Spillovers from FDI and local networks:the importance of transactional linkages and vertical keiretsu in Japan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of host country networks and organisation of production in the context of international technology transfer that accompanies foreign direct investment (FDI). Design/methodology/approach – The empirical analysis is based on unbalanced panel data covering Japanese firms active in two-digit manufacturing sectors over a seven-year period. Given the self-selection problem affecting past sectoral-level studies, using firm-level panel data is a prerequisite to provide robust empirical evidence. Findings – While Japan is thought of as being a technologically advanced country, the results show that vertical productivity spillovers from FDI occur in Japan, but they are sensitive to technological differences between domestic firms and the idiosyncratic Japanese institutional network. FDI in vertically organised keiretsu sectors generates inter-industry spillovers through backward and forward linkages, while FDI within sectors linked to vertical keiretsu activities adversely affects domestic productivity. Overall, our results suggest that the role of vertical keiretsu is more prevalent than that of horizontal keiretsu. Originality/value – Japan’s industrial landscape has been dominated by institutional clusters or networks of inter-firm organisations through reciprocated, direct and indirect ties. However, interactions between inward investors and such institutionalised networks in the host economy are seldom explored. The role and characteristics of local business groups, in the form of keiretsu networks, have been investigated to determine the scale and scope of spillovers from inward FDI to Japanese establishments. This conceptualisation depends on the institutional mechanism and the market structure through which host economies absorb and exploit FDI.

Analysis of Spatial-temporal Dynamics in the System of Economic Security of Different Subjects of Economic Management

The importance to solve the problem of spatial-temporal dynamics analysis in the system of economic security of different subjects of economic management is substantiated. Various methods and approaches for carrying out analysis of spatial-temporal dynamics in the system of economic security are considered. The basis of the generalized analysis of spatial-temporal dynamics in economic systems is offered.

Interfacing low-energy SAW nebulization with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for the analysis of biological samples

Soft ionization methods for the introduction of labile biomolecules into a mass spectrometer are of fundamental importance to biomolecular analysis. Previously, electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix assisted laser desorption-ionization (MALDI) have been the main ionization methods used. Surface acoustic wave nebulization (SAWN) is a new technique that has been demonstrated to deposit less energy into ions upon ion formation and transfer for detection than other methods for sample introduction into a mass spectrometer (MS). Here we report the optimization and use of SAWN as a nebulization technique for the introduction of samples from a low flow of liquid, and the interfacing of SAWN with liquid chromatographic separation (LC) for the analysis of a protein digest. This demonstrates that SAWN can be a viable, low-energy alternative to ESI for the LC-MS analysis of proteomic samples.

The value of indirect ties in citation networks:SNA analysis with OWA operator weights

This paper seeks to advance the theory and practice of the dynamics of complex networks in relation to direct and indirect citations. It applies social network analysis (SNA) and the ordered weighted averaging operator (OWA) to study a patent citations network. So far the SNA studies investigating long chains of patents citations have rarely been undertaken and the importance of a node in a network has been associated mostly with its number of direct ties. In this research OWA is used to analyse complex networks, assess the role of indirect ties, and provide guidance to reduce complexity for decision makers and analysts. An empirical example of a set of European patents published in 2000 in the renewable energy industry is provided to show the usefulness of the proposed approach for the preference ranking of patent citations.

Servitization and competitive advantage:the importance of organizational structure and value chain position

Servitization represents a business-model change and organizational transformation from selling goods to selling an integrated combination of goods and services. Competitive advantage is one outcome of this shift. During servitization, companies follow stages to realize services as an opportunity to differentiate from goods and achieve higher customer satisfaction. This study analyzes this transition from base, intermediate, and advanced services by presenting results from 102 senior executives in multinational companies. Our results suggest increasing interest in service-led strategies in manufacturing companies. The results also show that increasing differentiation and high customer satisfaction are fundamental to achieving competitive advantage and superior performance with services. The analysis also indicates the importance of a company’s position in the value chain and the organizational structure it selects to support services in successful servitization.

Floatingline estimation in FHR signal analysis

Cardiotocography provides significant information on foetal oxygenation linked to characteristics of foetal heart rate signals. Among most important we can mention foetal heart rate variability, whose spectral analysis is recognised like useful in improving diagnosis of pathologic conditions. However, despite its importance, a standardisation of definition and estimation of foetal heart rate variability is still searched. Some guidelines state that variability refers to fluctuations in the baseline free from accelerations and decelerations. This is an important limit in clinical routine since variability in correspondence of these FHR alterations has always been regarded as particularly significant in terms of prognostic value. In this work we compute foetal heart rate variability as difference between foetal heart rate and floatingline and we propose a method for extraction of floatingline which takes into account accelerations and decelerations. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Enhancing the transparency of accounting research: the case of narrative analysis

Purpose – This paper aims to clarify what ‘narrative analysis’ may entail when it is assumed that interview accounts can be treated as (collections of) narratives. What is considered a narrative and how these may be analyzed is open to debate. After suggesting an approach of how to deal with narrative analysis, the authors critically discuss how far it might offer insights into a particular accounting case. Design/methodology/approach – After having explained what the authors’ view on narrative analysis is, and how this is linked with the extant literature, the authors examine the socialisation processes of two early career accountants that have been articulated in an interview context. Findings – The approach to narrative analysis set out in this paper could help to clarify how and why certain interpretations from an interview are generated by a researcher. The authors emphasise the importance of discussing a researcher’s process of discovery when an interpretive approach to research is adopted. Research limitations/implications – The application of any method, and what a researcher thinks can be distilled from this, depends on the research outlook he/she has. As the authors adopt an interpretive approach to research in this paper, they acknowledge that the interpretations of narratives, and what they deem to be narratives, will be infused by their own perceptions. Practical implications – The authors believe that the writing-up of qualitative research from an interpretive stance would benefit from an explicit acceptance of the equivocal nature of interpretation. The way in which they present and discuss the narrative analyses in this paper intends to bring this to the fore. Originality/value – Whenever someone says he/she engages in narrative analysis, both the “narrative” and “analysis” part of “narrative analysis” need to be explicated. The authors believe that this only happens every so often. This paper puts forward an approach of how more clarity on this might be achieved by combining two frameworks in the extant literature, so that the transparency of the research is enhanced.

Optimization of Advertising Resources over Time: A Strategic Analysis

AMS subject classification: 90B60, 90B50, 90A80.

Stakeholder preference and stated vs. derived importance satisfaction research

This paper presents a case study that reveals how stakeholders in the research process, by recommending specific data collection and analytical techniques, exert significant ‘hidden’ influence on the decisions made on the basis of market research findings. While disagreements amongst stakeholders regarding research design are likely, the possibility that strategies adopted by companies are dependent upon stakeholder research preferences has not been adequately addressed in the literature. Two widely used quantitative customer satisfaction evaluation approaches, involving stated and derived importance, are compared within a real life market research setting at an international bank. The comparative analysis informs an ongoing debate surrounding the applicability of explicit and implicit importance measures and demonstrates how recommendations are dependent upon the methodological and analytical techniques selected. The findings, therefore, have significant implications for importance based satisfaction market research planning and highlight the need to consider the impact of stakeholder preferences on research outcomes.

A simple remote sensing based information system for monitoring sites of conservation importance

Monitoring is essential for conservation of sites, but capacity to undertake it in the field is often limited. Data collected by remote sensing has been identified as a partial solution to this problem, and is becoming a feasible option, since increasing quantities of satellite data in particular are becoming available to conservationists. When suitably classified, satellite imagery can be used to delineate land cover types such as forest, and to identify any changes over time. However, the conservation community lacks (a) a simple tool appropriate to the needs for monitoring change in all types of land cover (e.g. not just forest), and (b) an easily accessible information system which allows for simple land cover change analysis and data sharing to reduce duplication of effort. To meet these needs, we developed a web-based information system which allows users to assess land cover dynamics in and around protected areas (or other sites of conservation importance) from multi-temporal medium resolution satellite imagery. The system is based around an open access toolbox that pre-processes and classifies Landsat-type imagery, and then allows users to interactively verify the classification. These data are then open for others to utilize through the online information system. We first explain imagery processing and data accessibility features, and then demonstrate the toolbox and the value of user verification using a case study on Nakuru National Park, Kenya. Monitoring and detection of disturbances can support implementation of effective protection, assist the work of park managers and conservation scientists, and thus contribute to conservation planning, priority assessment and potentially to meeting monitoring needs for Aichi target 11.

An analysis of penalty kicks in elite football post 1997

The penalty kick in football is a seemingly simplistic play; however, it has increased in complexity since 1997 when the rules changed allowing goalkeepers to move laterally along their goal line before the ball was kicked. Prior to 1997 goalkeepers were required to remain still until the ball was struck. The objective of this study was to determine the importance of the penalty kick in the modern game of football. A retrospective study of the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cup and the 2000, 2004 and 2008 European Championship tournaments was carried out, assessing the importance of the penalty kick in match play and shootouts and the effect of the time of the game on the shooter's success rate. This study demonstrated the conversion rate of penalties was 73% in shootouts and 68% in match play. Significantly more penalties were awarded late in the game: twice as many penalties in the second half than the first and close to four times as many in the fourth quarter vs. the first. Teams awarded penalty kicks during match play won 52%, drew 30% and lost 18% of the time; chances of winning increased to 61% if the penalty was scored, but decreased to 29% if missed. Teams participating in either the World Cup or European Championship final match had roughly a 50% chance of being involved in a penalty shootout during the tournament. Penalty shots and their outcome significantly impact match results in post 1997 football.

The experiences of con sultations on oral anticoagula-tion for AF:the importance of qualitative research incardiovascular sciences

Objectives: Multiple-perspective qualitative designs can aid researchersto develop a more multifaceted account of a phenomenon and as aform of triangulation of data. Two interlinking studies aimed toexplore patients’ and physicians’ experiences of atrial fibrillation (AF)and warfarin.Methods: Audio-recorded semistructured individual interviews wereused. Study 1: Three AF patient subgroups were interviewed (n = 11);accepted, refused, or discontinued warfarin. Study 2: Four physiciansubgroups (n = 16): consultant cardiologists, consultant general physi-cians, general practitioners, and cardiology registrars. Data was ana-lyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, a qualitativemethodology.Results: Study 1: Three overarching themes comprised patients’ experi-ences: the initial consultation, life after the consultation, and patients’reflections. Patients commented on the reassurance experienced duringthe consultation, but they perceived the decision-making processmostly led by the physician. Lack of education and take-home materi-als during the initial consultation were highlighted. Patients’ uptake ofinformation was influenced by past experiences and knowledge ofstroke and/or bleeding. Study 2: Two overarching themes covered phy-sicians’ experiences: communicating information and challenges withwarfarin prescription for AF. Physicians’ approach to the consultationstyle shifted through a continuum of compliance-adherence-concor-dance during the consultation. Time and the perceived patient trust inthem as the expert led to physicians to adopt a paternalistic approach.Guideline adherence and the need to adopt a multidisciplinaryapproach were pointed out as current challenges.Conclusion: There is a need to target patients’ and physicians’ abilityto communicate with each other in a comprehensible way. This projecthas illustrated the benefit of using a qualitative approach to under-stand the lived experience of the physician–patient consultation.Disclosure of Interest: None declare

Living well to the end:a phenomenological analysis of life in extra care housing

OBJECTIVES: To understand older adults' experiences of moving into extra care housing which offers enrichment activities alongside social and healthcare support. DESIGN: A longitudinal study was conducted which adopted a phenomenological approach to data generation and analysis. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the first 18 months of living in extra care housing. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used because its commitment to idiography enabled an in-depth analysis of the subjective lived experience of moving into extra care housing. Themes generated inductively were examined against an existential-phenomenological theory of well-being. RESULTS: Learning to live in an extra care community showed negotiating new relationships was not straightforward; maintaining friendships outside the community became more difficult as capacity declined. In springboard for opportunity/confinement, living in extra care provided new opportunities for social engagement and a restored sense of self. Over time horizons began to shrink as incapacities grew. Seeking care illustrated reticence to seek care, due to embarrassment and a sense of duty to one's partner. Becoming aged presented an ontological challenge. Nevertheless, some showed a readiness for death, a sense of homecoming. CONCLUSIONS: An authentic later life was possible but residents required emotional and social support to live through the transition and challenges of becoming aged. Enhancement activities boosted residents' quality of life but the range of activities could be extended to cater better for quieter, smaller scale events within the community; volunteer activity facilitators could be used here. Peer mentoring may help build new relationships and opportunities for interactive stimulation. Acknowledging the importance of feeling-empathic imagination-in caregiving may help staff and residents relate better to each other, thus helping individuals to become ontologically secure and live well to the end.

Kiemelt gazdálkodástani kutatások a Public-Private Partnership területén – összehasonlító elemzés = Selected publications on Public-Private Partnership from a business studies perspective – comparative analysis

A tanulmányban összefoglalóan bemutatom a Public_Private Partnership (PPP) gazdálkodástani szempontból releváns kutatói munkáinak fogalomhasználatát, kérdésfeltevéseit, illetve főbb eredményeit. Ezzel betekintést kívánok nyújtani abba, hogy mit kutatnak a PPP területén a kollégák gazdálkodástani szempontból. Láthatóvá szeretném tenni, hogy eszerint melyek a „jelentős” témák és kérdések a tudományos közösség mai felfogása alapján. Az elemzés középpontjában huszonhárom, a Public-Private Partnership gazdálkodástani megközelítéséhez kapcsolódó, konkrét tudományos kutatásra épülő irodalom áll, amelyek láthatóvá teszik a PPP sokféle értelmezését a szerzők által alkalmazott részben eltérő definíciókkal. A többféle szempontból végzett szisztematikus elemzés eredményeképpen látható, hogy noha az írások mondanivalójuk függvényében vagy kiemelik a PPP partneri, kockázatmegosztó jellegét, vagy ezt nem hangsúlyozzák és általánosabb értelmezéssel dolgoznak. A PPP-t leginkább kritikusan bíráló szerzők körében jellemző, hogy a gyakorlati megvalósulás alapján a PPP-nek inkább feladatátadó, semmint partneri, illetve inkább finanszírozási, semmint értéknövelő jellegét hangsúlyozzák. = This working paper summarizes the terminology, research focus and primary results of academic articles on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) from a business studies approach. This is to show what fellow researchers focus on. I mean to highlight the „significant” topics as per the current understanding of the academic community. The analysis focuses on twenty-three academic articles that reveal the various interpretations of PPP, using somewhat different definitions. Analytical results show that the articles do not use a common interpretation, but authors either highlight the partnership, i.e. risk sharing nature of PPP; or it is not emphasized, and they use a more general interpretation instead. Researchers most critical with PPP typically give importance to the outsourcing and financing aspects of PPP in practice, rather than its partnership or value increasing character.

Google’s Antitrust Cases Competition Analysis in New Economy Markets

Today, global economic performance largely depends on digital ecosystems. E-commerce, cloud, social media, sharing economy are the main products of the modern innovative economic systems which are constantly raising new regulatory questions. Meanwhile the United States has an unimpeachable dominance in innovation and new technologies, as well as a large and open domestic market, the EU is only recently discovering the importance of empowering the European digital economy and aims to break down its highly fragmented cross-border online economic environment. As global economy is rapidly becoming digital, Europe’s effort to create and invest in common digital market is understandable. The comprehensive investigations launched by the European Commission into the role of social network, search engine, or sharing economy internet platforms, which are new generation technologies dominated by American firms; or the recent decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union declaring that the Commission’s US Safe Harbor Decision is invalid1 might be considered as part of an anti-American protectionist policy. However, these measures could rather be seen as part of a broader trend to foster European enterprises in technology developments.