Analysis of competitiveness in the NBA regular seasons

[EN] Research background and hypothesis. Several attempts have been made to understand some modalities of sport from the point of view of complexity. Most of these studies deal with this phenomenon with regard to the mechanics of the game itself (in isolation). Nevertheless, some research has been conducted from the perspective of competition between teams. Our hypothesis was that for the study of competitiveness levels in the system of league competition our analysis model (Shannon entropy), is a useful and highly sensitive tool to determine the degree of global competitiveness of a league. Research aim. The aim of our study was to develop a model for the analysis of competitiveness level in team sport competitions based on the uncertainty level that might exist for each confrontation. Research methods. Degree of uncertainty or randomness of the competition was analyzed as a factor of competitiveness. It was calculated on the basis of the Shannon entropy. Research results. We studied 17 NBA regular seasons, which showed a fairly steady entropic tendency. There were seasons less competitive (? 0.9800) than the overall average (0.9835), and periods where the competitiveness remained at higher levels (range: 0.9851 to 0.9902). Discussion and conclusions. A league is more competitive when it is more random. Thus, it is harder to predict the fi nal outcome. However, when the competition is less random, the degree of competitiveness will decrease signifi cantly. The NBA is a very competitive league, there is a high degree of uncertainty of knowing the fi nal result.

Social responsibility as a tool for destination competitiveness

Máster en Economía del Turismo, Transporte y Medio Ambiente

Multidimensional Measures of Firm Competitiveness: a Model-Based Approach

The concept of competitiveness, for a long time considered as strictly connected to economic and financial performances, evolved, above all in recent years, toward new, wider interpretations disclosing its multidimensional nature. The shift to a multidimensional view of the phenomenon has excited an intense debate involving theoretical reflections on the features characterizing it, as well as methodological considerations on its assessment and measurement. The present research has a twofold objective: going in depth with the study of tangible and intangible aspect characterizing multidimensional competitive phenomena by assuming a micro-level point of view, and measuring competitiveness through a model-based approach. Specifically, we propose a non-parametric approach to Structural Equation Models techniques for the computation of multidimensional composite measures. Structural Equation Models tools will be used for the development of the empirical application on the italian case: a model based micro-level competitiveness indicator for the measurement of the phenomenon on a large sample of Italian small and medium enterprises will be constructed.

Urban Competitiveness and US Metropolitan Centres

This is the third paper Kresl and Singh have published on this subject. The first was for an OECD conference that was published in 1995. The second was published in Urban Studies in 1999. Hence in this most recent study they can examine urban competitiveness in the US over a period of three decades. Their methodology is distinctive in that it is statistical rather than subjective, as is the case with studies that use a benchmarking or a structural methodology. Their results can be used by city planners in design of a strategic-economic plan. They also capture the major changes in broad regional competitiveness.

CROSS-SECTORAL COORDINATION OF DISASTER RELIEF

Coordinating organizational activity across different sectors is crucial in disaster management. We analysed the response of 291 aid workers to the Haiti earthquake in 2010 and found that common incentives and a high degree of equality among aid organizations positively affected perceived network coordination. Large and public organizations were more likely to take leadership roles and high numbers of public organizations involved in the disaster response network led to improved network coordination. These results indicate the need for mechanisms that enable smaller and non-profit organizations to participate in network coordination and leadership.

The Centrality of Urban Economies to the Study of Competitiveness

In recent decades the role of cities and of urban areas in the enhancement of competitiveness has become steadily more important and central to policy formation. The study of urban competitiveness is of interest, first, because it allows us to more fully understand to bases for policy and, second, because it allows us to evaluate the performance of a number of cities so as to determine what policies lead to success and what factors lead to failure or to steady decline. This research should be of interest to scholars as well as to urban practitioners.

China Urban Competitiveness in Industrialization: Based on the Panel Data of 25 Cities in China from 1990 to 2009

There is a consensus in China that industrialization, urbanization, globalization and information technology will enhance China's urban competitiveness. We have developed a methodology for the analysis of urban competitiveness that we have applied to China's 25 principal cities during three periods from 1990 through 2009. Our model uses data for 12 variables, to which we apply appropriate statistical techniques. We are able to examine the competitiveness of inland cities and those on the coast, how this has changed during the two decades of the study, the competitiveness of Mega Cities and of administrative centres, and the importance of each variable in explaining urban competitiveness and its development over time. This analysis will be of benefit to Chinese planners as they seek to enhance the competitiveness of China and its major cities in the future.

Cellular immune response, stress resistance and competitiveness in nestling great tits in relation to maternally transmitted carotenoids

1. Egg yolks contain carotenoids that protect biological molecules against free-radical damage and promote maturation of the immune system. Availability of carotenoids to birds is often limited. Trade-offs can thus arise in the allocation of carotenoids to different physiological functions, and mothers may influence the immunocompetence of nestlings by modulating the transfer of carotenoid to the yolk.;2. In the great tit Parus major, we experimentally manipulated the dietary supply of carotenoid to mothers, and partially cross-fostered hatchlings to investigate the effect of an increased availability of carotenoids during egg laying on immunocompetence of nestlings.;3. In addition, we infested half of the nests with hen fleas Ceratophyllus gallinae to investigate the relationship between carotenoid availability, resistance to ectoparasites and immunocompetence.;4. We found that the procedure of cross-fostering can reduce the immune response of nestlings, but this effect can be compensated by the maternally transferred carotenoids. Cross-fostered nestlings of carotenoid-supplemented females show a similar immune response to non-cross-fostered nestlings, while cross-fostered nestlings of control females mounted a weaker cell-mediated immune response. This suggests that yolk carotenoids may help nestlings to cope with stress, for example the one generated by cross-fostering and/or they may enhance nestling competitiveness.;5. There was no statistically significant interaction between parasite and carotenoid treatments, as would be expected if carotenoids helped nestlings to fight parasites. Under parasite pressure, however, lighter nestlings raised a lower immune response, while the immune response was only weakly correlated with body mass in uninfested nests.