Technology transfer with commitment

Summary. This paper considers technology transfer in a duopoly where the firms have two types of commitment strategies: incentive delegation and capacity installation. It turns out that the possibility of technology transfer significantly differs under these two types of commitment as well as depending on whether one or both firms commit. Under strategic incentive delegation, the possibility of technology transfer is minimal when both firms use the incentive delegation strategy and the costs of incentive delegation are negligible. If both firms choose the incentive delegation strategy and the costs of incentive delegation are significant then the possibility of technology transfer rises compared to a situation with no pre-commitment. In case of commitment to a capacity level before production, the possibility of technology transfer does not change when both firms simultaneously commit to their capacity levels. Different sets of results arise when only one firm can pre-commit. Received: February 10, 1997; revised version: December 16, 1999     

Uncovering learning outcomes: explicating obscurity in learning of aesthetics in design and technology education

Education and training interventions can be evaluated through the success of learning outcomes. Kirkpatrick's four-level model is a widely accepted and highly popular evaluation tool. However, some criticise the model's shortcomings. This article will examine the extent to which the four-level model can evaluate design and technology students' learning about aesthetics after an intervention by reporting our use of an augmented version of the four-level model. We examine the results in terms of students' reaction to the intervention, their long-term learning and their behaviour changes by studying their visual analyses and drawings through segment codes. We found that, in order to uncover the obscurities imbedded in aesthetics and to explicate the complexities, we could not use the four-level-model on its own, but had to revert to a more augmented version.

Ubiquitous computing and its effects on small businesses

Much of the previous literature on ubiquitous computing (UbiComp) has been limited to case studies, reporting innovative practices of specific technologies (e.g., RFID) and social issues. There is a general paucity of research on strategic application of UbiComp, especially to small businesses. To address this issue, this study provides a broad overview of the current practices of UbiComp in leading countries and presents possible future directions. Then, the effects of UbiComp on small businesses are discussed. Through a cross-national comparative analysis, we present four strategies to provide some guidance to the countries that are currently considering entering into the UbiComp race.     

高新技术产品对外贸易对我国就业技能结构影响的实证分析

高新技术产品对外贸易是技术外溢的渠道,它能引起技能偏向性技术改变,从而对劳动力技能产生引致需求。文章通过建立计量模型,分别考察在短期内高新技术产品贸易对我国就业技能结构的影响以及在长期内除高新技术产品贸易因素之外,其它关键因素对我国就业技能结构的影响,并根据其结论为我国改善就业技能结构提出合理政策建议。     

The technology transfer paradox

This paper examines whether a country that enjoys a superior technology in all commodities in a two-country, multi-commodity Ricardian setting could actually gain if its technology in which it possesses its greatest comparative advantage is stolen or transferred to the other country without any compensation. Such a paradoxical possibility is shown always to exist with a finite number of commodities and equal-shared Cobb-Douglas demand conditions for certain ranges of relative country size.     

Welfare gains from Foreign Direct Investment through technology transfer to local suppliers

We hypothesize that multinational firms operating in emerging markets transfer technology to local suppliers to increase their productivity and to lower input prices. To avoid hold-up by any single supplier, the foreign firm must make the technology widely available. This technology diffusion induces entry and more competition which lowers prices in the supply market. As a result, not just the foreign-owned firm, but all firms downstream of that supply market obtain lower prices. We test this hypothesis using a panel dataset of Indonesian manufacturing establishments. We find strong evidence of productivity gains, greater competition, and lower prices among local firms in markets that supply foreign entrants. The technology transfer is Pareto improving — output and profits increase for firms in both the supplier and buyer sectors. Further, the technology transfer generates an externality that benefits buyers in other sectors downstream from the supply sector as well. This externality may provide a justification for policy intervention to encourage foreign investment.     

企业研发管理对R&D投入与企业绩效关系的调节效应

R&D投入与企业绩效的关系一直是学术界关注的焦点。在对国内外相关文献进行分析的基础上，以广东省3 214家科技型中小微企业为研究样本，实证研究R&D投入对科技型中小微企业绩效的影响以及企业研发管理对两者关系的调节作用。结果表明：R&D投入对企业绩效有显著影响，同时企业研发管理制度对企业R&D投入与其绩效的关系具有显著调节作用。其中，研发管理制度对研发经费投入强度、研发人员投入总量、研发人员投入强度与企业绩效之间的关系具有显著调节作用，但是对研发经费投入总量与企业绩效之间的关系没有显著调节作用。据此，从企业、政府两个层面提出相应的对策建议。     

科技政策研究机构演进、图景与特征：基于37个机构的分析

在分析科技政策研究机构历史演进特征的基础上，选取国内外37个具有权威性和代表性的科技政策研究机构，分别从机构独立性、战略定位、机构职能、研究概况、出版物、组织结构、人员构成、经费来源8个维度对其发展情况进行整体描述，并从与隶属部门关系、自身研究特色及机构影响力3个方面概括其基本特征。     

Introducing a three‐tier sustainability framework to examine bike‐sharing system use: An extension of the technology acceptance model

There is growing interest among the general public and researchers in the sharing economy, because of its profound impact on individuals, businesses and governments today. A particular kind of the sharing economy is bike‐sharing systems which provide benefits for users, societies and the environment, suggesting sustainability could play an important role in their use. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to examine bike‐sharing users through a three‐tier framework, where sustainability is considered at multiple tiers, that is, micro (personality), mezzo (relations) and macro (system) tiers. In line with this proposition, the conceptual model is an extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), representing factors at the macro tier, that is, perceived sustainable usefulness and ease‐of‐use, influenced by bike quality. The effect of sustainable subjective norms on loyalty plays out at the mezzo tier, while sustainable extraversion is linked to loyalty at the micro tier. The model was tested on a sample of bike‐sharing system users. The results show that bike quality positively influences perceived sustainable usefulness, but not ease‐of‐use; however, ease‐of‐use positively influences loyalty among users, while usefulness does not. In addition, sustainable subjective norms and sustainable extraversion have a significant positive effect on user bike‐sharing system loyalty. The findings offer a range of implications for the providers of bike‐sharing systems, municipalities and governments which are promoting alternative means of transportation to reduce the carbon footprint.     

Wearable technology in service delivery processes: The gender-moderated technology objectification effect

In the current research, we investigate how employees’ adoption of wearable technology (i.e., a front-line employee using Google Glass for a hotel check-in) influences consumers’ service encounter evaluations and revisit intentions. Building on the theoretical frameworks of technology objectification effect, person sensitivity bias and gender stereotypes, we find that wearable technology has a differential impact on service evaluations based on the employee's gender. Study 1 demonstrates that for female employees, the adoption of wearable technology leads to more favorable customer evaluations in service failure encounters. Study 2 shows that for male employees, the adoption of wearable technology leads to less favorable customer evaluations in service success encounters. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications of these findings.