Christopher Palmberg and Olli Martikainen
While the ICT industry as a whole is undergoing a potentially disruptive phase of development due to the convergence between information and telecom technologies and the rapid…
Abstract
Purpose
While the ICT industry as a whole is undergoing a potentially disruptive phase of development due to the convergence between information and telecom technologies and the rapid diffusion of internet‐related applications. Against this background the purpose of the paper is to analyse recent patterns of internal/indigenous and external diversification of prominent Finnish telecom firms using data on patents and strategic R&D alliances.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology comprises of statistical analyses of patterns of patenting of Finnish telecom firms to capture the internal/indigenous nature of diversification, compared with patterns of external diversification based on a new database of alliances of Finnish firms.
Findings
The results indicate that the Finnish telecom industry has diversified its technological base in recent years. The industry appears internally/indigenously weak in internet‐related “new” telecom technologies and related applications. However, telecom firms have also extensively engaged themselves in complementary R&D alliances in these fields.
Research limitations/implications
The paper carries important implications for policymakers and managers alike related to the sustainability of previous success of Finnish telecom. Limitation related to the use of Finnish patent data that might to capture software technologies sufficiently, and does not aim to/cannot capture the diversified technological competencies of Nokia on a global level.
Originality/value
The originality of the paper lies in the combination of patent and R&D alliances data, as well as the development of a concordance table to link technology classes to broader developments in the industry, for a novel and systematic analysis of the responsiveness of the Finnish telecom industry to ICT convergence
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Christopher Palmberg and Eric Bohlin
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the papers in the special issue on “Next generation mobile telecommunications networks challenges to the Nordic ICT industries”.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the papers in the special issue on “Next generation mobile telecommunications networks challenges to the Nordic ICT industries”.
Design/methodology/approach
This introductory paper summarises the key points of each paper.
Findings
The competitive environment of the Nordic ICT industries has changed and is far more complex now compared to the previous single‐standard environment of 2G. The avenues for influencing competition between basic technology platforms and standards are much narrower and involve interaction with a much greater number of stakeholders and technologies on a global level.
Originality/value
The six papers of this Special Issue highlight interesting viewpoints both on the possible future evolution of the mobile telecommunications industry in general, as well as on the past development and present challenges that the Nordic countries face.
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Internet and GSM have become the dominant designs for information and communication technology (ICT) industries in the late 1990s. Internet protocol (IP) is the dominant standard…
Abstract
Purpose
Internet and GSM have become the dominant designs for information and communication technology (ICT) industries in the late 1990s. Internet protocol (IP) is the dominant standard for cost effective networking and new interactive broadband services. GSM (2G) is currently the dominant cellular technology and it is the basis of GSM, GPRS (2.5G) and UMTS (3G), the GSM‐continuum of standards. The marriage of broadband internet and mobile has created open questions on which are the future winning wireless standards. Will mobile internet be based on the GSM‐continuum or on US wireless developments such as WLAN and WiMAX? In longer time‐scale the Mobile Ad‐hoc Network (MANET) which does not use any preinstalled communications infrastructure may also become a cost‐effective challenger to infrastructure based networks. The paper seeks to address these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper elaborates these questions with the aim to provide an analytically clarifying conceptualisation of the competitive relationships between 3G, WLAN/WiMAX and the emerging MANET opportunities both in network and application perspectives. By considering the interaction of the possible competitive regimes we analyze the disruptive capabilities of new solutions to become substitutes to the existing ones.
Findings
There are a number of open issues in the WLAN/WiMAX and MANET architectures, which require further work and global standardization. For the while, the integration of the personal applications to the GSM continuum seems to be the most potential approach to import internet to the mobile world. However, there is no winner yet, and the author strongly believes that a new wave of innovations may come around these lines and that these developments will also change the mobile technology and services landscape.
Originality/value
The paper contributes with a systemantic analysis of the competition between 3G, WLAN/WiMAX and ad hoc network technologies. A novelty in the analysis is that it incorporates both network access technologies and applications.
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Ralf Östermark and Jaana Aaltonen
The paper is presented in two parts. The first is concerned with the methodology of the competing transformation models and the second details the results of the empirical tests…
Abstract
The paper is presented in two parts. The first is concerned with the methodology of the competing transformation models and the second details the results of the empirical tests. In particular, it concentrates on empirical testing of the stability and cross‐sectional invariance of the factor patterns underlying the arbitrage pricing models of two neighbouring security markets. In previous studies, the method of transformation analysis has been used to address these issues at the individual asset level. In the present study three alternative transformation analysis models are used to study the stability and invariance problems. The tests are carried out at an aggregated level, such that subsets of asset returns are combined in equally weighted portfolios in the spirit of Fama and MacBeth. Portfolio formation is motivated by the observed anomalies of individual asset return series. Even if some anomalies may be present on the aggregated level also, their impact will be weaker. The amount of different issues of the same company in the database is varied in order to study the impact of parallel issues on the empirical results.
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A. Gunasekaran, S.K. Goyal, T. Martikainen and P. Yli‐Olli
In any organization, the information relevant to the problem areais essential in making decisions. The top management makes decisionslike expansion of the plant, automation…
Abstract
In any organization, the information relevant to the problem area is essential in making decisions. The top management makes decisions like expansion of the plant, automation, recruitment of senior personnel and diversification of products, etc. There are many kinds of tools or methods available to analyse these problem areas. Among these, turnover rate is useful for many purposes, especially in evaluating the performance of an organization. Here, the turnover rate is considered in order to identify the effect of the number of types of products or product mix on the performance of a manufacturing system. It can be defined as the ratio of average demand to average inventory level. The model presented discusses the effect of the number of products/product mix on the turnover rate of a production system when the appropriate market value of the products is considered. The turnover rate discussed is based on the economic production quantity (EPQ) and the manufacturing cycle time of each product. An example is presented to explain the application of the model.
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S.K. Goyal, A. Gunasekaran, T. Martikainen and P. Yli‐Olli
Presents a mathematical model for determining Economic ProductionQuantity (EPQ) in a multistage flow‐shop production system for the casewhere the demand for items per unit time is…
Abstract
Presents a mathematical model for determining Economic Production Quantity (EPQ) in a multistage flow‐shop production system for the case where the demand for items per unit time is deterministic and the planning horizon is finite. Solves an example problem to illustrate the model.
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A. Gunasekaram, S.K. Goyal, T. MArtikainen and P. Yli‐Olli
This paper deals with total quality management (TQM) with an emphasis on developing suitable strategies for improving quality and productivity in manufacturing systems. In recent…
Abstract
This paper deals with total quality management (TQM) with an emphasis on developing suitable strategies for improving quality and productivity in manufacturing systems. In recent years, TQM has been seen as an important strategy for achieving success in business both in terms of quality and productivity. However, there seem to be no clear strategic framework and guide‐lines for implementing TQM in manufacturing in the light of available advanced production concepts and technologies. A review of previous implementation approaches of TQM in practice has been presented in order to gain further insights into the implementation aspects of TQM. The main objective of this paper is to present a general framework for the development of TQM in manufacturing organizations considering the recent developments in production concepts and technologies and competitiveness among firms to utilize quality as a competitive weapon.
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Juozas Ruzevicius, Roma Adomaitiene, Dalius Serafinas and Daiva Daugviliene
Achievement of objectives of education and training is one of significant factors influencing quality of life. Higher education institutions use different work, teaching methods…
Abstract
Achievement of objectives of education and training is one of significant factors influencing quality of life. Higher education institutions use different work, teaching methods and tools; however they are inadequate in many cases. Today higher education institutions have problems concerning sustention and rise of certain level of education by giving the job for graduates, using of new technologies that help to present, manage, evaluate and control knowledge. The main objectives of quality management system (QMS) at higher education institutions are as follow: to assure continuous improvement of education quality; to demonstrate performance results and relevant facts to the interested parties (customers of college or university, social partners, administrative institutions) showing the abilities of education institution to prepare high qualification specialists that fully correspond to changing requirements of labour market. The QMS at education institutions should be designed as continuous process, considering that the quality of final product is the result achieved in primary processes. The process shall involve all interested parties. Parameters and indicators of education quality can help to analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of existing QMS. The results of quality audits should be also taken into account when designing and implementing QMS at organization. Literature review showed that for the assurance of education quality three different approaches prevail: total quality management (TQM); requirements of quality awards and assessment models; and QMS corresponding to the requirements of ISO 9001 standard. The case study of QMS design and implementation at Vilnius Law and Business College is presented in the paper. The peculiarities, difficulties and obstacles of QMS implementation in the higher educations institutions are analysed in more detail in this article.