Roots of growth and productivity change in Dutch shipping industry, 1500–1800

Shipping was one of the most dynamic industries of the pre industrial period. The article presents detailed estimates of the growth of output and inputs of the shipping industry in the Netherlands between 1500 and 1800. These are used to study the development of productivity in two ways: by comparing output with inputs (labour and capital), and by analysing the relationship between output prices and input prices. Both methods lead to different results, which we explain. It appears that productivity in this sector increased strongly between ca. 1550 and 1620 as a result of technological and institutional changes, such as the increased efficiency of the network of shipping routes. After 1620 labour productivity continued to increase because of factor substitution as wages increased much more than capital costs. The competitiveness of the Dutch shipping sector did not improve anymore after ca. 1650, however, which helps to explain why its rapid growth came to an end in the second half of the 17th century.     

Technologically Reflective Individuals as Enablers of Social Innovation*

This paper identifies technologically reflective individuals and demonstrates their ability to develop innovations that benefit society. Technological reflectiveness (TR) is the tendency to think about the societal impact of an innovation, and those who display this capability in public are individuals who participate in online idea competitions focused on technical solutions for social problems (such as General Electric's eco‐challenge, the James Dyson Award, and the BOSCH Technology Horizon Award). However, technologically reflective individuals also reflect in private settings (e.g., when reading news updates), thus requiring a scale to identify them. This paper describes the systematic development of an easy‐to‐administer multi‐item scale to measure an individual's level of TR. Applying the TR scale in an empirical study on a health monitoring system confirmed that individuals' degree of TR relates positively to their ability to generate (1) more new product features and uses, (2) features with higher levels of societal impact, and (3) features that are more elaborated. This scale allows firms seeking to implement co‐creation in their new product development (NPD) process and sustainable solutions to identify such individuals. Thus, this paper indicates that companies wishing to introduce new technological products with a positive societal impact may profit from involving technologically reflective individuals in the NPD process.     

Reframing the Business Case for Diversity: A Values and Virtues Perspective

We provide an ethical evaluation of the debate on managing diversity within teams and organizations between equality and business case scholars. Our core assertion is that equality and business case perspectives on diversity from an ethical reading appear stuck as they are based on two different moral perspectives that are difficult to reconcile with each other. More specifically, we point out how the arguments of equality scholars correspond with moral reasoning grounded in deontology, whereas the foundations of the business case perspective are crafted by utilitarian arguments. We show that the problems associated with each diversity perspective correspond with the traditional concerns with the two moral perspectives. To resolve this stalemate position, we argue that the equality versus business case debate needs to be approached from a third, less well-known moral perspective (i.e. virtue ethics). We posit that a focus on virtues can enhance equality by reducing prejudice and illustrate this by applying it to the HRM domains of recruitment and selection and of performance management. Subsequently, we argue that values are key to aligning virtues with each other and with corporate strategy, delineate our values and virtues perspective on diversity, and argue why and how it can enhance organizational performance.     

Towards constructive design feedback dialogues: guiding peer and client feedback to stimulate children’s creative thinking

International Journal of Technology and Design Education - Design feedback is an essential pedagogical tool that can help young novice designers navigate divergent and convergent paths while...     

Network position and firm performance – the mediating role of innovation

Analysing a unique, domain-similar database including all horticulturalists in a major flower-producing country, this paper shows that a firm’s central position in a network significantly improves its financial performance. The effect of strategic positioning in a network is in large part mediated through its enhanced innovativeness. Strategically positioning in a network of firms contributes more to firm performance, both directly as well as indirectly, than other strategic options a firm has available, such as seeking scale, seeking to diversify, pursuing cost advantages, or locating in a cluster.     

Predictors for total hospital and cardiology cost claims among patients with atrial fibrillation initiating dabigatran or acenocoumarol in The Netherlands

Aims: The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) has increased over the past years due to aging of the population, and healthcare costs associated with AF reflect a significant financial burden. The aim of this study was to explore predictors for the real-world AF-related in-hospital costs in patients that recently initiated anticoagulation with acenocoumarol or dabigatran.

Methods: Predictors for claimed total hospital care costs and cardiology costs in AF patients were explored by using hospital financial claims data from propensity score matched patient groups in a large Dutch community hospital. This study analyzed the total dataset (n?=?766) and carried out a secondary analysis for all matched pairs of anticoagulation naïve AF patients (n?=?590) by ordinal regression.

Results: Dabigatran was a predictor for significantly lower cardiology and total hospital care costs (Odds Ratio [OR]?=?0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI)?=?0.33–0.57; and OR?=?0.60, 95% CI?=?0.46–0.79, respectively). Female gender was a predictor for lower total hospital care costs. Predictors for an increase in total hospital care costs were the occurrence of stroke or systemic embolism, major bleeding, and minor bleeding. The costs predictors were comparable when limiting the analysis to patients that were anticoagulation naïve. Age and CHA₂DS₂-VASc were not predictors for either cardiology or total hospital care costs in both analyses.

Conclusion: Dabigatran treatment was as a predictor for lower cardiology costs and lower total hospital care costs in AF patients that initiated oral anticoagulation.