pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
The licensing dilemma: understanding the determinants of the rate of technology licensing

The licensing of technology entails a trade-off: licensing payments net of transaction costs (revenue effect) must be balanced against the lower price-cost margin and/or reduced market share implied by increased competition (profit dissipation effect) from the licensee. We argue that the presence of multiple technology holders, which compete in the market for technology, changes such a trade-off and triggers more aggressive licensing behavior. To test our theory, we analyze technology licensing by large chemical firms during the period 1986-96 for 107 chemical products. We find that the rate of technology licensing displays an inverted U-shaped relationship with the number of potential technology suppliers and is negatively related to the licensor's market share and to the degree of technology-specific product differentiation.Publicad
Deregulation and environmental differentiation in the electric utility industry

This paper analyzes how economic deregulation impacts firm strategies and environmental quality in the electric utility industry. We find evidence that the deregulation introduced to this historically staid industry has stimulated environmental differentiation. Differentiation is most likely to appear where its point of uniqueness is valued by customers, and we confirm this relationship in our sample. Specifically, utilities that served customers who exhibited higher levels of environmental sensitivity generated more green power. The tendency for firms to differentiate in this way is lessened if they are relatively more dependent on coal-fired generation or relatively more efficient. Thus, there is evidence that firms sort themselves into either differentiation or low-cost strategies as the competitive realities of a deregulated world unfold. Deregulation and the ensuing environmental differentiation illustrate how utilities exploited formerly unmet customer demand for green power. The result has been greater levels of renewable generation and, hence, a cleaner environment.Publicad
Institutions, resources and entry strategies in emerging economies

We investigate the impact of market-supporting institutions on business strategies by analyzing the entry strategies of foreign investors entering emerging economies. We apply and advance the institution-based view of strategy by integrating it with resource-based considerations. In particular, we show how resource-seeking strategies are pursued using different entry modes in different institutional contexts. Alternative modes of entry— greenfield, acquisition, and joint venture (JV)—allow firms to overcome different kinds of market inefficiencies related to both characteristics of the resources and to the institutional context. In a weaker institutional framework, JVs are used to access many resources, but in a stronger institutional framework, JVs become less important while acquisitions can play a more important role in accessing resources that are intangible and organizationally embedded. Combining survey and archival data from four emerging economies, India, Vietnam, South Africa, and Egypt, we provide empirical support for our hypotheses
Corporate responsibility and financial performance : the role of intangible resources

The definitive version is available at www.interscience.wiley.comThis paper examines the effects of a firm’s intangible resources in mediating the relationship between corporate responsibility and financial performance. We hypothesize that previous empirical findings of a positive relationship between social and financial performance may be spurious because the researchers failed to account for the mediating effects of intangible resources. Our results indicate that there is no direct relationship between corporate responsibility and financial performance—merely an indirect relationship that relies on the mediating effect of a firm’s intangible resources. We demonstrate our theoretical contention with the use of a database comprising 599 companies from 28 countries.En prens
Polychronicity in top management teams: The impact on strategic decision processes and performance of new technology ventures

This study focuses on polychronicity as a cultural dimension of top management teams (TMTs). TMT polychronicity is the extent to which team members mutually prefer and tend to engage in multiple tasks simultaneously or intermittently instead of one at a time and believe that this is the best way of doing things. We explore the impact of TMT polychronicity on strategic decision speed and comprehensiveness and, subsequently, its effect on new venture financial performance. Contrary to popular time-management principles advocating task prioritization and focused sequential execution, we found that TMT polychronicity has a positive effect on firm performance in the context of dynamic unanalyzable environments. This effect is partially mediated by strategic decision speed and comprehensiveness. Our study contributes to research on strategic leadership by focusing on a novel value-based characteristic of the TMT (polychronicity) and by untangling the decision-making processes that relate TMT characteristics and firm performance. It also contributes to the attention-based view of the firm by positioning polychronicity as a new type of attention structure
Who Gets the Carrot and Who Gets the Stick? Evidence of Gender Disparities in Executive Remuneration

notes: Earlier versions of the paper appeared as http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1526948 - TILEC Discussion Paper No. 2009-046 and http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1526948 - CentER Discussion Paper Series No. 2010-02This paper offers a new explanation of the gender pay gap in leadership positions by examining the relationship between managerial bonuses and company performance. Drawing on findings of gender studies, agency theory, and the leadership literature, we argue that the gender pay gap is a context-specific phenomenon that results partly from the fact that company performance has a moderating impact on pay inequalities. Employing a matched sample of 192 female and male executive directors of U.K.-listed firms, we corroborate the existence of the gender pay disparities in corporate boardrooms. In line with our theoretical predictions, we find that bonuses awarded to men are not only larger than those allocated to women, but also that managerial compensation of male executive directors is much more performance-sensitive than that of female executives. The contribution of attributional and expectancy-related dynamics to these patterns is highlighted in line with previous work on gender stereotypes and implicit leadership theories such as the romance of leadership. Gender differences in risk taking and confidence are also considered as potential explanations for the observed pay disparities. The implications of organizations' indifference to women's performance are examined in relation to issues surrounding the recognition and retention of female talent. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Are family-friendly workplace practices a valuable firm resource?

We study the determinants and consequences of family-friendly workplace practices (FFWP) using a sample of over 450 manufacturing firms in Germany, France, U.K., and U.S. We find a positive correlation between firm productivity and FFWP. This association disappears, however, once we control for a measure of the quality of management practices. We further find that firms with a higher proportion of female managers and more skilled workers, as well as well-managed firms, tend to implement more FFWP. Conversely, a firm's environment does not have a significant impact on the FFWP it provides
Shadow of the contract: how contract structure shapes inter-firm dispute resolution

This paper investigates how contract structure influences inter-firm dispute resolution processes and outcomes by examining a unique dataset consisting of over 150,000 pages of documents relating to 102 business disputes.  We find that the level of contract detail affects the type of dispute resolution approach that is adopted when conflict arises, and that different approaches are associated with different costs for resolving the dispute.  We also find that the effect of contract choice on dispute resolution approach is moderated by the degree of coordination required in the relationship, and that the effect of dispute approach on costs is moderated by the degree of power asymmetry between the parties.  Thus, even after controlling for various attributes of the exchange relationship and the dispute, the choice of contracting structure has important strategic implications.
Does complexity deter customer‐focus?

Economic models suggest that firms use a simple cost‐benefit calculation to evaluate customer requests for new product features, but an extensive organizational literature shows the decision to implement innovation is more nuanced. We address this theoretical tension by studying how firms respond to customer requests for incremental product innovations, and how these responses change when the requested innovation is complex. Using large sample empirical analyses combined with detailed qualitative data drawn from interviews, we find considerable variance in the relationship between customer demands, complexity, and investments in incremental innovations. The qualitative study revealed the importance of organization structures, competitive pressures, and incentives for resource allocation processes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Nitrogen-doped tungsten oxide nanowires: Low-temperature synthesis on Si, and electrical, optical, and field-emission properties

[[abstract]]Very dense and uniformly distributed nitrogen-doped tungsten oxide (WO3) nanowires were synthesized successfully on a 4-inch Si(100) wafer at low temperature. The nanowires were of lengths extending up to 5 mu m and diameters ranging from 25 to 35 nm. The highest aspect ratio was estimated to be about 200. An emission peak at 470 nm was found by photoluminescence measurement at room temperature. The suggested growth mechanism of the nanowires is vapor-solid growth, in which gaseous ammonia plays a significant role to reduce the formation temperature. The approach has proved to be a reliable way to produce nitrogen-doped WO3 nanowires on Si in large quantities. The direct fabrication of WO3-based nanodevices on Si has been demonstrated.[[fileno]]2020315010015[[department]]材料科學工程學
Condensed Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Super Fibers

The ultra-low intershell shear strength in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been
the primary obstacle to applications of CNTs as mechanical reinforcements. In
this paper we propose a new CNT-system composed of comprising of coaxial
cylindrical shells of sp2-bonded carbons with condensed intershell spacings.
Our atomistic calculations show that such condensed multiwalled carbon
nanotubes (CMWNTs) can greatly enhance intershell shear strengths by several
orders, and can simultaneously generate higher tensile strengths and moduli
respectively than those of ordinary CNTs. It has further shown that CMWNTs can
maintain thermally stable up to 2,000 K. By taking advantage of the primary
enhancement mechanism of CMWNTs, a method of producing CMWNTs is therefore
proposed tentatively. It is believed that CMWNTs featured with those properties
can be taken as excellent candidates of super fibers for creating space
elevators
Low-dimensional, hinged bar-code metal oxide layers and free-standing, ordered organic nanostructures from turbostratic vanadium oxide

Both low-dimensional bar-coded metal oxide layers, which exhibit molecular hinging, and free-standing organic nanostructures can be obtained from unique nanofibers of vanadium oxide (VOx). The nanofibers are successfully synthesized by a simple chemical route using an ethanolic solution of vanadium pentoxide xerogel and dodecanethiol resulting in a double bilayered laminar turbostratic structure. The formation of vanadium oxide nanofibers is observed after hydrothermal treatment of the thiol-intercalated xerogel, resulting in typical lengths in the range 2–6 µm and widths of about 50–500 nm. We observe concomitant hinging of the flexible nanofiber lamina at periodic hinge points in the final product on both the nanoscale and molecular level. Bar-coded nanofibers comprise alternating segments of organic–inorganic (thiols–VOx) material and are amenable to segmented, localized metal nanoparticle docking. Under certain conditions free-standing bilayered organic nanostructures are realized
Carbon-Nanotube-Polymer Nanocomposites for Field-Emission Cathodes

We report the electron field emission characteristics of functionalised single walled carbon nanotube – polymer composites produced by solution processing. We show that excellent electron emission can be obtained by using as little as 0.7% volume fraction of nanotubes in the composite. Furthermore by tailoring the nanotube concentration and type of polymer, improvements in the charge transfer through the composite can be obtained. The synthesis of well dispersed randomly oriented nanotube - polymer composites by solution processing allows the development of carbon nanotube based large area cathodes produced using a scaleable technology. The relative insensitivity of the cathode’s field emission characteristics to the electrical conductivity of the composite is also discussed
Surface modification of electrospun polycaprolactone nanofiber meshes by plasma treatment to enhance biological performance

A critical aspect in the development of biomaterials is the optimization of
their surface properties to achieve an adequate cell response. In the present
work, electrospun polycaprolactone nanofiber meshes (NFMs) are treated
by radio-frequency (RF) plasma using different gases (Ar or O2), power (20
or 30 W), and exposure time (5 or 10 min). Morphological and roughness
analysis show topographical changes on the plasma-treated NFMs. X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicate an increment of the
oxygen-containing groups, mainly –OH and –C––O, at the plasma-treated
surfaces. Accordingly, the glycerol contact angle results demonstrate a
decrease in the hydrophobicity of plasma-treated meshes, particularly in the
O2-treated ones. Three model cell lines (fibroblasts, chondrocytes, and
osteoblasts) are used to study the effect of plasma treatments over the
morphology, cell adhesion, and proliferation. A plasma treatment with O2
and one with Ar are found to be the most successful for all the studied cell
types. The influence of hydrophilicity and roughness of those NFMs on their
biological performance is discussed. Despite the often claimed morphological
similarity of NFMs to natural extracellular matrixes, their surface
properties contribute substantially to the cellular performance and therefore
those should be optimized.This work was partially supported by the European Integrated Project GENOSTEM (LSH-STREP-CT-2003-503161) and the European Network of Excellence EXPERTISSUES (NMP3-CT2004-500283). The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for the project Naturally Nano (POCI/EME/589821 2004) and the Ph.D. grant of A. Martins (SFRH/BD/24382/2005) is also acknowledged
Molecular switch controlled by pulsed bias voltages

It was observed in recent experiments that the current-voltage
characteristics (IV) of BPDN-DT (bipyridyl- dinitro- oligophenylene-
ethynylene- dithiol) can be switched in a very controlled manner between "on"
and "off" traces by applying a pulse in a bias voltage, V_bias. We have
calculated the polaron formation energies to check a frequently held belief,
namely, that the polaron formation can explain the observed bistability. Our
results are not consistent with such a mechanism. Instead, we propose a
conformational reorientation. The molecule carries an intrinsic dipole moment
which couples to V_bias. Ramping V_bias exerts a force on the dipole that can
reorient ("rotate") the molecule from the ground state ("off") into a
metastable configuration ("on") and back. By elaborated electronic structure
calculations, we identify a specific path for this rotation through the
molecule's conformational phase space. We show that this path has sufficiently
high barriers to inhibit thermal instability but still the molecule can be
switched in the voltage range of the junction stability. The theoretical IVs
reproduce qualitatively the key experimental observations. We propose, how the
alternative mechanism of conductance switching can be experimentally verified.Comment: LaTEX, 6 Figures, published versio
Resistive switching in nanogap systems on SiO2 substrates

Voltage-controlled resistive switching is demonstrated in various gap systems
on SiO2 substrate. The nanosized gaps are made by different means using
different materials including metal, semiconductor, and metallic nonmetal. The
switching site is further reduced by using multi-walled carbon nanotubes and
single-walled carbon nanotubes. The switching in all the gap systems shares the
same characteristics. This independence of switching on the material
compositions of the electrodes, accompanied by observable damage to the SiO2
substrate at the gap region, bespeaks the intrinsic switching from
post-breakdown SiO2. It calls for caution when studying resistive switching in
nanosystems on oxide substrates, since oxide breakdown extrinsic to the
nanosystem can mimic resistive switching. Meanwhile, the high ON/OFF ratio
(10E5), fast switching time (2 us, test limit), durable cycles demonstrated
show promising memory properties. The intermediate states observed reveal the
filamentary conduction nature.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
Tearing graphene sheets from adhesive substrates produces tapered nanoribbons

Graphene is a truly two-dimensional atomic crystal with exceptional electronic and mechanical properties. Whereas conventional bulk and thin-film materials have been studied extensively, the key mechanical properties of graphene, such as tearing and cracking, remain unknown, partly due to its two-dimensional nature and ultimate single-atom-layer thickness, which result in the breakdown of conventional material models. By combining first-principles ReaxFF molecular dynamics and experimental studies, a bottom-up investigation of the tearing of graphene sheets from adhesive substrates is reported, including the discovery of the formation of tapered graphene nanoribbons. Through a careful analysis of the underlying molecular rupture mechanisms, it is shown that the resulting nanoribbon geometry is controlled by both the graphene–substrate adhesion energy and by the number of torn graphene layers. By considering graphene as a model material for a broader class of two-dimensional atomic crystals, these results provide fundamental insights into the tearing and cracking mechanisms of highly confined nanomaterials.United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Grant HR0011-08-1-0067)United States. Army Research Office. (Grant W911NF-06-1-0291
Controlling cell behavior through the design of polymer surfaces

Polymers have gained a remarkable place in the biomedical
fi eld as materials for the fabrication of various devices and
for tissue engineering applications. The initial acceptance or
rejection of an implantable device is dictated by the crosstalk
of the material surface with the bioentities present in the
physiological environment. Advances in microfabrication
and nanotechnology offer new tools to investigate the
complex signaling cascade induced by the components of
the extracellular matrix and consequently allow cellular
responses to be tailored through the mimicking of some
elements of the signaling paths. Patterning methods and
selective chemical modifi cation schemes at different length
scales can provide biocompatible surfaces that control
cellular interactions on the micrometer and sub-micrometer
scales on which cells are organized. In this review, the
potential of chemically and topographically structured
micro- and nanopolymer surfaces are discussed in hopes
of a better understanding of cell–biomaterial interactions,
including the recent use of biomimetic approaches or
stimuli-responsive macromolecules. Additionally, the focus
will be on how the knowledge obtained using these surfaces
can be incorporated to design biocompatible materials for
various biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering,
implants, cell-based biosensors, diagnostic systems, and basic
cell biology. The review focusses on the research carried out
during the last decade.The research leading to these results has received partial funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. NMP4-SL-2009-229292 and by the FCT projects PTDC/FIS/68517/2006, PTDC/QUI/69263/2006, PTDC/FIS/68209/2006, and PTDC/QUI/68804/2006
Composite yarns of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with metallic electrical conductivity

Unique macrostructures known as spun carbon-nanotube fibers (CNT yarns) can be manufactured from vertically aligned forests of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). These yarns behave as semiconductors with room-temperature conductivities of about 5x102 S cm-1. Their potential use as, for example, microelectrodes in medical implants, wires in microelectronics, or lightweight conductors in the aviation industry has hitherto been hampered by their insufficient electrical conductivity. In this Full Paper, the synthesis of metal–CNT composite yarns, which combine the unique properties of CNT yarns and nano-crystalline metals to obtain a new class of materials with enhanced electrical conductivity, is presented. The synthesis is achieved using a new technique, self-fuelled electro deposition (SFED), which combines a metal reducing agent and an external circuit for transfer of electrons to the CNT surface, where the deposition of metal nano-particles takes place. In particular, the Cu–CNT and Au–CNT composite yarns prepared by this method have metal-like electrical conductivities (2–3 x 105 S cm-1) and are mechanically robust against stringent tape tests. However, the tensile strengths of the composite yarns are 30–50% smaller than that of the unmodified CNT yarn. The SFED technique described here can also be used as a convenient means for the deposition of metal nano-particles on solid electrode supports, such as conducting glass or carbon black, for catalytic applications
Nanoporous Elements in Microfluidics for Multiscale Manipulation of Bioparticles

Solid materials, such as silicon, glass, and polymers, dominate as structural elements in microsystems including microfluidics. Porous elements have been limited to membranes sandwiched between microchannel layers or polymer monoliths. This paper reports the use of micropatterned carbon-nanotube forests confined inside microfluidic channels for mechanically and/or chemically capturing particles ranging over three orders of magnitude in size. Nanoparticles below the internanotube spacing (80 nm) of the forest can penetrate inside the forest and interact with the large surface area created by individual nanotubes. For larger particles (>80 nm), the ultrahigh porosity of the nanotube elements reduces the fluid boundary layer and enhances particle–structure interactions on the outer surface of the patterned nanoporous elements. Specific biomolecular recognition is demonstrated using cells (≈10 μm), bacteria (≈1 μm), and viral-sized particles (≈40 nm) using both effects. This technology can provide unprecedented control of bioseparation processes to access bioparticles of interest, opening new pathways for both research and point-of-care diagnostics.Author Manuscript 2011 July 22National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (U.S.) (Grant P41 EB002503)United States. Department of State (Fulbright Science and Technology Award