Business Commons^™

Mobile Dm Coupon Promotion In Japan: A Case Study On Response Behavior Changes In Services Consumption, Shahriar Akter

Shahriar Akter

This chapter investigates the changes in customers’ responses to mobile direct mail (DM) coupons on the shop visit probability (SVP) of a beauty parlor. Two experiments were carried out to examine the promotional effects of mobile DM coupons. The first experiment, conducted in 2004, compared mobile DM coupons with postcard DM coupons. The mobile DM coupons were found to have no effect on SVP, although positive effects were observed for postcard DM coupons. The second experiment, conducted in 2005 with three types of mobile DM coupons, compared the responses of new customers with those of repeat customers. The results varied …

Smes And Virtual R&D Teams: A Motive Channel For Relationship Between Smes, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This paper explores potential advantages and barriers of virtual teams toward making an interrelation between small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) with a comprehensive review on different aspects of virtual teams in SMEs based on authentic and reputed publications. The purpose of the state-of-the-art literature review is to provide an overview of what is known about the structure and dynamics of virtual collaboration in SMEs which they are the back bone of the world business. This study seeks to address some of the advantages of virtual R&D team in the existing extensive literature on the increase SMEs interrelations. Besides of identify …

Smes, Open Innovation And Ip Management: Advancing Global Development, Stanley P. Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

[Excerpt] Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises (abbreviated herein henceforth as “SMEs”) are global drivers of technological innovation and economic development. Perhaps their importance has been somewhat eclipsed by the mega-multinational corporate entities. However, whereas the corporations might be conceptualized as towering sequoia trees, SMEs represent the deep, broad, fertile forest floor that nourishes, sustains and regenerates the global economic ecosystem.

[. . .]

Broadly recognized as engines of economic and global development, SMEs account for a substantial proportion of entrepreneurial activity in both industrialized and developing countries. Indeed, their role as dynamos for technological and economic progress in developing countries is critical and …

Egyptian Goddess, Inc. V. Swisa, Inc.: A Dramatic Change In The Law Of Design Patents?, Evan Szarenski

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “On September 22, 2008, the Federal Circuit, sitting en banc, handed down the most important decision in design patent law in nearly twenty-five years. Egyptian Goddess, Inc. v. Swisa, Inc. (Egyptian Goddess III) abolished the point-of-novelty test first set out in Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Talge and adopted by the Federal Circuit in Litton Systems, Inc. v. Whirlpool Corp. The point-of novelty test required patent holders to prove that an accused design appropriated the element which sets the patented design apart from the prior art—in addition to the ordinary-observer standard’s requirement of having substantially the same appearance—in order …

Clusters And Strategy In Regional Economic Development, Edward Feser

Edward J Feser

Many economic development practitioners view cluster theory and analysis as constituting a general approach to strategy making in economic development, which may lead them to prioritize policy and planning interventions that cannot address the actual development challenges in their cities and regions. This paper discusses the distinction between strategy formation and strategic planning, where the latter is the programming of development strategies that are identified through a blend of experience, intuition, and analysis. Cluster theories and analytical tools can provide useful informational inputs into a strategy making effort and they can also be helpful for programming specific interventions (i.e., strategic …

Methods For Retaining And Monetizing Local Audiences Of An Online-Only News Organization, Lauren Rabaino

Journalism

Newspapers are at a crossroads in their existence. Traditionally, the printed giants were able to hold monopolies in their respective municipalities because the barrier to entry for printing was high and the operating costs were expensive. A study published in 1978 – a decade before the Internet came to fruition – reported that local newspaper monopolies existed in more than 97 percent of U.S. cities . But with the Web, that dynamic has vastly shifted. Widely accessible and affordable Web platforms eliminate both the barrier to entry and operating costs required to publish to a mass audience. As a result, …

Enforcing Intellectual Property Rights: A Methodology For Understanding The Enforcement Problem In China, Justin Mccabe

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “Intellectual property rights are neither protected nor enforced in strict uniformity throughout the world. However, it can be said that in most developed countries, intellectual property is preciously guarded, as evidenced by a plethora of intellectual property statutes, penalties for infringement, and consistent attempts to convince less developed nations to adopt strong—or stronger—intellectual property protections. Despite continued vigilance by developed countries in bringing about increased international harmony among intellectual property regimes, some developing countries sustain questionable enforcement policies. What the driving force is behind intellectual property enforcement policies—or more appropriately, the lack thereof—is a matter of disagreement. In order …

Will Retail Travel Agencies In Singapore Survive: Comparison Between Retail Travel Agencies And Online Reservation Services, Yan Xin Low

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Over the last two decades, the tourism industry has grown rapidly. But its evolution has been influenced by various factors such as culture and environmental changes including economic status and competition. Some of these factors, culture for instance, act as constants, providing some form of predictability to the evolution of the tourism industry within a specific society. While other factors, such as economic status and competition, act as variables that drive the industry to reach its potential. Hofstede defined “culture” as a collective programming of the human mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from …

Ict Usage In Microfinance Institutions In Uganda, Joseph Kaumba Ssewanyana

The African Journal of Information Systems

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are always often faced with high operating costs to provide financial services to the poor people and Small and Medium Enterprises. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been found to promote the dual objective of microfinance - sustainability and outreach to the poor people. Using a quantitative survey and descriptive research approach, this paper has established the extent to which ICT has been used in the microfinance institutions in Uganda. Despite the barriers, ICT usage in MFIs has been on the rise; and different applications and technologies have been adopted by some MFIs to control costs, create …

Does Patent Strategy Shape The Long-Run Supply Of Public Knowledge? Evidence From Human Genetics, Kenneth Guang-Lih Huang, Fiona Murray

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Knowledge-based firms seeking competitive advantage often draw on the public knowledge stream (ideas embedded in public commons institutions) as the foundation for private knowledge (ideas firms protect through private intellectual property [IP] institutions). However, understanding of the converse relationship—the impact of private knowledge strategies on public knowledge production—is limited. We examine this question in human genetics, where policy makers debate expanding IP ownership over the human genome. Our difference-in-differences estimates show that gene patents decrease public genetic knowledge, with broader patent scope, private sector ownership, patent thickets, fragmented patent ownership, and a gene's commercial relevance exacerbating their effect.

Simpler Packaging, Tomiko Oden

Graphic Communication

This project explains how product packaging is become more "green", and thus more simple. Packaging needs to go beyond just simplifying materials and graphics - it needs to create a simpler process in order to reduce wasted time, energy, and resources.

Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment In Iran: An Empirical Study Using Structural Equation Modeling, Ahmad Jafarnejad, Arash Golnam, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This paper examines the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Iran by applying the structural equation modelling (SEM). Using the annual time series data for the 1991-2006 period, two models were developed. In the first model the correlation between 12 determining factors and FDI in Iran were analyzed and in the second model the 12 factors were fit into five categories of determinants namely: Business, Economic, Infrastructural, Oil and Science and Technology and the impact of each of the mentioned groups of factors was investigated. The results derived through the first model indicated that openness of trade and Gross …

Rational Design Rights Ignorance, David Orozco

David Orozco

No abstract provided.

Privacy Concern In Google Voice Call Recording, Michael Katz, James Tuthill

Michael Katz

The Federal Communications Commission, taking note of AT&T's complaint, has written to Google with questions about its call blocking. But the implications for our privacy of software-managed call services like Google Voice are a much greater threat to consumers, and that's where the FCC should direct its energy - immediately.

Hospitality Marketing Mix And Service Marketing Principles, David Bojanic

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Concept of Marketing is based on the Premise that Firms Should Determine Consumer Wants and Needs Before Designing Products and Services. This Consumer-Orientation Results in Greater Demand for a Firm's Products and Services and Higher Levels of Customer Satisfaction after the Purchase. Marriott International Followed This Approach in Developing their Courtyard and Residence Inns Hotels. for Example, the Courtyard Concept is Supposed to Attract Business Travelers and Transient Customers Who Do Not Really Like Staying at Hotels (Wind Et Al, 1992; Hart, 1986). the Researchers Recruited Individuals for Focus Groups Representing These Two Market Segments to Determine the Hotel …

An Empirical Study On The Benefit Of Split Loads With The Pickup And Delivery Problem, Maciek Nowak, Chelsea C. White, Ozlem Ergun

Information Systems and Operations Management: Faculty Publications & Other Works

Splitting loads such that the delivery of certain loads is completed in multiple trips rather than one trip has show to have benefit for both the classic Vehicle Routing Problem and the Pickup and Delivery Problem. However, the magnitude of the benefit may be affected by various problem characteristics. In this paper, we characterize those real world environments in which split loads are most likely to be beneficial. Based on practitioner interest, we determine how the benefit is affected by the mean load size and variance, number of origins relative to the number of destinations, the percentage of origin-destination pairs …

Measurement And Analysis Of Shocks To Products Packaged In Pails In Single Parcel Ground Shipments, Sher Paul Singh, Jay Singh, Pakapol Kittipinyovath

Industrial Technology and Packaging

The objective of this study was to measure and analyse the shocks and impacts experienced by pails in the single parcel distribution environment, with and without a secondary corrugated shipper. The study was conducted in the FedEx Ground shipping environment in the USA. Instrumented 5 gal pails were shipped with and without an outer corrugated box, and with and without handling (precautionary warning) labels, from East Lansing, Michigan to destinations in California and New York. Data recorders were used to collect and analyse shock distribution data (drop heights, drop orientations and number of drops). The results showed that the precautionary …

Can We Make Accounting Relevant Again? Non-Traditional Accounting Systems Can Drive Productivity And Future Prosperity, Mark Doggett

Mark Doggett

No abstract provided.

Big Blue’S Next Big Act: Smarter Technology For A Smarter Planet, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Everything seems to be going digital – our television sets, phones, the ways in which we communicate with each other, perform transactions or apply for permits – all in the name of pristine pictures, crystal clear sounds, paperless administration and fast, unencumbered access to data – all important features of the good life, for sure. But are we necessarily better off? We could be, given that "digitalisation" allows us to see and do things differently; to be more intelligent than we have ever been before, says IT giant IBM. And it is this belief that underscores the company's worldwide "Smarter …

In Support Of A Cashless Future, Researchers Recreate A Cash-Like Experience, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

The mobile phone is piece of technology so loved, that some have referred to it as a “phantom limb”. To personalise and get the most out of this “limb”, people have been known to spend lots of time and money, decorating their precious phones with screen protectors, fancy ringtones, wallpapers, themes and ‘apps’. Many have even been caught fiddling with this device while driving! With a national mobile penetration rate of close to 140 percent (which suggests some people may have more “limbs” than others), it seems only natural to fantasise about incorporating the mobile phone into other favourite pastimes, …

Entering The Lion’S Den: Technology Entrepreneurs Need A Global View And Action Plan, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

How many technology companies are confident enough to venture outside the sheltered environment of their home country to compete against the market leaders in their own turf? Not many, especially for the new or young business ventures. Many avoid entering "the lion’s den", so to speak, for fear that they will be eaten alive. Yet, not many realise that if they cannot survive the “lion’s den”, they may not last very long within their own nest, shares seasoned venture capitalist Gideon Tolkowsky.

Do Companies Value Maintaining Iso 9000 Certification? 2009 Case Study Of 41 Us Companies First Certified In 2000, Sarah Joy Namara

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The costs of obtaining and maintaining ISO certification are high. Moreover, studies have shown mixed results on the benefits of the certification. Consequently, the objective of this research was to verify whether or not companies do value maintaining the ISO 9000 certification.

The empirical study was conducted on 41 U.S. companies that were first certified in 2000. The companies formed an existing database as they were used by Dr. Arbuckle in 2004 in his doctoral dissertation. Of the 41 companies, 12 were found to be out of business, leaving a final sample size of 29. Data were gathered from this …

The Company They Keep: Founders' Models For Organizing New Firms, M. Diane Burton

M. Diane Burton

[Excerpt] This chapter examines the employment models founders use as they begin to construct new firms. The empirical setting is a sample of emerging technology firms in Silicon Valley. This chapter focuses on two questions: (1) Why are new firms founded under different conceptual models? and (2) What are the factors that lead a founding team to espouse a particular employment model?

Green Buildings: An Asset Manager's Dream Or Nightmare?, Linda Too

Linda Too

The mounting evidence on climate change has thrust the sustainability issue to the forefront of many political agendas. Current research has provided many business cases for sustainable design and construction. While commercial green buildings have been the mainstay, the green phenomenon has also spread to educational facilities. This paper provides a case study of the new Mirvac School of Sustainable Development Building at Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia. With its extensive green features, it is applying to be the first six-star rated green educational building in Australia. To this end, the management of green buildings will be a challenge for …

Agenda: World Energy Justice Conference And Appropriate Technology Arcade, University Of Colorado Boulder. Center For Energy & Environmental Security, University Of Colorado Boulder. School Of Law

World Energy Justice Conference (October 23-24)

The 2009 CEES Energy Justice Conference took place at the University of Colorado Law School on October 23rd and 24th, 2009. It featured 11 sessions, more than 40 speakers, and attracted over 200 attendees. The Conference brought together leading international and U.S. decision-makers in politics, engineering, public health, law, business, economics, and innovators in the sciences to explore how best to address the critical needs of the energy-oppressed poor (EOP) through long-term interdisciplinary action, information sharing, and deployment of appropriate sustainable energy technologies (ASETs).

The Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law & Policy (CJIELP) at the University of Colorado Law …

Labor Pains: Change In Organizational Models And Employee Turnover In Young, High-Tech Firms, James N. Baron, Michael T. Hannan, M. Diane Burton

M. Diane Burton

[Excerpt] Organizational theories, especially ecological perspectives, emphasize the disruptive effects of change. However, the mechanisms producing these effects are seldom examined explicitly. This article ex-amines one such mechanism-employee turnover. Analyzing a sample of high-technology start-ups, we show that changes in the employment models or blueprints embraced by organizational leaders increase turnover, which in turn adversely affects subsequent organizational performance. Turnover associated with organizational change appears to be concentrated among the most senior employees, suggesting "old guard disenchantment" as the primary cause. The results are consistent with the claim of neoinstitutionalist scholars that founders impose cultural blueprints on nascent organizations and …

Drinking Water Optimum Supply System (Dwoss) Through The Application Of Advanced Technologies, Praveen Jha Dr

Praveen Jha Dr

Paradigm shift in the approach for planning regarding supply of drinking water is mandatory since the current DPRs are unscientific and expensive. Planning for an optimum Drinking Water Supply System (ODWSS) that includes - optimization of Water Source Point (WSP), Water Treatment System (WTS), Water Storage Systems (WSSs), Water Distribution Points (WDP) and Water Supply Network (WSN); scientific estimation of long term demand of drinking water; minimization of physical and financial resources required for the plan implementation; water conservation and sanitation – could be done by applying several state-of-art geo-spatial programs developed by the author. Three programs - Multi-Algorithm Automation …

Public Research Lab And Other Scientific Collaborations Of The Manchester City Region: A Bibliometric Analysis, Philip Shapira, Luciano Kay

Philip Shapira

This working paper examines the characteristics of the research collaborations of the Manchester City-Region, UK, based on a bibliometric analysis of co-authorship patterns of scientific publications published during the period 2006-2008. The paper focuses on Manchester City-Region collaborations with UK public research laboratories, but to place these in context the paper also contains overview analyses of all of the city-region’s research collaborations in the UK and internationally.

Stammdatenqualität: Erfolgsfaktor Für Unternehmen, Boris Otto, Hubert Oesterle

Hubert Oesterle

Man sollte meinen, die konsistente Pflege von Stammdaten wäre für moderne Unternehmen eine Selbstverständlichkeit. Ist sie aber nicht. Wirtschaftswissenschaftler der Universität St. Gallen erklären, wo das Problem liegt und wie man es löst.

Boeing Dreamliner:A Project Management Study, Fahad Aldhaban, Chris Mcginnis, Wendy Peterman, Noah Third, Tom Torres

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

The 787 Dreamliner aircraft project required not only the application and integration of new construction materials, it also required new project management techniques for Boeing. By outsourcing most of the aircraft fabrication, Boeing’s primary role changed from designer and manufacturer to system integrator. Hindsight shows that more preparation and planning was needed for this transition. This case study review of the Boeing Dreamliner examines the project management techniques actually employed during the initiation and execution phases of the project. Techniques evolved from the start of the project to what is used currently. Best practices and recommendations for how a large-scale …