Thesis (Ph. D.)--Stanford University, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-172).

Thesis--Copenhagen. / Bibliography: p. 289-294.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Management of Technology)--Vanderbilt University, May 2007. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Stan N. Finkelstein, Eric A. von Hipple, and Jeffrey R. Scott. / "January 1980." / Bibliography: p. 14.

L’innovation du 21ème siècle n’a plus comme simple objectif la survie des entreprises sur le marché et la relance de la croissance des pays. Désormais, elle doit, en plus, préserver l’environnement pour assurer le développement des générations actuelles et futures. Cette nouvelle tâche la place au centre des recherches d’innombrables travaux mobilisant les champs de l’économie de l’innovation et de l’économie environnementale. L’ambition de cette thèse est, dans un premier temps, d’examiner comment ‐à un niveau micro‐économique‐, l’émergence et la diffusion des innovations environnementales sont impactées par les relations stratégiques inter‐firmes au sein des chaînes de valeur. Pour ce faire le premier chapitre montre qu’un monopole est prêt à maintenir sur un marché un produit de moins bonne qualité pour augmenter son pouvoir de négociation face à un fournisseur offrant une innovation drastique –un produit de meilleur qualité sans coûts additionnels‐. Le second chapitre explique comment les pouvoirs de négociation entre les firmes verticalement liées peuvent influencer le choix de l’adoption de la technologie environnementale engendrant un niveau de dépollution ou de bien‐être sous‐optimal. Pour faire face à une telle situation, le régulateur doit adapter sa politique de régulation –une taxe en l’occurrence‐ pour modifier le choix de la firme polluante. Or son intervention peut se révéler insuffisante sous certaines conditions. Dans un deuxième temps, le troisième chapitre cette thèse identifie, théoriquement et empiriquement les déterminants macro‐économiques des innovations environnementales afin d’aider le régulateur à mieux cibler ses interventions. / The innovation of the 21st century has no longer as a mere objective the survival of companies in the market and the stimulation of the growth at the country level. From now on, there is an urgent need to preserve the environment to ensure the development of present and future generations. Therefore, several empirical studies and theoretical accounts place the matter at the heart of innovation and economics fields of research. The first objective of this dissertation is to examine how ‐at a microeconomic level‐ the emergence and diffusion of environmental innovations is impacted by strategic inter‐firm relationships within supply‐chains. In order to achieve this goal, the first chapter shows that a monopoly maintains on the market a low‐quality product in the sole intention to increase his bargaining power against a supplier offering a drastic innovation ‐a costless high‐quality product‐. The second chapter explains how bargaining powers between vertically related firms can influence the adoption choice of environmental technology leading to a sub‐optimal level of depollution or welfare. To deal with this situation, the regulator must adapt its regulatory policy ‐a tax in this case‐ to modify the choice of the polluting firm. However, its intervention may prove insufficient under certain conditions. The second objective of the dissertation is developed in the third chapter which identifies theoretically and empirically the macroeconomic determinants of environmental innovations in order to help the regulator to better target its interventions.

L'innovation constitue un facteur de croissance particulièrement critique dans le secteur des hautes technologies. Or, le taux de lancements aboutissant à des échecs commerciaux y est bien plus élevé dans ce secteur que dans d'autres industries. Ce constat a incité des chercheurs à s'intéresser de plus près aux spécificités des innovations technologiques par rapport aux autres innovations.En particulier, Hoeffler (2003) constate que les innovations technologiques se distinguent par le fait qu'elles suscitent deux formes spécifiques d'incertitude : la première est liée à la difficulté de compréhension des nouveaux bénéfices, et la seconde aux coûts d'apprentissage du produit. Castano et alii (2008) montrent que ces deux formes d'incertitude sont plus ou moins saillantes dans les pensées du consommateur, selon l'échéance à laquelle il envisage l'achat d'un produit technologique, appelée « distance temporelle ». La robustesse de ces résultats a été confirmée lors d'une étude préliminaire. Par ailleurs, nous avons eu recours à deux techniques de simulation mentale anticipative pour réduire la double incertitude du consommateur ressentie à l'égard d'innovations semi-continues et discontinues. Nos résultats indiquent que lorsque l'achat est envisagé dans un délai proche, la simulation « orientée vers le processus » réduit l'incertitude liée aux coûts d'apprentissage et l'anxiété du consommateur, et augmente l'intention d'achat et d'utilisation du produit. A plus long terme, c'est la simulation « orientée vers le résultat » qui favorise l'intention d'achat et d'utilisation, en réduisant l'incertitude envers les bénéfices et en augmentant l'optimisme du consommateur. Les mécanismes par lesquels l'interaction entre la distance temporelle et la simulation mentale agit sur les réactions et comportements du consommateur ont été mis au jour dans cette thèse. De plus, nous avons démontré que les effets bénéfiques de cette interaction se produisaient pour les consommateurs experts, mais qu'ils ne se produisaient pas pour les consommateurs non experts. Cette recherche pose donc une limite à l'utilisation de cette interaction comme technique marketing pour favoriser l'adoption d'innovations technologiques. Cinq études ont été réalisées dans le cadre de cette thèse, dont deux en collaboration avec IDEAs Laboratory, une entreprise grenobloise opérant dans le secteur des hautes technologies. / Although innovation is a critical growth factor in the high technology sector, the rate of introductions leading to commercial failure is much higher in this sector than in other industries. This prompted researchers to pay closer attention to the characteristics differentiating technological innovations from innovations in other fields. As part of this recent and fruitful research current, Hoeffler (2003) finds that technological innovations are distinguished by the fact that they raise two specific forms of uncertainty. The first relates to the difficulty of understanding the new benefits; the second, to the fact that these innovations require consumer learning. According to Castano et alii (2008), these two forms of uncertainty are more or less prominent in the minds of consumers according to the time frame during which the individual is considering purchasing a technology product – this time frame is referred to as “temporal distance” in the literature. The robustness of these results was confirmed in a preliminary study. Moreover, we employed two anticipatory mental simulation techniques to reduce the consumer's double uncertainty when considering the purchase of semi-continuous and discontinuous innovations. Our results show that when the purchase is planned within the near future, the “process-oriented” simulation reduces learning cost uncertainty and anxiety, and increases intent to use and intent to purchase. Over the long term, “result-oriented simulation” decreases uncertainty about benefits and raises optimism, intent to use and intent to purchase. This research identifies the mechanisms through which the interaction between temporal distance and mental simulation act on consumer's behavior. Moreover, we have shown that the beneficial effects stemming from this interaction are only true for the expert consumers and not for those who are not. Therefore, this research raises a limit to the use of this interaction to promote the adoption of technological innovations. Five studies were conducted, including two that were made in collaboration with IDEAs Laboratory, a company from Grenoble operating in the sector of high technology.

Esta dissertação objetivou analisar os mecanismos e estruturas de promoção à inovação dispostos pela Universidade de Caxias do Sul, a partir do modelo teórico da Tríplice Hélice. A pesquisa envolveu a identificação das interações da universidade com os instrumentos e políticas de inovação da Secretaria da Ciência, Inovação e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico do Governo do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul e com o as atividades aplicadas à inovação da empresa Keko Acessórios S.A. Neste contexto foram caracterizadas as atividades e políticas de inovação dos três agentes considerando suas interações com agentes externos, visando pontuar as interações entre eles. Com abordagem qualitativa, o estudo exploratório empregou entrevistas com roteiro semiestruturado. Utilizou-se o método de análise de discurso, através do software ATLAS.ti®, versão 7. Os resultados apresentam uma participação assídua dos agentes na busca de interações com agentes externos, através de recursos, conhecimento e análise de mercado, para a realização de seus objetivos, dentro das atividades e políticas de inovação. Essa busca fica evidente quando se trata da realização dos objetivos individuais, fazendo com que a interação com os agentes externos seja uma consequência desse processo, limitando a participação externa nas atividades de inovação. / Submitted by Ana Guimarães Pereira (agpereir@ucs.br) on 2015-09-21T12:28:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Felipe Luis de Marchi.pdf: 1302058 bytes, checksum: fb4bf2b8ff8ad7822c25a7099994ee5e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-21T12:28:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Felipe Luis de Marchi.pdf: 1302058 bytes, checksum: fb4bf2b8ff8ad7822c25a7099994ee5e (MD5) / This dissertation aimed to analyze the mechanisms and structures for the promotion to innovation disposed by University of Caxias do Sul, starting from the theoretical model of the Triple Helix. The research involved the identification of the interactions between the University, the instruments and innovation polices of the Secretary of Science, Innovation and Technological Development of the Government of the State of Rio Grande do Sul and the activities applied to innovation of the company Keko Acessórios S.A.. In this context were characterized the activities and innovation policies of the three agents considering their interactions with external agents, aiming to realize the interactions between them. Using a qualitative approach, this exploratory study employed semi-structured interviews with a script. The method of discourse analysis was used and carried out with Atlas.TI software ®, version 7. The results show an assiduous participation of agents in search of interactions with external agents, through resources, knowledge and analysis of the market for the realization of their goals, activities and innovation policies. This search is evident when it comes to the achievement of individual objectives, making the interaction with external agents a consequence of this process, limiting external participation in innovation activities.

Thesis (DTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Rationale: Unavoidably, the 21st century is witnessing continuous discourse about students’ technology uses in higher education. This thesis explores the underpinnings of students’ technology usage in their rhizomatic (personal) learning networks in the higher educational environment through a lens of four sub-research questions and four research hypotheses. Methodology: This research adopted a cross-sectional narrative and numeric study using the Frameworks for an Integrated Methodology (FraIM). The study was conducted in four universities comprising two universities in Ghana, one in South Africa and another in Belgium. Participants and respondents included students and lecturers. Data collection methods comprise focus group interviews, individual interviews, surveys (paper and web-based) and rhizomatic maps. The philosophical underpinning was inclined towards the critical realists’ stance and hinged to Rhizome Theory and Actor Network Theory. Data were analysed through descriptive and multivariate analyses and learning analytics employing tools in social network analysis. Results were presented graphically via Rhizomatic Learning Network maps, charts, tables and narratives. Findings: Students’ personal learning networks exhibit traces of rhizomatic patterns which are related through human and non-human actors. Seven categories of actors – comprising 218 individual actors – were found in students’ Rhizomatic Learning Networks. Out of 19 traceable digital devices used by students, this research established differences among the institutions in the four most widely used digital devices: Laptop, Smartphone, Tablet or iPad, and E-Reader pro rata. Students owned, in this sequence, smartphones, laptops, tablets or iPads and e-readers. This research also found statistically significant differences among all four institutions in terms of students’ self-perceived importance of handheld mobile devices towards academic success, university wireless network experiences and satisfaction of Learning Management Systems in the universities. However, results indicated that students are not likely to skip classes when materials from course lectures are available online, implying an inclination towards a blended approach to learning despite a technologically-rich environment. Implications and Value: With an underlying effect on curriculum design and implementation, this thesis, supporting rhizomatic approaches to learning, has tremendous potential to improve personal learning networks in higher education. It further contributes an understanding of emerging patterns in the personal learning networks of higher education students within a technology-rich environment. Again, integration of the two theories – FraIM, analytical tools and style of presentation – in understanding the problem through the lens of a critical realist is novel. Key Recommendations: Further rhizoanalysis research into the detailed roles performed by individual technological actors in students’ personal learning networks in the higher educational environment is required. Additionally, clear policies exhibiting willingness and enforcement strategies to integrate technology in all facets relating to learning should guide curriculum development within the universities.