties. This study involved 51 female and 46 male participants (age: 19–20 yr) from the Iowa Bone Development Study. Results from this pilot study suggest that, on average after adjustment for height and weight differences, males have thicker cortex (mean difference 0.33 mm and effect size 0.92 at the anterior region) with lower bone mineral density (mean difference −28.73 mg/cm3 and effect size 1.35 at the posterior region) as compared to females.Conclusions:The algorithm presented is suitable for fully automated segmentation of cortical bone in MD‐CT imaging of the distal tibia with high accuracy and reproducibility. Analysis of data from a pilot study demonstrated that the cortical bone indices allow quantification of gender differences in cortical bone from MD‐CT imaging. Application to larger population groups, including those with compromised bone, is needed.
Autoassociative dynamics in the generation of sequences of hippocampal place cells
Authors: Pfeiffer Brad E. , Foster David J. 
Published: July 2015

Memory storage in neural networks
Neuronal networks can store and retrieve discrete memories, but often fail to retrieve stored sequences. This is because error decreases over time for a static attractor, but builds up drastically over time if patterns are not trained to retrieve themselves but to retrieve the next item in a sequence. Pfeiffer and Foster studied brain activity in awake but immobile rats. Recording simultaneously from a large number of place cells in the hippocampal formation, they found that internally generated sequences alternated between periods of hovering in place while being strengthened, and periods of abrupt transition to a new place.

Science
, this issue p.
180