Corporate venturing initiation: the examination of interfirm adaptation,sensemaking, and strategic reactiveness

The innovative outcomes of an ongoing collaborative relationship can encourage new corporate venturing. We propose that, during or after collaborative relationships, firms initiate new corporate ventures depending on the factor of interfirm adaptation, the mediating role of sensemaking, and the moderating factor of strategic reactiveness. The objectives of the analysis are achieved through the mediated moderation model this article describes; drawing on insights from the collective cognitive perspective, the study indicates that corporate ventures are initiated when interfirm adaptation interacts with a higher level of strategic reactiveness and with sensemaking as a mediator. The research findings provide important new implications for the broader domain of social cognitive theory.     

免棱镜全站仪在已有建筑测绘中的应用方法

结合实际测绘情况,介绍了利用免棱镜全站仪的数据采集功能进行外业接坐标、现场人工绘草图、内业数据处理后在AutoCAD中展点成图,在此基础上结合钢尺测量数据,绘制平、立面图的方法,并对该测量方法的实施步骤和关键技术作了较为详细的介绍。     

菲涅耳非相干全息术3D全息成像探讨

全息成像提供了一种从单一观察点捕捉具有完整三维信息画面的可靠、快捷的方法。本文回顾了近期提出的单通道菲涅耳数字全息光学系统,该系统能获得由非相干光照射的三维实物体的全息图。在这一静态全息技术中,由三维物体反射或发射光,在通过空间光调制器（SLM）后,用数码相机记录。SLM被用作单通道非相干干涉仪的分束器,使来自物体上各点的球面波被分成两束具有不同曲率半径的球面波。所有球面波干涉结果的非相干总和,即可生成被观测物体的三维菲涅耳全息图。在计算机中可再现该全息图,使其三维特征得以呈现。     

A novel CAI system for space conceptualization training in perspective sketching

For many designers, freehand sketching is the primary tool for conceptualization in the early stage of the design process. However, current education on concept presentation techniques rarely emphasizes the construction of the most fundamental spatial unit, the cube. Incorrect construction of spatial units leads to disproportions that deviate from the common visual experience, and consequently slows down the design process. In addition, weak spatial cognition can be a problem when transferring sketches into orthographic drawings. To address these issues, this research focuses on the training of cube sketching techniques using both freehand skills and digital devices. Based on the station-point approach for two-point perspective drawings, this study developed a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) platform for beginners, with which users can practice freehand sketching for self-improvement. This platform provides instant corrective feedback to every freehand-sketched cube, thus promoting better learning outcome and more effective use of educational resources. Similar platforms have not yet been found in the field. The proposed system’s feasibility and practicality were evaluated through a series of teaching experiments. The results indicated that the proposed CAI system can improve students’ sketching accuracy by 19% after 6 weeks of instruction, and that the proposed system was found to be more effective than traditional pen-and-pencil instructions in advancing sketching techniques.     

The validity and value of peer assessment using adaptive comparative judgement in design driven practical education

This paper presents the response of the technology teacher education programmes at the University of Limerick to the assessment challenge created by the shift in philosophy of the Irish national curriculum from a craft-based focus to design-driven education. This study observes two first year modules of the undergraduate programmes that focused on the development of subject knowledge and practical craft skills. Broadening the educational experience and perspective of students to include design based aptitudes demanded a clear aligning of educational approaches with learning outcomes. As design is a complex iterative learning process it requires a dynamic assessment tool to facilitate and capture the process. Considering the critical role of assessment in the learning process, the study explored the relevance of individual student-defined assessment criteria and the validity of holistic professional judgement in assessing capability within a design activity. The kernel of the paper centres on the capacity of assessment criteria to change in response to how students align their work with evidence of capability. The approach also supported peer assessment, where student-generated performance ranks provided an insight into not only how effectively they evidenced capability but also to what extent their peers valued it. The study investigated the performance of 137 undergraduate teachers during an activity focusing on the development of design, processing and craft skills. The study validates the use of adaptive comparative judgement as a model of assessment by identifying a moderate to strong relationship with performance scores obtained by two different methods of assessment. The findings also present evidence of capability beyond the traditional measures. Level of engagement, diversity, and problem solving were also identified as significant results of the approach taken. The strength of this paper centres on the capacity of student-defined criterion assessment to evidence learning, and concludes by presenting a valid and reliable holistic assessment supported by comparative judgements.     

National characteristics: innovation systems from the process efficiency perspective

This study compares the innovation system characteristics of 40 countries from the perspective of process efficiency. We treat the national innovation system as a two‐stage process that first produces knowledge and then commercializes the knowledge produced. After identifying efficiencies through data envelopment analysis, the within‐country strengths, or the contribution of the individual process factor to the efficiency, of all 40 target countries are compared by applying the network‐based ranking method. The comparison is different from previous efficiency‐based studies in that it hints at country characteristics and highlights the cross‐country benchmarks for each process factor. The pattern of within‐country strengths underlines the characteristic of each country. Based on country characteristics, we highlight the national differences and categorize the target countries into nine distinctive groups. We find that no single country demonstrates characteristics that focus on both the knowledge production and knowledge commercialization stages. The results provide policy makers with both references on what to improve and information for where to learn the experience from.     

Pretesting the effectiveness of industrial advertising

This article addresses the pretesting of industrial advertising messages diffused through (mass) communications media such as professional and trade journals. It is based on case-study experience and presents a normative framework for pretesting industrial advertising.     

Electronic money: understanding its use to increase the effectiveness of policy

Policy on electronic money and electronic commerce would be more effective if there was a better understanding of the use of electronic money. The users’ perspective would complement the supply-side, economic and technological understanding of money with an understanding that emphasises the use of money in its social and cultural context. Mistaking the partial story for the whole can lead to costly misjudgements for providers and regulators. It also leads to an incomplete understanding of communication, innovation and social change.This article presents a methodology for exploring the users’ perspective, drawing on case studies on the actual use of electronic money. The user and his/her activities are placed at the centre. This leads to three shifts: the questions change, language and key concepts alter and the adoption and use of innovations is seen as a social activity. The users’ perspective presents three challenges for providers and policymakers. The first is to collect qualitative and quantitative data not only on the diffusion of innovations, but how innovations are used and not used in particular social and cultural contexts by different users. The second challenge is to find a language that will connect the economic analysis of supply and demand, cost and price with the study of use, trust and meaning. The third challenge is to acknowledge the interrelationship between the economic and non-economic aspects of our lives.     

Similarities and Differences in the Academic Education of Software Engineering and Architectural Design Professionals

This article focuses on the similarities and differences in the academic education of software engineers and architects. The rationale for this work stems from our observation, each from the perspective of her or his own discipline, that these two professional design and development processes share some similarities. A pilot study was performed, in which 24 practitioners (12 software engineers and 12 architects) were interviewed concerning the main characteristics of the two professions. The characteristics were classified according to four categories: discipline-related characteristics, professional skills, characteristics of typical problems and processes, and characteristics of a typical product. Data analysis indicates that according to the practitioners, while the professional skills required of professionals in the two disciplines are mostly common, the difference between the two disciplines is reflected most significantly in the features of the product created in the two professional processes. Based on this observation, some conclusions are outlined with respect to the academic education in the two fields.     

The structure of students’ knowledge and self-concepts. Part B. The structure of students’ self-concepts in industrial high school

The purpose of this study is to analyze the structure of industrial high school students’ self-concepts. The survey was conducted on 1,040 industrial high school students in Japan. A factor analysis was carried out, and five factors were identified: F1, attitude toward self-discipline; F2, attitude toward career development; F3, attitude toward professional skill development; F4, attitude toward social values; F5, attitude toward self-monitoring. It is suggested that the structure of students’ self-concepts in industrial high school includes these five components. The results of an ANOVA test showed that, there were significant differences among students of the three different grades for F1, F2, and F3. The mean scores for F1 and F2 became higher for older students, while the mean scores for F3 went down for older students. The results also showed a problem in that as the school year increases, the consciousness of professional development is reduced.     

Question-answering-technique to support freshman and senior engineers in processes of engineering design

In two experimental studies, the influence of question-based reflection on the quality of design solutions was investigated. Students and experts with different know-how and professional experience had to design an artefact that should meet a list of requirements. Subsequently, they were asked to answer a system of interrogative questions stimulating reflection on the solutions with the opportunity to modify or revise them. These questions cause the participants to explain, justify and evaluate their finished design and, hence, aiming at the semantic relations in systems. In all groups significant improvements of the solutions were obtained whereby the improvements of engineers with a lower work-experience (job beginners) were significantly higher as those with higher experience. The integration of a specific type of questioning behaviour in the design education is discussed.     

The Essential Features of Technology and Technology Education: A Conceptual Framework for the Development of OBE (Outcomes Based Education) Related Programmes in Technology Education

It appears that programme development in technology education is emerging from an atheoretical perspective. This could be attributed to the absence/neglect of conceptual frameworks (philosophical underpinning) in the development of programmes in technology education. This article explores the role of the content dimension of the 'essential features' of technology and technology education in OBE (Outcomes Based Education) related programme development. An instructional programme was developed using criteria derived from the essential features of technology and technology education. In order to gauge learners' experience, in relation to these essential features, a qualitative case study involving 20 learners was undertaken at a College of Education. Engagement with theprogramme proved to be an empowering experience for the learners who had hitherto not had the opportunity to experience a formal programme in technology education. Although it could not be proved conclusively that cognitive development had occurred, positive inter-dependence,shared responsibility, social skills and enhanced learning were evident. The study has shown that criteria derived from the 'essential features' of technology and technology education could serve as a reliable yardstick to measure the extent of learning in relation to these essential features     

Applying multiple perspectives to the design of a commercialization process

Most commercialization models begin by taking an idea through some sort of stage‐gate product development process. There is much talk about building market thinking into this process, but this paper argues that much more is required. The research identified three perspectives required to be present at all stages of product development. The first is labelled ‘technical and operational’, the second ‘strategic’ and the third ‘commercial’. The paper argues that each perspective is required at every stage to drive the right activities that lead to successful commercialization. The science, idea and opportunity stage leads onto the technology and feasibility stage, which in turn leads onto the product and market readiness stage. The research applied the grounded theory methodology to categorize and represent data obtained from interviews and desk research. The resulting model was introduced to a New Zealand Crown Research Institute during a consulting assignment in 2004. Three external experts were selected based on their particular perspectives and experience in the area of product development. Each perspective was built into the commercialization process. Applying multiple perspectives has led to a more robust approach to product development and a greater awareness of how multiple tools work together to create a holistic product development process. Each perspective of the commercialization process can be broken down into detailed stages. The technical and operational perspective addresses areas such as opportunity creation, proof of concept and market readiness. The strategic perspective addresses areas such as strategic fit, strategic analysis/choice and pathways to market. Finally, the commercial perspective addresses areas such as opportunity assessment, feasibility study/business planning and launch.After being in place for 18 months, the challenges faced in implementation were discussed with the current commercialization manager and the model was adapted to another institute wishing to develop a design‐led commercialization process. A key finding of the research was the common understanding of language and meaning across three distinct disciplines and the involvement of each discipline in the decision‐making process. All parties accepted the value of each other's contribution once the different perspectives were understood and accepted. The paper provides useful insights for those involved in the design of commercialization processes and establishes a multi‐dimensional framework that assists in facilitating the different perspectives required for successful commercialization.     

‘We can only request what's in our protocol’: technology and work autonomy in healthcare

This article explores the tension between standardization and autonomy raised by the implementation of new technology in healthcare organizations. The theoretical frame of this study is grounded in the impact of new technologies on work organization, routinization and autonomy across settings. Empirically it presents evidence from two NHS Trusts in England that implemented a national Electronic Patient Record (EPR). The paper aims to reinvigorate the debate on the tension between standardization and autonomy in professional workplaces such as healthcare. It argues that the implication of technology in professional work conditions processes of task routinization that constrain autonomy, and enables reallocation of discretion between professional groups. We argue that routinization is not restricted to low‐skill work but may travel across contexts and be evidenced in high‐skill work environments. The interplay between routinization and autonomy is also useful in drawing insights concerning the dynamics of change that occur in professional work.     

Rising up to the challenge of our rivals: Unpacking the drivers and outcomes of coopetition activities

Although a body of work surrounds the notion of coopetition (simultaneous cooperation and competition), the complexities of these inter-firm networks remain relatively under-researched. Consequently, this current study infuses resource-based theory and the relational view (alongside drawing upon the outside-in marketing perspective) to evaluate the drivers and outcomes of coopetition activities. The core method involved collecting survey data from a national-level sample of 323 American wine producers. After assessing this information for all major robustness checks, ordinary least squares regression analysis was used in the model-testing stage. The results showed that while a coopetition-oriented mindset, a competitor orientation, inter-firm trust, and competitive intensity positively impact coopetition activities (in a linear manner), there are certain moderating effects that influence these paths. Additionally, coopetition activities yielded a quadratic association with company performance. Business experience negatively affected this link, whereas, there was a positive interaction effect from industry experience. These findings, offer new evidence regarding the risks and potential rewards of coopetition, including mechanisms that decision-makers can utilize to manage these inter-firm relationships.     

BIM与VR技术在装饰工程设计阶段的应用分析

为了解决装饰工程设计阶段存在的设计图纸协同性较差、设计效率低,施工中存在专业碰撞及安全隐患等问题,运用BIM与VR技术并结合实际户型案例,通过构建带有参数属性的可视化设计体系,从可视化、虚拟体验、自主设计、装饰预算、碰撞检查、图纸生成等方面进行设计流程分析,探讨了BIM与VR技术在装饰工程设计阶段所带来的创新及应用价值。结果表明,BIM与VR技术在提高设计师设计效率、增强业主参与度、保证后期施工质量、降低装饰成本、提升业主满意度等方面均发挥了积极作用。BIM与VR技术为设计师和业主带来极大便利,将有可能逐步取代传统装饰工程设计流程。     

基于博弈论的代建制研究

政府投资项目采用代建制的模式,实现了项目的专业化管理,有利于提高项目的投资效益。针对代建制实施的特点,运用博弈论的相关知识,依次建立了2 个模型 —— 激励相容约束模型和效率工资模型,并通过数学推理得到若干有益结论。     

Learning how to restructure: absorptive capacity and improvisational views of restructuring actions and performance

This paper examines the role of learning in corporate restructuring. Drawing from two viewpoints of organizational learning, absorptive capacity and organizational improvisation, we examine whether experience with corporate restructuring modes (sell‐offs, spin‐offs) influences subsequent restructuring and financial performance. Consistent with an absorptive capacity view, cumulative and repetitive experience with sell‐offs was related to the adoption of an ensuing sell‐off and to higher performance. Conversely, and consistent with an organizational improvisation view, short‐term and contemporaneous experience with spin‐offs was related to the subsequent use of spin‐offs and to increases in financial performance. The findings contribute to a dynamic explanation of corporate restructuring and its influence on financial performance, illustrate differences between learning in a repetitive situation and learning when repetition is rare, and indicate when absorptive capacity and organizational improvisational views are most profitable. Overall, these findings show that different kinds of restructuring experiences were associated with different modes of restructuring and performance records. Considered collectively, the organizational learning perspective offers insights into why some corporate restructuring strategies appear as intentional and deliberate actions while others resemble more spontaneous and simultaneous responses. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A behavioural measure of information work

Information work is defined from a behavioural perspective, as the manipulation of information, when performed by workers. A set of activities characterizing information work are identified, drawing on Blooms Taxonomy as the reference source. Using this measure, the 1977 Dictionary of Occupation Titles was content analysed to identify those occupations which could be behaviourally classified as information work. 40% of all occupations were determined to be informational in work behaviour. These occupations were found across all sectors, although they were concentrated in the service sector. Many occupations, old and new, have taken on an informational character.