Business Commons^™

Succeeding In A Cross-Disciplinary, International, Student Design-Team Project: Auburn University/University Of Plymouth Experience, Paul Swamidass, Bob Bulfin, David Grieve, Chetan Sankar, Venu Vulasa

Paul Swamidass

Globalization has turned product design upside down. Members of a single design team in multinational firms may be located in several countries such as the USA, UK, Italy, India and so on. It is a challenge to give engineering and business students a taste of this experience. Auburn University’s Business-Engineering-Technology (B-E-T) program, and the College of Engineering, University of Plymouth, participated in a joint effort to replicate real-life product design process with a mixture of engineering and business students. This paper describes the experience, its lessons and compares it with other attempts at multinational student design-team projects.

Industry Clusters And Economic Development: A Learning Resource, Edward J. Feser

Edward J Feser

One of the most widely discussed issues in community and economic development today is the role of industry clusters as engines of regional growth and development. Many communities are undertaking cluster studies or initiating cluster planning exercises as a way to organize development strategies to promote key local economic strengths or to shore up identified weaknesses. A large consulting industry has emerged to serve governments’ interest in clusters and the research literature on the topic is growing rapidly. At the same time, some analysts have likened clusters to another economic development fad that will eventually be supplanted by the next …

Narratives Of Job Satisfaction On The World Wide Web: Interpretations Of Value And Reward Within The “100 Best Companies To Work For In America”, Douglas J. Swanson Ed.D Apr

Douglas J. Swanson, Ed.D APR

This research analyzed employee job satisfaction narratives on World Wide Web sites of companies named among Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America.” Fewer than one-third of WWW sites included narratives. Narratives were most likely to express job satisfaction in personal, emotional terms and least likely to identify job security, benefits, or compensation as important rewards of work. Narratives often appeared targeted toward new college graduates. Clichés were used excessively in Web sites and narratives.

Low Cost Seismic Test Platform, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

The challenge of seismic safety is better testing of building systems rather than just components. This mobile test platform may offer an inexpensive method of testing building performance.

Zum Stand Der Elektronischen Kooperation - Fallstudien, Muster Und Handlungsempfehlungen, Enrico Senger

Enrico Senger

Elektronische Kooperation erlaubt es Unternehmen, sich stärker am Kunden und seinem Kundenprozess zu orientieren. Sie realisiert Geschäftsnetzwerke, in denen alle Beteiligten ein Kundenproblem schnell und umfassend lösen und dafür weitgehend voneinander unabhängige interne Prozessschritte der Beteiligten in gemeinsam definierte und betriebene Kooperationsprozesse integrieren. Die Arbeit untersucht diese neuen, elektronischen Geschäftslösungen, um zu verstehen, welchen Nutzen sie stiften. Die Erfahrungen der Fallstudienteilnehmer zeigen auf, welche Vernetzungsansätze erfolgreich sind und was Unternehmen beachten müssen, um Wettbewerbsvorteile durch elektronische Kooperation realisieren zu können. Ausgangspunkt der Ableitung von Erfolgsmustern und Handlungsempfehlungen ist die systematische Untersuchung von achtzehn kooperativen Geschäftslösungen mit einem einheitlichen, theoretisch fundierten …

The Creation And Growth Of Ict Based Industrial Clusters: The New Zealand Case, Malcolm J. Fraser, Stephen Kelly

Malcolm Fraser

This paper provides an exploratory review of current global research on industrial clusters, and seeks to identify the key success components of these clusters. It then discusses these attributes in terms of their implication for New Zealand ICT industrial clusters. It is argued that by reviewing the success attributes underpinning industrial clusters a baseline can be established for decision-making in both the commercial activities of industry vertical groups, as well as local/central government economic policy formulation. The paper identifies the key success factors as the presence of large pillar firms that intact with strong local demand via a sophisticated work …

Modeling The Adoption Rates Of Manufacturing Technology Innovations By Small Us Manufacturers: A Longitudinal Investigation Feb. 2003, Pp. 351-366., Paul Swamidass

Paul Swamidass

This study provides conclusive evidence to support the view that small plants are slower than larger plants to adopt manufacturing innovations. This empirical study based on over 1000 US manufacturing plants engaged in producing discrete products, studies the adoption of manufacturing technologies in small plants relative to large plants between 1993 and 1997.

Under the assumption that small manufacturers are disadvantaged, several federal and state programs have been created to assist small manufacturers in acquiring and adopting manufacturing innovations. Through quantification of technology adoption in small manufacturing firms, this study’s findings reveal which manufacturing innovations are in greater need of …

Learning From Science And Technology Policy Evaluation: Experiences From The United States And Europe, Philip Shapira, Stefan Kuhlmann

Philip Shapira

Learning from Science and Technology Policy Evaluation, edited by Philip Shapira and Stefan Kuhlmann, presents US and European experiences and insights on the evaluation of policies and programs to foster research, innovation, and technology (RIT). In recent years, policymakers have promoted RIT policies to accelerate scientific and technological development in emerging fields, encourage new patterns of research collaboration and commercialization and enhance national and regional economic competitiveness. At the same time, budgetary pressures and new public management approaches have strengthened demands for RIT performance measurement and evaluation. The contributors, leading experts in science and technology policy and evaluation, analyze and …

Regional Technology Assets And Opportunities: The Geographic Clustering Of High-Tech Industry, Science And Innovation In Appalachia, Edward Feser, Harvey Goldstein, Henry Renski, Catherine Renault

Edward J Feser

This study constitutes a systematic location analysis of the technology assets of Appalachia. The report identifies and documents sub-regional concentrations of technology-related employment, R&D, and applied innovation within and immediately adjacent to the 406-county service area of the Appalachian Regional Commission. By assembling and analyzing an extensive set of data at high levels of functional and spatial detail, the study reveals localized technology strengths that might be nurtured through focused economic development policy.

Self Reliant Agriculture For Arid Lands, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

More than a billion people face the challenge of supporting themselves in the world's arid lands. Much can be improved by refining and adopting the best traditional practices and crops from around the world. The lessons learned can also help develop new and improved agronomic practices and crops.

Innovations In Competitive Manufacturing, Paul Swamidass

Paul Swamidass

Competitive manufacturing in the US was made possible by the progress made in a number of areas. For example, progress in competitive manufacturing is attributable to advances in the strategic use if manufacturing, cellular manufacturing, lean manufacturing, flexible automation, total quality management, supply chain management, design for manufacturing, mass customization, improved costing, and so on.

Pressured by competition, US manufacturers began the journey to competitive manufacturing in the late seventies; their success brought revolutionary changes to US manufacturing.

The book is arranged in 13 different chapters, each covering a major subject within manufacturing management. Each chapter consists of one or …

Us Manufacturing Extension Partnerships: Technology Policy Reinvented, Philip Shapira

Philip Shapira

The US manufacturing extension partnership (MEP) is examined as an example of the new partnership paradigm in US technology policy. The MEP provides technology assistance services, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. Influenced by aims to reinvent government and reorient technology policy, the MEP seeks to be comprehensive, collaborative, and demand-driven. However, the MEP’s partnered management style is constrained by political and industrial systems that continue to operate on traditional lines. After probing these tensions, the paper offers insights for the MEP’s future development and for other technology and innovation policies that seek to emulate the MEP’s partnership approach.

Cultural Entrepreneurship: Stories, Legitimacy And The Acquisition Of Resources., Michael Lounsbury, Mary Ann Glynn

michael lounsbury

We define cultural entrepreneurship as the process of storytelling that mediates between extant stocks of entrepreneurial resources and subsequent capital acquisition and wealth creation. We propose a framework that focuses on how entrepreneurial stories facilitate the crafting of a new venture identity that serves as a touchstone upon which legitimacy may be conferred by investors, competitors, and consumers, opening up access to new capital and market opportunities. Stories help create competitive advantage for entrepreneurs through focal content shaped by two key forms of entrepreneurial capital: firm-specific resource capital and industry-level institutional capital. We illustrate our ideas with anecdotal entrepreneurial stories …

Agglomeration, Enterprise Size, And Productivity, Edward J. Feser

Edward J Feser

Much research on agglomeration economies, and particularly recent work that builds on Marshall's concept of the industrial district, postulates that benefits derived from proximity between businesses are strongest for small enterprises. This paper investigates this hypothesis, examining the degree to which local business externalities differ in magnitude and type among large and small enterprises in two U.S. manufacturing sectors. A four factor micro-level production function with oft-cited sources of agglomeration economies (local input supply, labor pools, knowledge spillovers) modeled as technology parameters and dummy variables representing varying definitions of plant size (and type, i.e., single or multi establishment unit) are …

On The Ellison–Glaeser Geographic Concentration Index, Edward J. Feser

Edward J Feser

I use confidential employment data to investigate the empirical properties of a recent industry geographic concentration index (and related index of industry co-agglomeration) proposed by Ellison and Glaeser (1997). The results show that Ellison and Glaeser’s theoretical finding that their concentration measures are robust to differences in the level of spatial aggregation in the underlying employment data does not generally hold in practice. This implies that sensitivity testing for alternative spatial units should accompany any analysis with the concentration measures.

Revegetating Desert Plant Communities, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

Desert revegetation is possible but not easy. Careful attention to plant production (root:shoot), site prep, planting, irrigation and aftercare can lead to good survival even under extreme desert conditions. Cost per survivor is a critical consideration.

Soil Pitting For Revegetation, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

Soil pitting provides many benefits in ecological restoration of degraded lands. The pits capture rainwater, trap seeds and soil symbionts and protect seedlings from windblast.

Technology On The Factory Floor Iii: Technology Use And Training In Us Manufacturing Firms, Paul Swamidass

Paul Swamidass

This is the third issue of the Technology on the Factory Floor series. The study was sponsored by the Manufacturing Institute and the National Science Foundation. Data for this study of manufacturing technology use was collected from 1,025 manufacturing plant managers during 1997 using a modified survey questionnaire originally used in the 1993 study.

The findings were: Since the 1993 study, inventory turnover increased, rejection and rework reduced, and cycle time and manufacturing costs decreased; overall, there was measurable improvement in manufacturing since 1993. Other findings were: larger plants use technologies more extensively than smaller plants; exporters use more manufacturing …

Old And New Theories Of Industry Clusters, Edward J. Feser

Edward J Feser

The paper reviews the broad range of theories and ideas that constitute, often implicitly, the logic behind strategic cluster policies. The title of the paper notwithstanding, there is no theory of industry clusters, per se. Even Porter’s (1990) seminal contribution is more a theory of firm competitiveness than clusters. There is, instead, a variety of older and newer theories of 1) the interrelationships between economic actors that clusters describe, and 2) the implications of such interrelationships for economic growth and development. Industry clusters have proven a useful way of characterizing webs of relationships between and among firms and other institutions. …

Technology On The Factory Floor Ii: Benchmarking Manufacturing Technology Use In The Usa, Paul Swamidass

Paul Swamidass

This monograph is the result of the second joint effort of the Manufacturing Institute of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the author for studying the use of fifteen different manufacturing technologies in the US. Timely support by the National Science Foundation enabled this second study to be expanded to a larger number of participants. A total of 1,121 members of NAM participated in this study. Hard technologies studied were: AGV, CAD, CAM, CIM, CNC, FMS, LAN, Robotics and automated inspection, and soft technologies studied were: TQM, JIT, SQC, MRP, MRP II, and manufacturing cells.

Selected findings are: CAD, …

Ozgur 1993 Turkiye'nin Ozel Cevre Koruma Bolgeleri Politikasi (Specially Protected Areas Policy Of Turkey) Türkiye'nin Özel Çevre Koruma Bölgeleri Politikası: Foça Örneği, Huseyin Ozgur Prof.Dr.

Huseyin Ozgur Prof.Dr.

Specially protected areas (SPAs) in Turkey were initiated in 1990 with the special interest of Prime Minister Turgut Özal and pressure from international agreements signed by Turkish Government. As of 1992, there were 12 SPAs in 5 provinces, most of them were on shorelines of lakes or seas. The decision making of SPAs policy in Turkey fit to muddling through. It helped to protect special and sensitive areas to be protected. All these SPAs had several small settlements and controversial usages of the land and water areas. The policy helped to control dense and uncontrolled settlements however created issues on …

Strategy And Structure: Reconceiving The Relationship, Herman L. Boschken

Herman L. Boschken

Discussions have drawn attention to the relationship between strategy and structure for much of the last quarter century. Yet, no firm basis has emerged to settle the issue of causal direction or to affirm the relationship's effects on organizational performance. By adding a new dimension to the strategy-structure model, this article attempts to conceptually link long-term performance with (a) the presence of subunits having distinctive competence in strategic planning and (b) the coordination of these differentiated subunits into a discernible micro-structure embedded within the overall organization. This new dimension is explored and developed by use of a case of the …

Strategic Planning Of Seaport Development In A Global Economy: Observations Of An Executive Port Director, Herman L. Boschken

Herman L. Boschken

Seaport management is central both to the use of coastal resources and to the needs of a global economy. As a major point of supply-chain activity along the coast and as a source of pollution, ports need to be administered strategically to provide the greatest benefit according to economic and environmental demands. This article is an annotated conversation that provides a practitioner's insight into the management of change along the coastal zone. To address the problem, we probe organization theory for new insight and attempt to apply concepts to practice.

Breadbox Water Heater Designs, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

Integral solar water heaters (batch, breadbox, ICS) provide the most economical and reliable means of heating water. Simple designs can perform well and provide service for decades. Basic design principles include box insulation, orientation and control of heat loss.

Interorganizational Considerations In Coastal Management: The 1976 California Legislative Experience, Herman L. Boschken

Herman L. Boschken

Among coastal management programs, most states have found the question of appropriate administrative structure difficult to cope with. The dilemma of decision trade-offs caused by the dual governmental needs of "efficiency" and "representation" has led to some alternative patterns of administration. For complex issues that transcend local boundaries, the choice between trade-offs means adopting either (a) some form of consolidated bureaucracy or (b) some system of concurrent jurisdictions. Both alternatives have their inherent benefits and disadvantages but, considering the degree of environmental complexity and array of competing interests involved in coastal resource use, the most appropriate administrative form would seem …

Planning For Energy Conservation, David A. Bainbridge

David A Bainbridge

City planning can provide multiple benefits by considering energy conservation, solar orientation and local resource harvesting. Narrower streets reduce construction costs, reduce urban heat island impacts and are safer. Above ground drainage reduces costs and returns rainwater to groundwater.