Wendell E. Dunn and Scott Shane
This case describes how eight entrepreneurs discover different opportunities for new businesses to exploit a single technological invention. The case focuses on the process of…
Abstract
This case describes how eight entrepreneurs discover different opportunities for new businesses to exploit a single technological invention. The case focuses on the process of entrepreneurial discovery and its implications for the creation of new firms. Many of the teaching materials on entrepreneurship assume that entrepreneurs have already discovered an opportunity. While these materials provide useful information about the process of creating new enterprises, they miss the crucial first step in the entrepreneurial process: identifying an opportunity. The case illustrates the theoretical concept of the role of information in the discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities. It can be used in a class on entrepreneurship or management of technology.
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Johann Höchtl, Peter Parycek and Michael Sachs
The purpose of this paper is to depict the present situation of e‐participation initiatives of Austrian municipalities and derives recommendations to further enhance the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to depict the present situation of e‐participation initiatives of Austrian municipalities and derives recommendations to further enhance the e‐participation sophistication level.
Design/methodology/approach
The findings are based on hypotheses we verified against a dataset obtained from an electronic survey among all Austrian municipalities, conducted in 2008.
Findings
The technical basis for e‐participation in Austria is well developed, yet accessibility of municipal web sites and the phrasing of information leaves space for improvement. E‐participation in Austria is still in a nascent state and requires the convergence of technical, political, legal and socio‐economic factors, which has not yet fully arrived at the municipal level.
Research limitations/implications
The raw material of the survey did not allow a qualitative assessment of e‐services.
Practical implications
Change of law and reconsideration of opening hierarchical structures.
Social implications
Recommendations of implementing e‐participation on municipal level.
Originality/value
Owing to the broad fragmentation of e‐government strategies and relevant regulations, the detailed results of the survey are only of limited use for comparability to other surveys in this domain. The identified factors for e‐accessibility and the derived measures for e‐participation thereupon are a new approach and will help further research and surveys to define an e‐participation assessment framework.
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Peter Parycek, Michael Sachs and Judith Schossböck
This paper aims to examine socio‐cultural differences in internet use (Digital Divide) among 14‐year‐old Austrian pupils, in particular usage scenarios and research competences…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine socio‐cultural differences in internet use (Digital Divide) among 14‐year‐old Austrian pupils, in particular usage scenarios and research competences. It is based on a paper presented at the International Association for the Development of the Information Society e‐Society conference, 10‐13 March 2011, Spain (Parycek et al., 2011).
Design/methodology/approach
The interpretation follows the results of a study conducted in 2009 and 2010 in school computer labs. The study design includes an online survey, a questionnaire and a cloze test.
Findings
The results give evidence that a Digital Divide in Austria exists even among teenagers, in particular in relation to gender, socio‐economic status and school type.
Research limitations/implications
As the survey was done with 14‐year‐old pupils, the results are limited to this age group. However, the target group enables researchers to relate the results to the main two school types in Austria, as pupils attend either of these schools at this age.
Practical implications
The findings of the survey were communicated to the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture of Austria. They provide a basis for target‐group specific projects aiming at enhancing e‐literacy among Austrian youth.
Originality/value
The focus on 14‐year‐old pupils allows for a more detailed analysis of the Digital Divide within this age group in three regions of Austria. The study provides detailed data on the search behavior of young people due to an integrated test element that tracked pupils' surf paths.
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This article examines the scope of change which is likely to be brought about in the American health care industry due to the emergence of capitated reimbursement systems. As we…
Abstract
This article examines the scope of change which is likely to be brought about in the American health care industry due to the emergence of capitated reimbursement systems. As we will see, the goals, the terminology, and the operations of hospitals in the United States will be greatly affected as the shift to capitation occurs. This article explores the underlying cause of the movement of hospitals toward capitation and examines the impact of capitation on hospital management practices.
Marta Fabiano Sambiase Lombardi, Carla Camargo Leal and Leonardo F.C. Basso
The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether it is possible to reconcile the objectives of sustainable development (SD) with a company's socially responsible performance in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether it is possible to reconcile the objectives of sustainable development (SD) with a company's socially responsible performance in the Brazilian Amazon. The relationship between the concepts of SD and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is presented.
Design/methodology/approach
The case study method was used, based on the analysis of the Saboaria (soaps factory) of the Brazilian cosmetics company Natura.
Findings
The study demonstrated the coexistence and integration of both concepts, translated into strategies and practices of organizational management.
Research limitations/implications
The fundamental limitation of the paper is that it is formed using secondary data, collected from the internet and printed media. Conducting further research using primary data, such as interviews or surveys with Natura's managers, Natura's consumers, or Natura's employees/community, and for a longer period to analyze the Natura Saboaria experience is necessary.
Practical implications
The major implication for practice is that a sustainable strategy is necessary on a wide sense, not just in line with economic dimension.
Originality/value
This study integrates the literatures on SD and CSR to a series of business projects geared towards the sustainable use of the Amazon's resources, in pursuit of socially responsible behavior.
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Christina E. Carter, Nina K. Stephenson and Frances C. Wilkinson
Reference department collections contain a wide variety of serials and serial‐like publications. These include (among others) indexing and abstracting services, directories…
Abstract
Reference department collections contain a wide variety of serials and serial‐like publications. These include (among others) indexing and abstracting services, directories, almanacs, books‐in‐prints ources, statistical works, trade and national bibliographies, union lists, biographical sources, government publications, and travel guides. Such publications are ideally updated via subscriptions or standing orders with vendors or publishers, and managed by sophisticated integrated systems with serials control features to facilitate claiming, check‐in, and other serials functions such as binding.
Norman A. Waterman and Philip Dickens
Reviews, for the USA, Europe and Japan, the current state ofdevelopment and application of rapid prototyping techniques and theirimpact on time‐to‐market for new products. These…
Abstract
Reviews, for the USA, Europe and Japan, the current state of development and application of rapid prototyping techniques and their impact on time‐to‐market for new products. These techniques, which are still undergoing rapid development, have already had a dramatic effect on reducing the time‐to‐market for new products by between 60 per cent and per cent and on reducing the cost‐to‐market by between 40 per cent and 70 per cent. Concludes that although the US is ahead of the rest of the world in terms of depth of experience and range of techniques, Europe and Japan are catching up fast in terms of experience and applications. Gives guidelines for the managers of manufacturing companies on the importance of the techniques, the selection of the most appropriate system and how to obtain most of the techniques adopted.
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A subprime loan to straw borrower Charlotte Delaney was used to fraudulently strip equity from an elderly African American couple in Chicago. Following this loan from origination…
Abstract
A subprime loan to straw borrower Charlotte Delaney was used to fraudulently strip equity from an elderly African American couple in Chicago. Following this loan from origination to securitization highlights responsibility for the wave of early payment default loans that contributed to the implosion of subprime lending. The Delaney loan, funded by subprime lender Mortgage Investment Lending Associates (MILA), was representative of the stated income, no down payment loans that defaulted in 2006 at the peak of the subprime bubble. MILA was suffering financially from demands to repurchase loans and was insolvent as early as 2004. MILA underwriters approved the Delaney loans despite obvious indications of fraud. Goldman Sachs bought MILA loans for inclusion in a $1.5 billion residential mortgage-backed security. Goldman Sachs warned investors that subprime loans were high risk and promised extensive due diligence. When subpoenaed for evidence of due diligence on MILA, Goldman Sachs provided none. The drive to generate profits through securitization explains why Goldman Sachs did not investigate and did not uncover MILA's inability to repurchase a growing portfolio of early payment default loans. Competition to buy subprime loans for securitization relieved lenders like MILA of pressure to verify that their loans were sustainable and not fraudulent.