Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology, Management, and Policy Program, 2007. / MIT Dewey Library copy: issued in leaves. / Also issued printed in leaves. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 197-206). / Studies suggest that timing and location of emissions can change the amount of ozone formed from a given amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) by a factor of five (Mauzerall et al. 2005). Yet existing NOx cap-and-trade programs require stationary sources in the Eastern U.S. to reduce emissions without reference to timing or location. This work is part of a larger study on whether a NOx cap-and-trade program that differentiates across emissions by time and location could reduce ozone concentrations more cost-effectively than simple aggregate reductions in the NOx cap in the Eastern United States. To gauge possible gains relative to existing regulations, this work examines compliance data from coal power plants in 2002 and 2005 to estimate the effectiveness of existing un-differentiated regulations. It finds that some plant operators chose to remain under aggregated caps by emitting less NOx during early summer months when effects on ozone formation are low and emitting more NOx during late summer months when effects on ozone formation are great. This behavior was at once individually rational, environmentally damaging, and perfectly legal. To evaluate potential challenges to implementation, the study assesses the technical feasibility and the distributional effects of spatially and temporally differentiated regulatory systems. * Are power plants in the Eastern U.S. technically capable of reducing NOx emissions in response to incentives that changed in time and by location given network constraints? To address these questions, this work used a zonal model based on an abstract network graph and optimal power flow simulations to estimate potential short-term NOx reductions and associated costs from redispatch of power plants in the original Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) power system. / (cont.) Both methods estimated that power plants could respond with hourly NOx reductions of between 15 and 30% and that network constraints had little effect. * Are the distributional effects of a differentiated regulation likely to motivate and/or enable legal challenges that could undercut such a program? The distributional effects of differentiated regulation would depend on the timing and locations of reductions, and legal challenges could constrain implementation. But the inability of un-differentiated regulations to fully solve ozone problems, combined with scientific and economic justifications, and the ability of power plants to respond, justify further inquiry into the feasibility of differentiation. / by Katherine C. Martin. / Ph.D.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 153-155). / The healthcare industry is expanding swiftly and total healthcare expenditures are expected to reach 18% of GDP by 2008. However there exist steep variances in quality of care and high incidences of medical error. This has given impetus to efforts at progressively evolving the healthcare delivery system. The role of information technology (IT) is seen as being central to cost reduction and quality improvement of healthcare delivery. Furthermore, efficiency gains will realize approximately 20% in cost reductions. However, there are significant challenges associated with widespread adoption of IT by healthcare providers. Despite the existence of vendor and technology maturity, implementation rates for clinical patient record systems were only 35% in 2006. This study addresses the problem of low IT adoption in hospitals through a three pronged analysis methodology. A Clockspeed analysis has revealed a dichotomy between the maturity levels of technology and vendors on the one hand and delivery processes on the other. This has resulted in lower business value being realized from IT investments by healthcare providers. / (cont.) To address the concern of low business value realization from IT investments, a workflow and Social Networking Analysis was conducted on the surgery patient flow process of a prominent Boston area hospital. It was demonstrated that productivity gains could be achieved through redesign of social networks at the workplace and by inculcating an enterprise-wide process orientation. This would generate greater business value from existing IT investments and thereby impact the rate of IT adoption. Furthermore, an assessment of IT Governance styles and IT Architecture maturity was done at the same Boston area hospital. The findings revealed the requirements necessary for migration towards an IT Architecture that could deliver data integration and an enterprise-wide process orientation. A top management driven approach towards a uniformity in governance styles and an alignment of business strategies throughout the organization were identified as the key requirements. The improved business value realized from IT investments through this combined approach makes the case for faster IT adoption by hospitals, and by extension, by healthcare providers in general. / by Chandrika N. Samarth. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-59). / In today's world of advanced technology and global reach, one company cannot necessarily make a significant technological innovation. A company that pursues a technological advantage needs to manage global collaboration or competition appropriately. Over the years, the "standardization" of technology has been one of the major strategies with which to encourage technological innovation and acquire a competitive advantage. However, a standardized technology does not necessarily contribute to creating a competitive advantage, and the "differentiation" of technology sometimes provides a better competitive advantage than standardization can. This thesis focuses on the strategic differences between the "standardization" and "differentiation" of a technology. The purpose is to gain insight into standardization and differentiation, looking them as drivers of R&D activities in a company pursuing technical competence. The thesis suggests advantages and disadvantages of each strategy and analyzes circumstances that affect strategic differences. The first part of the thesis establishes the fact that the strategic difference has a less impact on business activities and commercial success than on R&D. / (cont.) The second part clarifies the impact of the difference on R&D activities, and it consists of three case studies from the technological areas in which the author has experience. The observations from the case studies lead to a decision matrix for the strategic choice between standardization and differentiation. If a market requirement is uncertain, the differentiation better facilitates effective R&D by means of its flexibility; the technology consolidation linked to standardization would not work well in this situation. Also, if technology elements which satisfy market requirements or target performance are immature, differentiation makes R&D more effective because of its relative lack of restrictions; inherent competition and selection to avoid redundant work linked to standardization would not work well in this situation. / by Satoru Adachi. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology, Management, and Policy Program, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [229]-250). / This thesis addresses problems of attribution that arise from the data integration that is exemplified by data re-use and re-distribution on the Web. We present two different perspectives. We begin with a simple definition of attribution, asking what data are we interested in and where does it come from? A formal model and its properties are defined, implementation in an extended relational algebra is described, and application to semistructured data on the Web is discussed. However, because the problem is more than simply what and where, we then expand the scope of our analysis. From the perspective of intellectual property policies, we adopt a broader view of the attribution problem space. A policy analysis that surveys the status quo policy landscape and stakeholder interests is followed by specific policy recommendations. Informed by our technology perspective, we offer two new arguments to support misappropriation as a policy approach to the attribution problem space. Our formal model of attribution is developed in the established foundation of the Domain Relational Calculus (DRC). Three distinct types of attribution are identified: comprehensive, source, and relevant. For each type, we consider the attribution of equivalent DRC expressions, attribution for composed queries, and granularity. An algebra is presented to implement the model. The extended algebra is closed, reduces to the standard relational algebra, and is a consistent extension of the standard algebra. / (cont.) The policy perspective encompasses not only what and where but also integration architectures and the relationships between data providers and users. Information technologies separate the processes and products of data gathering from data selection and presentation. Where the latter is addressed by copyright, the former is not addressed at all. Based upon two traditional, legal-economic frameworks, the asymmetric Prisoner's Dilemma and Entitlement Theory, we argue for a policy of misappropriation to support integration and attribution for data. / by Thomas Y. Lee. / Ph.D.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2000. / Also available online at the MIT Theses Online homepage <http://thesis.mit.edu>. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-106). / The Internet is currently keeping managers awake at night. Surveys conducted in various industries and regions around the globe typically show that more than 90% of the executives consider that the Internet will transform or will have a major impact on the global market place. This work addresses this problem. It focuses on the issues of business transformation that result from the widespread adoption of the Internet, by manufacturers, distributors and consumers. In almost every industry, the Internet is bringing important business changes. The developments are bringing new competitors to the market place, bringing new forms of competition, and are reshaping industries. Two of the key issues to address are the identification of the major industry changes and the identification of the core capabilities required for implementing successful Internet ventures. Among established industries, financial services are already being strongly impacted. Financial services' products and financial services' value chain are predominantly built on information and its products underlay many of the other industries' activities. Bill payment and retail stock trading are leading the categories with higher share of online execution. The use of the Internet in the financial services industry is specifically analyzed in this work. / by Paulo Sobral. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2006. / Page 150 blank. / Includes bibliographical references (o, 120-121). / This thesis studies the intellectual property strategy of companies in the flash memory industry, with special emphasis on technology and the development of nitride-based flash, a new and emerging type of memory technology. First, general perspectives and frameworks for licensing of patents and know-how are explored. Then, the participants in the flash memory industry are mapped to a product value chain, which is in turn mapped to an intellectual property value chain. We use a patent database analysis software IPVision in order to examine the patent portfolios of some of the memory chip companies. Analysis of the patent positions allows us to draw conclusions about the direction of technology development. / by Tomoko H. Ogura. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 55). / The emergence and adoption of a disruptive technology that replaces an existing industry platform not only has enormous implications to incumbent firms, but also creates business opportunities that is enabled by the newly adopted technology. Firms competing in such an evolving and dynamic industry face great management challenges in its product's technological innovation process. Furthermore, defining strategies to sustain its competitive advantage through the market evolution by transitioning to the new platform is a non-trivial management task. This thesis focuses on the digital imaging industry that consists of input/output/storage devices as well as related software and services. This thesis will -- describe the evolution, transition, and competitive/collaborative environment of the consumer photography industry, both analog and digital, by way of value chain analysis, -- identify current trends that is shaping the digital imaging industry and the challenges it faces, -- explore key factors that influence the expansion of digital imaging, focusing on two platform technologies, specifically the image data format and removable memory card format, -- discuss the strategic implications for a new format to be introduced in a fast growing industry and its diffusion strategies, and -- establish a basis to allow firms to address the industry challenges in order to sustain its competitive advantage. / by Katsuki Ishii. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 67). / The atmosphere of the entrepreneurial world emphasizes the need for unlimited time and extensive effort on part of the entrepreneur to creatively build an organization. As a result, the amount of time an entrepreneur can spend with his or her spouse and family is substantially reduced. In unknown number of cases, the entrepreneur may find a need for advice, support, and help from the spouse while journeying along this new path. This journey can have a two-fold impact on the spouses. The spouses of entrepreneurs may be themselves in need of attention, time, and guidance from the other spouse in family matters and meeting the needs of growing children. However, many spouses find themselves in a situation where they cannot expect much help from the entrepreneur; on the contrary, they may well be challenged by the demands of the entrepreneur and the business. Added to this situation, many spouses may hope to pursue their own interests and/or careers. They may have friendships and personal interests, they may wish to maintain and may have extended family obligations too. Owing to their partner's entrepreneurial efforts, the spouses own outside interests may make further demands on the spouse's time. All this could amount to spinning multiple dishes like a juggler. This thesis explores the role of spouses in entrepreneurship. I reviewed literature, conducted interviews, and made use of my own experiences to form the basis of the study. The research focuses on three issues. First, I reviewed the literature, such as it is, which led me to question why there is so little work on the role of spouses in entrepreneurship. / (cont.) Second, the role of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship is examined from the perspective of the social requirements for pursuing this path. Third, through extensive interviews, I examined the role of spouses in entrepreneurship, and the role of spouses from the viewpoint of the entrepreneurs themselves. / by Sanjay H. Inamdar. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2000. / Also available online at the MIT Theses Online homepage <http://thesis.mit.edu>. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-79). / The evaluation for the competency of New Technology Vehicles, such as Fuel Cell vehicles, Hybrid vehicles and Current vehicles with incrementally improved combustion engines are examined as well as fuel systems that support those power train alternatives. The competency for each alternative is measured through an economic instrument in terms of cost of power train alternatives, cost of fuel alternatives, and environmental factors. Careful observations imply that a fuel cell with a direct hydrogen system will be the most promising power train in the near future and that we are finally on the verge of entering the diffusion process. The analysis deployed here shows how the choice offsets its internal "the chicken or the egg" dilemma by selective manufacturing equipment and transportation infrastructure that support the power train. In addition, detail investigations are described that clarifies the uncertainties accompanied in developing and commercializing the power train. Finally, insights are presented regarding how a green penalty significantly enhances the diffusion process. / by Yoshikazu Shimazu. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-90). / In his 1997 book, The Innovators Dilemma, HBS Professor Clay Christensen discusses the impact of "disruptive technologies" on leading incumbent firms in various industries. In many ways the phenomena of the Internet and the World Wide Web threaten to become the most disruptive technology to many industries in many decades, and perhaps much longer. This thesis examines one such industry: that of the institutional capital markets. The institutional capital markets industry consists primarily of broker-dealers, serving issuers and investors in concert with asset collectors, organized exchanges and regulatory bodies in various, but interlinked, geographical and product-defined capital markets. The size and economic impact of the industry, which transacts in excess of $1 trillion daily, is enormous. The trend in the industry since the global depression of the 1930' s has been one of consolidation and increased integration of product offerings. Beginning in 1997 new, Internet-enabled business models began to pose a serious threat to the existing industry structure. Traditional product bundles are being dis-aggregated and re-priced. New agents are re intermediating traditional brokers and exchanges. Networks are dramatically improving the efficiency of information. Barriers to entry are falling fast. This thesis examines the developments in electronic, institutional capital markets primarily from the perspective of leading incumbent firms. The legacy market structure is examined and new changes to that structure are analyzed. Three leading firms in particular are employed as examples. Electronic Communication Networks ("ECNs") are discussed as the primary challenger to the status quo. Incumbent strategies and potential scenario outcomes are discussed and evaluated. Some recommendations are ventured. The thesis is based upon a) a review of the academic literature of technology innovation, b) a survey of current media reporting and, where available, proprietary research, and c) interviews with the management of two of the leading incumbent firms. Some internal, proprietary material was also provided by Merrill Lynch, Inc. The academic literature referenced herein focuses on the legacy of work in innovation in technology and includes most notably Porter's work on competitive advantage and industry analysis, particularly the famous "five forces"; Foster's introduction of the technology 'S' Curve; Christensen's work on disruptive technologies and the responses by leading incumbent firms; and Henderson's teaching in technology strategy and managing the innovative process. Secondary references are made through these scholars to earlier foundation-building work by Tushman, Clark and others. / by David Berray. / S.M.M.O.T.