Panel cointegration estimates of the user cost elasticity

The effect of user cost on the capital stock is an issue of central importance in economics, with implications for tax policy, economic development, growth, monetary policy, business cycle models, and other areas. Estimating the user cost elasticity raises serious simultaneity problems because of the large fluctuations in investment demand at business cycle frequencies. If shifts in the supply curve (due to technological change and tax reforms) are more persistent than shifts in demand, cointegration techniques, which emphasize long-run movements, can reduce the simultaneity problem. If shocks to capital demand are partially idiosyncratic, the use of firm-level panel data should also reduce the simultaneity problem. In this paper, we therefore use cointegration techniques to estimate the user cost elasticity on panel data. Specifically, we employ a newly constructed data set with a long time series of firm-level data on the capital stock and with detailed industry-specific data on the interest rate, the price of investment goods, risk, and taxes.     

Brand loyalty and user skills

The paper develops the idea that brand loyalty is a rational thing for a consumer to have. The reason is that a consumer's experience with a brand creates user skills which make that brand more useful to the consumer than other brands, even though these, given the same experience, would be equally useful. In a brand switching model this implies that the consumer will switch brands only if there is an adequately large price differential and that the required price differential increases with user skills. The theory is related to standard search theory and it is shown that user skills and search costs have similar effects in the sense that either can support price dispersion in a market.     

How digital user innovators become entrepreneurs: a sociomaterial analysis

ABSTRACT

Digital entrepreneurship has received growing interest from academics and practitioners. Another form of entrepreneurship in which interest has been greatly boosted, thanks to digital technologies, is user entrepreneurship. Drawing on the sociomaterial perspective of digital entrepreneurship, the present article contributes to this body of knowledge by exploring how user entrepreneurs frame and implement the process to create new firms to commercialise their own digital innovations. Our qualitative study reports a single case study about the process of digital entrepreneurship implemented by a patient innovator that launched a new firm to commercialise his healthcare innovative solution. Various theoretical propositions about the sociomateriality of the entrepreneurial process of digital user innovators are offered.     

搭接网络向双代号网络的转化

本文研究了工程项目管理中搭接网络向双代号网络的转化问题。首先给出了不同搭接类型对应的双代号关系,然后给出了搭接网络的标准形式,据此提出搭接网络向双代号网络转化的步骤,并运用一个应用实例加以说明。本文提出的搭接网络向双代号网络转化的方法丰富了搭接网络的内容,拓宽了工程项目管理中实际问题的研究空间。     

ERP系统的使用者满意研究

ERP系统越来越成为企业获取竞争优势的必备基础,但国内外ERP系统的实施效果往往不尽如人意。ERP系统实施是个复杂的系统工程,涉及到企业的各个层面,如何测度其实施效果一直是业内热点话题。ERP系统就其本质是将管理思想固化其内的信息系统。因此本文在回顾国外对复杂信息系统实施测度研究的基础上,提出可借鉴使用者满意来测度ERP系统实施效果,并为今后实证研究奠定基础。     

The economic contribution of information technology: Towards comparative and user studies

By what process does technical change in information technology (IT) increase economic welfare? How does this process result in increases in welfare at different rates in different countries and regions? This paper considers existing literature on measuring the economic benefits from information technology, emphasizing comparative issues and user studies. Following Bresnahan and Trajtenberg (1995), we call the invention associated with customizing the technological frontier to the unique needs of users in particular regions “co-invention”, placing emphasis on understanding how its determinants vary across users in different regions. We develop a framework for understanding the processes behind value-creation, demand-side heterogeneity and co-inventive activity. Then we discuss why these processes make measuring the welfare benefits from advances in information technology particularly difficult. We highlight the metrics currently available for measuring the economic pay-out of the IT revolution and identify which of these vary meaningfully in a comparative regional context. Finally, we finish with observations about further areas of research.     

Enhancing the user role in the development of technical standards for telecommunications

The paper examines the actual and potential roles of business users of telecommunications services in influencing the development of technical standards. Variours institutional structures in the user community are examined as they relate to user particioation in formally constituted standards development arganizations. Discreparcies between users and suppliers in participatory motivations, strategies and resources are noted. The standardization process in telecommunications emerges as a technology-push initiative led by the suplly industries. However, structural changes in the telecommunications industries have resulted in new approaches to standards making. As a result, standards have acquired a new significane in terms of user control user technical and service evolution. Using the development of European standards for digital wireless telephony as an example, it is argued that this new standardization environment mandates a much more active role for users. However, it is also argued that the user stake in telecommunications standards is not of an equivalent nature to the supplier stake. Thus, a theortical framework is presented which that effective user involvement will require the development of a parallel institutional structure for the user community.     

Roadmapping for prioritisation of smartphone feature requirements based on user experiences

Since the life cycle of smartphones is becoming shorter, users are demanding new and improved smartphone features for updated smartphones, but it is difficult to know which features are the most important to users. In Internet user communities, users increasingly review smartphone functions and share information about their experiences such as complaints, problems, and satisfaction, and these user experiences have been fruitful sources for manufacturers that lead to smartphone improvements. Focusing on these user experiences, this paper proposes a systematic roadmapping process including prioritisation of smartphone feature requirements. By prioritising smartphone feature requirements, new and improved versions of smartphones that reflect user needs can be planned based on a product–market roadmap. The systematic approach consists of three parts: user-driven quality function deployment (QFD), a frequent pattern (FP)-tree algorithm, and a product–market roadmap. First, we collected data extracted from text mining in Internet user communities to construct a user-driven QFD. Second, using user experiences related to smartphone features, we applied the FP-tree algorithm to algorithmically derive a priority list of smartphone feature requirements. Finally, based on the result of the FP-tree of smartphones, we proposed guidelines to construct a product–market roadmap. It is expected that a versioning strategy can be formulated through this prioritised product–market roadmap. Furthermore, covering each step from data collection to roadmapping, this study suggests a systematic process for prioritisation of smartphone feature requirements based on user experiences.     

Absorptive capacity and firm performance: an integrative framework of benefits and downsides

Research underscores the important role a firm's absorptive capacity plays in developing knowledge, promoting open innovation, managing alliances, facilitating organisational learning, creating strategic variety, and enhancing financial performance. However, prior research often overlooks how absorptive capacity could increase a firm's costs associated with building this capacity, perpetuate and even increase inertia because of reduced variety and limited organisational search, handicap internal knowledge development, and complicate knowledge sharing. Research also ignores the growing complexity of absorptive capacity, a factor that could reduce a firm's gains from exploiting external knowledge. Our discussion builds on the knowledge-based view to provide an integrative framework for the performance effects of absorptive capacity. Based on different benefits and downsides of absorptive capacity at multiple levels of analysis, it points to an inverted U-shaped relationship between absorptive capacity and a firm's financial performance, highlighting several promising avenues for future research.     

Radical innovations as drivers of breakthroughs: characteristics and properties of the management of technology leading to superior organisational performance in the discovery process of R&D labs

An interesting problem in management of technology and economics of innovation is how to explain the sources of some breakthroughs in research organisations. The present study confronts this problem by analysing the main determinant of the discovery of quasi-periodic materials that has generated a scientific paradigm shift in crystallography. The inductive study shows that radical innovations adopted in research labs, used by high-skilled adopters (called lab-oriented radical innovations; e.g. the Transmission Electron Microscopy), support breakthroughs and enhance discovery processes. This evidence substantiates a theoretical framework, which explains the main relations, characteristics, and properties of lab-oriented radical innovations that improve discovery processes and induce the superior organisational performance in advanced scientific fields. R&D management implications are discussed.     

Automated feature extraction from social media for systematic lead user identification

Manufacturers strive to rapidly develop novel products and offer solutions that meet the emerging customer needs. The Lead User Method, emerging from studies on sources of innovation by the scientific community, offers a validated approach to identify users with innovation ideas to support rapid and successful new product development process. The approach has been more recently applied on online communities, where collection and analysis of rich user data are performed by expert practitioners. In this paper, feature extraction techniques are outlined, that enable automated classification and identification of lead users that are present in online communities. The authors describe two case studies to construct a classification model that is then used to identify online lead users for confectionery products, and to evaluate the outlined feature extraction techniques. The presented research points to opportunities in automated identification within the lead user approach that further reduce the resource and time costs.     

The effects of Information Technology on absorptive capacity and organisational performance

Information Technology (IT) offers many opportunities for firms to succeed. The aim of this paper is to present a model to reflect how technical IT skills and the use of IT in interdependent tasks may influence the development of organisational absorptive capacity, both potential and realised, which also affects organisational performance. Since knowledge constitutes one of the main resources for organisations to gain competitive advantages and helps firms to improve their organisational performance, absorptive capacity is a key factor in success. This model was tested empirically using a sample of 160 European technological firms. The results of our analysis suggest that the mastery of technical IT skills and the use of IT in interdependent tasks positively affect potential and realised absorptive capacities, which in turn enhances organisational performance. The study concludes by presenting some theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future research lines.     

One size doesn’t fit all: A project designing small-scale economic development projects

The authors describe an innovative active learning strategy for a course on the economics of developing countries—a project designing a small-scale economic development project. Student teams research issues faced by developing countries and identify a specific problem in a specific locale. Students then create a detailed, feasible plan to alleviate the problem. Student plans include five key components: justification, implementation, budget, funding and evaluation. After having implemented this project for six years, the authors believe it has the potential to enhance learning and improve analytical, creative problem-solving and research skills. Results from a spring 2017 survey, where students respond favorably to the project, are discussed.     

Does Web 2.0 utilisation lead to knowledge quality,improvisational creativity,compositional creativity,and innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises? A sense-making perspective

A few attempts were made to investigate how sense making is triggered through Web 2.0 utilisation and how it enables the accomplishment of key organisational outcomes. The objective of this research is to examine the structural relationship between Web 2.0 utilisation, knowledge quality (KQ) aspects, improvisational creativity, compositional creativity, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) innovativeness in an emerging market – Malaysia. Built upon sense-making theory, this study proposes that sense making is a progression of four formative constructs. Empirical analyses are based on a sample from SMEs’ top management (N?=?358, response rate?=?21%) using partial least squares approach. The findings indicate that Web 2.0 utilisation influences business entities’ sense-making activities in the way they realise the intrinsic value of knowledge and take action to apply the organisational knowledge. These sense-making activities are conducive to improvisational and compositional creativity of SMEs as well. Contributions, managerial implications, and limitations are discussed.     

社会网络分析方法在网络论坛舆论管理中的应用

网络的飞速发展让网络舆论成为一种新的主导舆论,如何进行网络舆论管理成为急需研究的问题。本文运用社会网络分析方法对某网络论坛一个时段的数据进行定量分析,即通过建立用户-用户网络模型和用户-事件网络模型分别分析论坛中的用户威望度、用户中心度、事件中心度以及事件之间的联系。最后,结合分析结果提出一些针对关键用户和突发事件的网络舆论管理方法。本研究在加强对网络论坛的管理和控制方面提供了分析的方法和手段。     

Linking organisational critical activities with business typology

This research aims to discover the connection between strategic typologies and organisational critical activities, and focuses on the organisational critical activities in three functional areas in high-tech organisations: ‘research and development’, ‘marketing’ and ‘manufacturing’. Research methods used include semi-structured interviews with 11 firms and 15 interviewees. And 34 participants were surveyed with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) questionnaires in Taiwan. The results show that organisations adopt different typologies tend to perform organisational critical activities differently to achieve success. Prospectors place more emphasis on ‘research and development’ related activities, Defenders focus on activities of ‘manufacturing and production related fields’, and Analysers care more about activities in ‘marketing related fields’. Defenders tend to pay more attention to activities relating to the manufacturing domain than Prospectors and Analysers. This research establishes a linkage between organisational critical activities and corporate strategy, and it could be useful for high-tech organisations to better manage their strategies.     

Political and Social Economics: Beyond Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy

Economists face at least two problems when they try to go interdisciplinary. One is how to adapt their theory where the original set of assumptions may fail to apply. This is a particular problem for economists who carry the “default” neoclassical model around in their heads. This paper outlines a map for keeping track of assumptions when doing interdisciplinary work. A second problem is how to take a theory designed for one discipline and turn it into something intelligible to practitioners of another. One needs a common language, and it is argued that general systems theory might help, even though it is not a complete language. The map proposed here provides a unified way to compare and contrast the approaches of different orthodox and heterodox traditions and better see what problems they are most suited to addressing.     

Enhancing innovation through learning: the roles of market orientation and interorganisational knowledge stores

Drawing on the organisational learning theory, this study regards market orientation as a market-based learning and seeks to advance insight into how market orientation and interorganisational knowledge stores together affect different types of innovation. Our findings from a sample of 246 manufacturing firms provide supporting evidence for the positive effect of market orientation on both explorative and exploitative innovation. The effect of market orientation on innovation gets amplified when firms possess large amount of interorganisational knowledge, demonstrating the synergistic effect produced by different types of learning which is less known. This study, therefore, sheds light on the under-researched area of literature surrounding the interaction between different learning activities and the roles of knowledge from different sources on firm innovation.     

Hyperbolic discounting and uniform savings floors

Previous research suggests that, in partial equilibrium, individuals whose decision-making exhibits a present-bias – such as hyperbolic discounters who tend to over-consume – will be in favor of having a floor imposed on their savings. In this paper, I show it is quite difficult for the introduction of a savings floor to be Pareto improving in general equilibrium. Indeed, a necessary condition for the floor to be Pareto improving is that it is high enough to be binding for all individuals. Even in that case, because the equilibrium interest rate adjusts with the level of the savings floor, some individuals may prefer to commit to a future time path of consumption by facing a high interest rate (and no floor) rather than a high floor. An essential insight for understanding this result is to note that even those with little self-control (in an absolute sense) will choose to save a lot when the interest rate is high enough.     

景观引导的乡村振兴规划设计研究

：基于国内外相关研究经验,探讨在城乡边缘地带开展“全生命周期参与式”乡村振兴的思路,以及在项目初期用景观引导规划设计、促进“自然、乡村、城市”融合发展的策略。以苏州浒墅关镇的3个村落为例,阐述了运用该设计理念指导乡村振兴规划设计的实践做法,展示了对乡村风貌实施活态保护的技术路径。以景观引导乡村振兴规划设计能有效反映田园乡村的地缘特色,同时通过激发村民作为乡建主体的积极性,促进以过程为导向的乡村弹性发展。