Controversies as governing processes in technology assessment

The first part of this article shows that in actual practice technology assessment (TA) has clearly moved from its basic conception as a set of objective methodologies developed and used by experts, to a standpoint which increasingly recognizes the need to make room for public participation. This has led to a view of controversies as informal processes of TA. The second part of the article argues for a further step, namely to conceive of TA as a social proces taking place in a space largely defined by controversies. Correlatively, it provides some initial elements for an analytical understanding of controvtersies as the 'limiting factor' of TA.     

European TA-discourses - European TA?

Is there a balance to be achieved between national technological assessment (TA) activities and the European level? What are the potential benefits of the European-level TA infrastructure both for the Community's own R&D and for national TA activities? This article discusses these questions in light of the different ways TA has been conceptualized in Europe, particularly in the light of the current debate on social shaping of technology and constructive TA. As a member of the VALUE II Think Tank group, I have also included a presentation of the initiatives of VALUE II to strengthen European TA infrastructure.     

Tailoring CTA for emerging technologies

Technology assessment (TA) has developed into a method that puts a strong emphasis on facilitating interfaces between supply of science and technology and the demand for useful applications. Recently, we also see that TA becomes an integral part of science and technology programs, for instance in nanotechnology. The basic aim of the latter is to articulate the needs, wishes, and constraints, for example from professional users, already in the emerging stage of technological development. TA methods come in many different forms, although they are often different versions of a limited set of ‘basic approaches’ adapted to specific conditions with the overall aim to improve societal embedding. The thrust of this paper lies in the development and results of a variant of constructive TA (CTA), addressing technological development in an early phase in order to bypass the Collingridge dilemma by developing and testing scenarios including options for the further development of emerging technologies.How to support a broad selection of relevant actors effectively with CTA in such a way that they are enabled to play their role in innovation processes of emerging technologies? This is the main research question taken up in this paper. To take on this challenge we develop, apply, and evaluate an intervention we named the 3-step constructive technology assessment (CTA) approach. We will apply the approach to a nanotechnology related topic, Lab-on-a-chip technology. By assessing the effects and evaluating the proposed approach, we also want to contribute to the development of new methodological insights relevant for the TA community.     

Factor analysis and structural equation model for patent analysis: a case study of Apple’s technology

In this study, we analyse patent data for technology analysis (TA) because patents are rich in information on developed technology. The results of TA can be used to perform more efficient research and development (R&D) planning. Most companies are trying to develop new and innovative technologies to improve their competitive positions. Research involving TA has been introduced in a variety of fields. Most of the published research analysed original variables related to a target technology. However, it is necessary to analyse the latent variables as well as the original variables included in the technology to achieve a better TA model. Therefore, we propose a factor analysis and a structural equation model for patent analysis. In addition, we use Apple’s patents to determine the target technology. In our case study, we analyse Apple’s technologies by latent variables. Our case study shows how the proposed model is applied to Apple’s R&D planning.     

International perspectives on technology assessment

Technology assessment (TA) has attracted worldwide attention, but at present TA means different things to different countries. In industrialized market economy countries, TA consists of policy studies that deal with the side effects of technology. In centrally planned economy countries, TA is considered another tool for social management of technology. For developing countries, TA is expected to help in selecting appropriate technologies for development. These different perspectives have significant implications not only in how TA is done differently in different countries, but also in how international and global TA can be done effectively.     

Research,teaching, and ‘other’: what determines job placement of economics Ph.D.s?

This article examines job placement for Economics Ph.D.s seeking junior-level positions using a data set constructed from job candidate vitas, public websites, and queries to programme directors. Based upon multinomial logit estimation, being from highly ranked graduate institutions and having high quality publications has a significantly positive effect on placement at a top 20 academic institution or Doctoral-level institution. Teaching experience – as a teaching assistant (TA) or independent instructor – has a significantly positive effect on placement, but only for institutions ranked below the top 60, Masters and Baccalaureate institutions, and non-tenure track academic positions. We find little evidence on the effect of teaching in tenure track hires for departments with Doctoral programmes or mid-tier prestige. Moreover, teaching experience has a significantly negative effect on placement in the top group of academic institutions in Economics.     

人才聚集与区域经济发展相关性研究——以天津滨海新区为例

人才聚集是区域经济发展的人才资源保障,区域经济发展是导致人才聚集现象的根本原因,两者相辅相成,在地区经济发展的过程中互为因果.本文研究并提取反映人才聚集和区域经济发展水平的关键因素,建立滨海新区人才聚集和区域经济发展相关性模型,使用近十余年统计数据,对人才聚集和区域经济发展之间的协同关系进行了评价.对评价结果进行分析,发现滨海新区人才聚集和区域经济发展之间的关系历经起步和发展阶段,到2007年以后进入协调阶段,发展现状符合新区区域经济发展的一般规律,人才聚集已经进入突变阶段.滨海新区正在完成产业结构聚集,其人才聚集突变带来的增速放缓、结构调整等阶段性特征符合滨海新区产业结构体系调整的发展要求.     

A taxonomic review of methods and tools applied in technology assessment

Technology Assessment (TA) has been a growing field of management study for the past four decades. An increasing number of studies have been carried out over the years contributing to the development of TA literature. Some of these studies summarized the history and growth of the field during its evolution. However, there has been no effort made to present an overview of the methods and tools that have been cited in TA literature. This paper attempts to fill that void. A thorough review of the TA articles published in leading journals in the management of technology field is conducted to identify the research methods or tools in those studies. The paper provides an introductory review of the use of technology assessment terminology during its development, which helps the readers avoid the confusion of the TA concept since its origination in public decision making forty years ago and where it is now — widely adopted in other sectors. A thorough presentation of the approaches, methods and tools that have been introduced or employed in both mainstream TA and “inverted TA” studies is then provided. The main content of the paper is related to the works published in leading international journals that involve certain research methods or techniques.     

Barriers to use of policy-relevant information by decision makers

This paper identifies the major barriers which hinder or prevent the application of policy-relevant information, derived from analytical techniques, to practical decisions by actual decision makers. The focus of the report is on Technology Assessment (TA), as an analytical technique which has not yet received the level of utilization which its practitioners have hoped for. However, TA borrows from the older analytic disciplines of technological forecasting and systems analysis, and is related to others such as cost-benefit analysis. Because of the similarities with these other disciplines, many of the barriers which hinder the application of these older techniques also act as barriers to the greater     

Politics and institutions: European parliamentary technology assessment

This paper analyses, from an institutionalist perspective, the emergence, nature and ways in which parliamentary scientific and technological advice activities are carried out in different European countries. A diffusion process from the United Sates could be identified in the early times, but some local preconditions are also important for the adoption of these practices in Europe, as well as the existence of some political entrepreneurs willing to advance the initiatives within their respective political systems. We argue that the connection of technology assessment (TA) with the political process can only be understood if the former is regarded not only as an input in the decision-making process but also as a legitimising mechanism.Different models of arrangements of parliamentary TA (PTA) are identified, depending on the degree of inclusiveness of different actors in the TA process. The adaptation, consolidation and differential impact of these organizations are mediated by two factors: the capacity of PTA organizations to gain support, both inside and outside the Legislature, and their capacity to access decision makers in an environment of competition with other organizations that also produce TA. Models of PTA have both types of these capacities in differing degrees. It is argued that differences in the potential impact of TA activities in the different countries are to be analysed in the context of the rules of the political game and the types of incentives that TA organizations face. The degree of autonomy/dependence and exclusivity/nonexclusivity of the assessment for the parliaments are essential for understanding the diversity of impacts.     

Technology assessment and political decision-making

Often technology assessments (TA) performed in the public sector serve two very different masters. As a policy assessment tool employed in a political environment, TA must make allowance for the norms, values and sources of legitimacy for bureaucratic policy-making. At the same time, TA is evaluated and legitimated according to many of the same logical and methodological criteria as the sciences and other modes of systematic inquiry. This essay considers the sometimes conflicting values of rationality, political interests, and organizational routines that come into play in public sector TA. Allison's decision-making typology is employed to facilitate analysis of the conflicting values.     

Integration of Technology Assessment in R&D Management Practices

This paper addresses the question of how technology assessment (TA) can be best integrated in the managment of R&D both at the laboratory and the policy level. The main objective is to present a conceptual framework to situate and evaluate the actual and possible TA infrastructure in Europe. The paper consists of three distinct sections. In section one, the concept and practice of TA are briefly introduced with an emphasis on their actual institutionalizations in Europe. Section two presents a conceptual framework of R&D managment at four levels: the R&D environment, the R&D institution, the R&D process, and the R&D project. The relationship between TA and R&D management is explored for each of the four levels. Finally, in section three the concept of and motives for TA integrated within the laboratory work of scientists and engineers are presented. The basic argument of this paper is that by promoting the integration of TA in R&D managment practices, a significant contribution can be made to (1) increasing the cost-efficiency of research and (2) increase the social responsiblity of scientists. The authors therefore draw up a conceptual framework for the development of R&D-integrated TA practices called Integrated Technology Assessment (ITA).     

Heterogeneous trade agreements,WTO membership and international trade: an analysis using matching econometrics

This article explores the heterogeneous effects of trade agreements (TAs) and World Trade Organization (WTO) membership on the volume of international trade. We extend Baier and Bergstrand’s (2009a) application of matching econometrics by distinguishing between different types of TAs and WTO participation and account for the endogenous nature of trade policy. For a panel data set covering 1960–2005 and 187 countries, we find that the treatment effect on international trade systematically varies with the type of TA and WTO membership.     

POVERTY AND INCOME DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZIL1

The article refutes the contention that Brazil's development has not benefited the poor and that rapid growth has had a polarizing effect on the distribution of income. It uses the National Household Expenditure Survey of 1974–75 to try to quantify the extent of poverty and concludes that the incòme levels of the poor have been underestimated in the past. The evidence suggests also that occupational and regional variables are powerful determinants of income stratification. Wage rate statistics convey information about long-term trends in income. The article notes considerable increases in rural wages during the 1970s as well as wage improvements in the urban informal sector. Shifts in the structure of employment have probably been the most powerful cause of economic improvement in Brazil. The enormous absorption of rural-urban migrants occurred without a flooding of the lower income urban categories. Social indicators and statistics referring to ownership of household durable consumer goods corroborate income and labor market evidence to the effect that there has been considerable progress for the poor during the 1970s. The article reviews statistical evidence bearing on distribution. There is little doubt that the distribution of income in Brazil is very skewed. It is not possible, however, to come to conclusions about changes that might have occurred in the degree of inequality over time. Finally, the article includes data on the “distribution of education” and the “distribution of life expectancy” and notes improvement over time in both. This article takes advantage of the Brazilian population census of 1980 to bring up to date some of the statistical material that bears on the issues of poverty and income distribution. First, the article describes the overall context of Brazilian development since 1960. The second part analyzes the extent of poverty in the mid-1970s. The third part deals with trends in wages, employment and selected welfare indicators. The last section briefly summarizes the information relating to income distribution: what is the extent of skewedness and how has it evolved over time?     

中国汽车产业集群发展存在问题分析

1886年的1月29日,世界上第一辆真正意义上的汽车诞生,如今汽车已经成为人类社会必不可少的组成部分,而随着汽车产业迅猛发展,汽车产业也成为衡量一个国家重工业发展水平的重要标准。中国汽车产业集群发展现状,存在的问题和解决方法是研究的重点。     

Making Chile Visible: Purposes,Operationalisation and Audiences from the Perspective of Nation Branding Practitioners

Chile has become the paradigm of nation branding in Latin America, employing branding initiatives to try to shake off the uncomfortable past of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship, as well as to create a ‘new’ image that fits into a globalised and neoliberal world. Whilst there has previously been some analysis of Chile’s branding efforts, the viewpoints of the local actors involved in these initiatives have largely been ignored. This article addresses this issue, examining the tensions faced by different individuals who have taken part in nation branding in the country. Drawing on interviews with some of these individuals, this article examines three areas of tension: (1) the conflicting purposes guiding the practice of nation branding, (2) the difficulties around the operationalisation of nation branding and (3) the controversies regarding the intended audiences for their efforts.     

Key study of bank accounts for young people with using multi-criteria optimization and fuzzy analysis

Using multi-criteria optimization and fuzzy analysis this article aims to select the most suitable bank account for young people. Two scientific questions are asked: Is the same type of student account suitable for an active as well as an inactive client? Are there any free of charge student accounts?

The first part focuses on the introduction to the topic, a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of student accounts and modelling of two target groups. The second part describes the methodology of decision-making by using a fuzzy set theory. Selection of the optimum student account will be made by the transformation matrix. Subsequently, the retransformation matrix is set. The most suitable student accounts are again selected for each profile and the results are compared with the analysis in the first part. To complete the solution, the last part of the article focuses on decision-making with the uncertainty of input information. Due to ignorance of their own monthly needs and the number of payments, fuzzy sets are used. In addition to the active and passive client, a third profile will be newly created and can be identified with some of the profiles to a certain extent.     

Science, Technology and the Quest for Sustainable Development

The quest for sustainable development is seen in this article as an intrinsic part of the reconstitution of environmentally-oriented science and technology policy that has been taking place over the past 15 years in most European countries. Rather than dealing with environmental problems after they have occurred, the trend is increasingly to base environmental research and development on so-called preventive principles and to seek to integrate environmental concern into all other areas of science and technology development. There is also a widespread effort to foster new ways to involve the 'public' in the making of science and technology policy. The article is based on results from the project, Public Engagement and Science and Technology Policy Options (PESTO), for which the author served as coordinator.     

Growth Overfishing: The Race to Fish Extends to the Dimension of Size

The gravity of growth overfishing is increasingly recognized. The size-distribution of fish stocks is often severely truncated, even when the overall biomass is reasonably well managed. In a first part of this article, I show how the “race to fish” extends to the dimension of size: Akin to the classical Bertrand competition in prices, each agent has an incentive to target fish at a smaller size. In fact, for perfect selectivity, competition between two agents is sufficient to dissipate all rents. In a second part of this article, I explore the implications of size-differentiated harvesting for ITQ regulation. I show that quotas specified in terms of numbers are far superior to those specified in terms of weight or value.     

Restructuring China's Petrochemical Enterprises: A Case Study of the Fushun Petrochemical Company

This article presents a case study of Fushun Petrochemical Company (FPC), which is a large state-owned enterprise (SOE) in Liaoning province under the control of China National Petroleum Corporation. In the first part of the article we argue that China's approach to the reform of large-scale SOEs in upstream industries such as petroleum has a sound economic logic. In the second part we use the recent restructuring of FPC to illustrate China's approach to reforming the petrochemical sector. We draw on interviews with managers and local government officials to discuss both the difficulties that the enterprise faced prior to reform and the main measures that were implemented during restructuring to address these problems. While the restructuring process at FPC has just been completed, we argue that the outcome provides some support for China's decision to promote large SOEs in upstream industries.