The spillover effects of biofuel policy on participation in the conservation reserve program

This paper studies the spillover effects of rising biofuel production on participation in the Conservation Reserve Program. Landowner participation decisions are modeled using a real options framework. We develop a land use decision model that captures biofuel-driven structural changes in market demand and derive threshold conditions that trigger participation in the program. We then quantify the impacts of biofuel production on participation at both the national and state levels using Monte Carlo simulations. The model is also used to analyze how changes in the persistence of the biofuel production boom and in the volatility of farming returns affect conservation participation decisions. Policy implications of the results are discussed.     

The effectiveness of entrepreneurial firm’s knowledge acquisition from a business incubator

This cross-cultural research project, involving the United States and Finland, explored how the entrepreneurial firm’s acquisition of business processes’ knowledge from interaction with incubator management positively impacts on new product development, increased technical competence, enhanced reputation and lower costs of sales to customers. In a sample of 52 firms, the study’s methodology depended on single response, self-reported data. The findings suggest that the sole knowledge benefits gained by the firm, from the incubator relationship, is a perception of enhanced reputation. Also, incubator managers should focus more on assisting new technology based firms with growing the venture in the marketplace. Funding for this project was provided by The National Science Foundation, and The National Technology Agency of Finland.     

舰员级维修知识管理体系研究与构建

针对当前舰员级维修能力薄弱、维修知识缺乏的现状,研究将知识管理的先进理念和方法引入到舰员级维修管理工作中来,分析舰员级维修知识管理的必要性和可行性,提出开展知识管理的指导模型,明确了舰员级维修知识管理的关键内容,构建了系统、完整的舰员级维修知识管理体系框架,为舰员级维修知识管理的实施提供了理论支持,从而促进舰员级维修整体能力的稳步提高。     

Frustration-driven process improvement

When employees are empowered to continuously record their employment-related frustrations—doing so on accessible, visually prominent media—process improvement becomes upgraded to operate in a truly continuous mode. Frustrations are a superior target of process improvement in that they get at deep-seated concerns of people who have first-order process awareness and are most directly impacted by process failings. Recording frustrations not only provides a sound basis for pressing on to solutions, but it is also cathartic. The act of recording frustrations prominently on company-sanctioned media provides a positive outlet for the frustrations themselves.     

Antecedents and consequences of knowledge sharing in international tourist hotels

The purpose of this empirical study is to investigate factors which influence knowledge sharing, organizational learning and effectiveness. Of self-completed questionnaires collected from international tourist hotels in Taiwan, 615 were usable for data analysis. The structural equation modeling results showed that leaders played the roles of mentor, facilitator and innovator, and nurtured a supportive environment at the levels of workgroup, immediate superior and organization. In addition, employees had a positive attitude towards learning and to sharing. All of these contributions facilitate transformation of collective individual knowledge to organizational knowledge, resulting in the advancement of organizational learning, and thus, greater organizational effectiveness.