Richard Cunha Schmidt and Micheline Gaia Hoffmann
Despite the increasing availability of financing programs for innovation, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) often find it difficult to access credit for their…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the increasing availability of financing programs for innovation, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) often find it difficult to access credit for their projects. Among the reasons, the lack of the types of guarantees required by financial institutions stands out. Focused on this problem, in 2013, the Regional Bank for the Development of the Extreme South (BRDE) created a policy to stimulate innovation, making the required guarantees for financing operations of innovative companies more flexible: the BRDE Inova Program. This paper aims to analyze the guarantees used in the bank operations since the beginning of the program.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first stage of the research, the authors identified the guarantees used in each of the signed contracts, through a documentary survey. Next, semi-structured interviews showed the perceptions of the players involved in the innovation ecosystem of the state of Santa Catarina, regarding aspects related to the guarantees. Specifically, the authors investigated the following elements: strengths and limitations of the programs regarding access to credit for innovation; adequacy of existing guarantee mechanisms. To strengthen the conclusions, they used triangulated data collection in different stages.
Findings
The results showed that, on the one hand, the initiative helped BRDE to consolidate itself as the main financing agent of innovation in MSMEs; on the other hand, the need for traditional guarantees still plays a significant role for innovative MSMEs to access credit.
Originality/value
In addition to practical implications for the bank and other financing agents’ policies, this paper contributes to fill a gap in the literature on guarantee systems applied to the specificities of knowledge-intensive MSMEs.
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Higher education customers can be defined as either the faculty, students or administration. The key stakeholder often has been identified as the student. Selecting a college is…
Abstract
Higher education customers can be defined as either the faculty, students or administration. The key stakeholder often has been identified as the student. Selecting a college is the first step the student undertakes in the educational process of a higher education. The educational value perception to be earned has an important impact on the student’s choice of a particular college. The value‐added concept of an organized activity originated in Europe. Applying the concept was difficult in manufacturing operations and it is even more difficult to apply it to a service operation such as higher education. Working through the application difficulties should provide valuable insights into why a student chooses a particular college over another similar institution. The out‐of‐pocket costs to attend a college may be a useful surrogate for the perceived value for the student in valuing the education from individual colleges.
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Richard J. Schmidt and Robert H. Dodds
The computational efficiency of subspace iteration is addressed relative to the data structures adopted for the very large and generally sparse coefficient matrices. The frequent…
Abstract
The computational efficiency of subspace iteration is addressed relative to the data structures adopted for the very large and generally sparse coefficient matrices. The frequent triangulations and matrix multiplications demand that access to the terms in the coefficient matrices be unbiased. Reliance on virtual memory (paging) operating systems with no special considerations for localized data access is not adequate. Specific data structures must be designed that accommodate the needs of the numerical algorithm yet eliminate unnecessary paging. An implementation of the subspace iteration method using hypermatrix data structures is presented. Use of hypermatrices is shown to provide unbiased and localized data access. The various modifications to the conventional formulation are described and an example problem illustrates the potential benefits of the hypermatrix formulation. Possibilities for adapting hypermatrix data structures to new supercomputer architectures are discussed.
Kevin Doyle and Brian H. Kleiner
Public sector management has never been overwhelmingly applauded for efficiency in operations; but in the last few decades accusations of mismanagement in the American federal…
Abstract
Public sector management has never been overwhelmingly applauded for efficiency in operations; but in the last few decades accusations of mismanagement in the American federal government have been common, particularly in the wake of the Grace Commission report and the Gramm‐Rudman Deficit Reduction Plan. The pressure is on government to streamline operations and become more “efficient”.
Leo Y.M. Sin, Suk‐ching Ho and Stella L.M. So
Examines the recent research on advertising in mainland China over the 1979‐1998 period. Suggests that findings show a sustained effort in academic research/publications on…
Abstract
Examines the recent research on advertising in mainland China over the 1979‐1998 period. Suggests that findings show a sustained effort in academic research/publications on advertising in China is in the early stage of its development and whilst many areas have been researched, there are many more yet to be touched. Concludes that the research is seldom based on established theoretical or conceptual framework and the research methods and types of analysis used have not been very advanced when compared to general advertising research.
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Leo Yat Ming Sin and Suk‐ching Ho
Looks at consumer research in Greater China including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Maps out the contributions within this area and guides future research. Examines the…
Abstract
Looks at consumer research in Greater China including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Maps out the contributions within this area and guides future research. Examines the state of the art over the 1979‐97 period, with particular emphasis on the topics that have been researched, the extent of the theory development in the field and the methodologies used in conducting research. Uses content analysis to review 75 relevant articles. Suggests that, while a considerable breadth of topics have been researched, there remains much to be done, there is further room for theoretical development in Chinese consumer behaviour studies; and the methodologies used need improvement and further refinement.
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The emerging literature on experimental methods in connection with economic inequality has shed fresh light on how to think about inequality, how important issues of equality are…
Abstract
The emerging literature on experimental methods in connection with economic inequality has shed fresh light on how to think about inequality, how important issues of equality are in comparison with other economic objectives and how individuals incorporate criteria of equality and fairness into their own decisions.
Why isn't the four letter word beginning with f— used in the title of this conference.