This study attempts to answer the question; does evolutionary theory provide a ‘good’ explanatory framework for examining the phenomenon of technological innovation? In doing so, the study critically examines mainstream marketing’s in-place explanatory frameworks, offers an explanation of ‘evolution’ based on new insights from a broad range of (sub)disciplines, and makes the practical proposition that this explanation is a ‘good’ analogous representation of the technological innovation process. As an alternative to the ‘scientific empiricist’ approach that dominates much of marketing’s research into technological innovation, the study develops a research methodology that is based within a postmodern philosophy, adopts an epistemology of transcendental realism, bases the research design on abduction and textual explanation, and brings together a research method based on the criteria of interesting, plausibility and acceptability. Familiarisation with mainstream marketing’s explanatory frameworks for research into technological innovation identified Diffusion theory, New Product Development theory and Network theory as dominant. It is concluded that these frameworks are based on problematic theoretical foundations, a situation considered as largely due to a pre-occupation with assumptions that are atomistic, reductionistic, deterministic, gradualistic and mechanistic in nature. It is argued, that in concert with the ‘socialised’ dominance of mathematical form over conceptual substance, mainstream marketing’s research into technological innovation is locked into a narrow range of ‘preordained axiomatics’. The explanation of ‘evolution’ offered within the study is based on a why, what, how, when and where format. The resultant explanation represents a significant departure from the (neo)Darwinian biological perspective that tends to dominate evolutionary explanations of socio-economic behaviour, in that the focus is on the principles (and associated conceptualizations) of ‘variation’, ‘selection’ and ‘preservation’ within the broader context of open and dissipative systems. The offered explanation presents a number of theoretical ideas, and in particular, that evolution can only occur in a ‘multidimensional space of possibilities’, denotes a process of ‘adaptive emergence’, and is essentially concerned with ‘on-going resilience through adaptability’. The practical proposition is made that the offered explanation of ‘evolution’ can be used in an ‘as if’ manner, that is, the principles of ‘variation’, ‘selection’, and ‘preservation’ (and the meanings ascribed to them through conceptualization) are analogically transferable to the technological innovation research area. The proposition is supported through reference to theoretical and empirical research, highlighting the similarity with respect to the generative mechanisms, structures and contingent conditions underpinning both ‘evolution’ and ‘technological innovation’.

Field theory of Lewin was used to analyze the experience of insight problem solving. It was proposed that insight is characterized by the intensity of the experience at the moment of solution. It was argued that the intensity of the insight experience depends on the experienced degree of difficulty of the problem for an individual. The experienced degree of difficulty was conceptualized as a two-fold notion: It was defined by the interdependence of the degree of restructuring involved in the problem and the dynamics of the solution process, which causes the change in the state of tension experienced by the problem solver. Two hypotheses were formulated outlining the relationship between the intensity of the insight experience and both the degree of restructuring required to solve the problem and the amount of tension released in the system with the solution. The developed theoretical framework was investigated in the domain of matchstick arithmetic problems. A measure of the degree of restructuring for this domain was developed, and a preliminary test of the measure was carried out. Four experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of the degree of restructuring and the amount of tension on the intensity of the insight experience. The results showed that the solution of a problem that required higher degree of restructuring resulted in a more intense experience of insight. Moreover, when the same problem was solved with higher level of tension, it led to a more intense experience of insight. Thus, it was empirically shown that the intensity of the insight experience was affected by both structural and dynamic properties of the solution process. The theoretical framework, the design of the experiments, and the results are discussed.

The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the influence that the pattern of affiliate linkages- establishments associated with companies as affiliates, subsidiaries and divisions- between U.S. states and Canadian provinces has on the effect of the border on trade between the two countries. The gravity model is used to estimate the border effect. Two hypotheses are tested – that the border effect is greater in the presence of affiliate linkages and that the strength of the border effect varies between industrial sectors. The results support the first hypothesis indicating that when all sectors combined, the presence of affiliates has a positive impact and it significantly strengthens the Canada-U.S. border effect. However, for the second hypothesis, nine sectors analyzed in this study present mixed results. For six sectors of agricultural, mineral, chemical, plastic, machinery and motor vehicle the border effect is not significantly different in the presence and absence of affiliates, while for the other three sectors of wood, textile, and base metals, the impact of affiliates has been significant. However, for wood and base metals sectors border effect has become stronger and for textile it has become weaker in the presence of affiliates. This research shows how the complicated relationship between trade and foreign direct investment determines firms operating in various sectors make decisions between export and establishing affiliates. The implication of the results can shed light on the study of the border effect and trade policy.

The context-workflow relationship is often poorly defined or forgotten entirely. In workflow systems and applications context is either omitted, defined by the workflow or defined based on a single aspect of a contextual dimension. In complex environments this can be problematic as the definition of context is useful in determining the set of possible workflows. Context provides the envelope that surrounds the workflow and determines what is or is not possible. The relationship between workflow and context is also poorly defined. That context can exist independently of workflow is often ignored, and workflow does not exist independently of context. Workflow representations void of context violate this stipulation. In order for a workflow representation to exist in a contextual dimension it must possess the same dimensions as the context. In this thesis we selected one contextual dimension to study, in this case the spatial dimension, and developed a comprehensive definition using building data models. Building data models are an advanced form of representation that build geometric data models into an ob ject-oriented representation consisting of common building elements. The building data model used was the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) as it is the leading standard in this emerging field. IFC was created for the construction of facilities and not the use of facilities at a later time. In order to incorporate workflows into IFC models, a zoning technique was developed in order to represent the workflow in IFC. The zoning concept was derived from multi-criteria layout for facilities layout and was adapted for IFC and workflow. Based on the above work a zoning extension was created to explore the combination of IFC, workflow and simulation. The extension is a proof of concept and is not intended to represent a robust formalized system. The results indicate that the use of a comprehensive definition of a contextual dimension may prove valuable to future expert systems.

A case study of two software teams in a large American software company revealed evidence of a power imbalance and intergroup conflict. The case study was used to generate questions about the effects of task-dependence on interpersonal work relationships. Situational affordances and Heider's balance theory were used to explain how task-dependence and expectations impel helping behaviour between coworkers. The theoretical model was tested using an experimental card-game. The card-game was designed so that the task would remain the same while three factors of task-dependence were manipulated: level of dependence (low vs. high), mutuality of dependence (asymmetric vs. symmetric), and reward interdependence (individual vs. group). The goal was to isolate these aspects of task-dependence and measure their effect on helpful behaviours and intragroup conflict. The results indicated that as the level (the amount) of dependence increases, the amount of intragroup conflict increases, but so does the number of helpful behaviours. As the mutuality of dependence changes from asymmetric to symmetric, the number of helpful behaviours increases, but the intragroup conflict decreases. The experiment deepens the findings of the case study: asymmetric dependence is associated with intragroup conflict and it presents a situation where the more powerful of the two is less inclined to give help to their dependent. Unexpectedly, however, if the level of the dependence increases, the more powerful of the two will offer more help. These findings contradict the predictions of social exchange theory, interdependence theory, and the power and influence approaches. Balance theory offers an explanation: a request for help coming from a co-worker in great need creates an imbalanced cognitive situation, one with more tension than the situation created when a request comes from someone less dependent. One way the help-giver can relieve their cognitive tension is to offer help; helping a co-worker satisfies the co-worker's expectations, thereby balancing the help-giver's cognitive situation. The experiment also demonstrated that a high level of task-dependence is necessary for helpful behaviours to increase; without the ability and opportunity to help afforded by task-dependence, greater social expectation will have little effect on the amount of helping behaviour.

Field theory of Lewin was used to analyze the experience of insight problem solving. It was proposed that insight is characterized by the intensity of the experience at the moment of solution. It was argued that the intensity of the insight experience depends on the experienced degree of difficulty of the problem for an individual. The experienced degree of difficulty was conceptualized as a two-fold notion: It was defined by the interdependence of the degree of restructuring involved in the problem and the dynamics of the solution process, which causes the change in the state of tension experienced by the problem solver. Two hypotheses were formulated outlining the relationship between the intensity of the insight experience and both the degree of restructuring required to solve the problem and the amount of tension released in the system with the solution. The developed theoretical framework was investigated in the domain of matchstick arithmetic problems. A measure of the degree of restructuring for this domain was developed, and a preliminary test of the measure was carried out. Four experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of the degree of restructuring and the amount of tension on the intensity of the insight experience. The results showed that the solution of a problem that required higher degree of restructuring resulted in a more intense experience of insight. Moreover, when the same problem was solved with higher level of tension, it led to a more intense experience of insight. Thus, it was empirically shown that the intensity of the insight experience was affected by both structural and dynamic properties of the solution process. The theoretical framework, the design of the experiments, and the results are discussed.

The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the influence that the pattern of affiliate linkages- establishments associated with companies as affiliates, subsidiaries and divisions- between U.S. states and Canadian provinces has on the effect of the border on trade between the two countries. The gravity model is used to estimate the border effect. Two hypotheses are tested – that the border effect is greater in the presence of affiliate linkages and that the strength of the border effect varies between industrial sectors. The results support the first hypothesis indicating that when all sectors combined, the presence of affiliates has a positive impact and it significantly strengthens the Canada-U.S. border effect. However, for the second hypothesis, nine sectors analyzed in this study present mixed results. For six sectors of agricultural, mineral, chemical, plastic, machinery and motor vehicle the border effect is not significantly different in the presence and absence of affiliates, while for the other three sectors of wood, textile, and base metals, the impact of affiliates has been significant. However, for wood and base metals sectors border effect has become stronger and for textile it has become weaker in the presence of affiliates. This research shows how the complicated relationship between trade and foreign direct investment determines firms operating in various sectors make decisions between export and establishing affiliates. The implication of the results can shed light on the study of the border effect and trade policy.

The context-workflow relationship is often poorly defined or forgotten entirely. In workflow systems and applications context is either omitted, defined by the workflow or defined based on a single aspect of a contextual dimension. In complex environments this can be problematic as the definition of context is useful in determining the set of possible workflows. Context provides the envelope that surrounds the workflow and determines what is or is not possible. The relationship between workflow and context is also poorly defined. That context can exist independently of workflow is often ignored, and workflow does not exist independently of context. Workflow representations void of context violate this stipulation. In order for a workflow representation to exist in a contextual dimension it must possess the same dimensions as the context. In this thesis we selected one contextual dimension to study, in this case the spatial dimension, and developed a comprehensive definition using building data models. Building data models are an advanced form of representation that build geometric data models into an ob ject-oriented representation consisting of common building elements. The building data model used was the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) as it is the leading standard in this emerging field. IFC was created for the construction of facilities and not the use of facilities at a later time. In order to incorporate workflows into IFC models, a zoning technique was developed in order to represent the workflow in IFC. The zoning concept was derived from multi-criteria layout for facilities layout and was adapted for IFC and workflow. Based on the above work a zoning extension was created to explore the combination of IFC, workflow and simulation. The extension is a proof of concept and is not intended to represent a robust formalized system. The results indicate that the use of a comprehensive definition of a contextual dimension may prove valuable to future expert systems.

A case study of two software teams in a large American software company revealed evidence of a power imbalance and intergroup conflict. The case study was used to generate questions about the effects of task-dependence on interpersonal work relationships. Situational affordances and Heider's balance theory were used to explain how task-dependence and expectations impel helping behaviour between coworkers. The theoretical model was tested using an experimental card-game. The card-game was designed so that the task would remain the same while three factors of task-dependence were manipulated: level of dependence (low vs. high), mutuality of dependence (asymmetric vs. symmetric), and reward interdependence (individual vs. group). The goal was to isolate these aspects of task-dependence and measure their effect on helpful behaviours and intragroup conflict. The results indicated that as the level (the amount) of dependence increases, the amount of intragroup conflict increases, but so does the number of helpful behaviours. As the mutuality of dependence changes from asymmetric to symmetric, the number of helpful behaviours increases, but the intragroup conflict decreases. The experiment deepens the findings of the case study: asymmetric dependence is associated with intragroup conflict and it presents a situation where the more powerful of the two is less inclined to give help to their dependent. Unexpectedly, however, if the level of the dependence increases, the more powerful of the two will offer more help. These findings contradict the predictions of social exchange theory, interdependence theory, and the power and influence approaches. Balance theory offers an explanation: a request for help coming from a co-worker in great need creates an imbalanced cognitive situation, one with more tension than the situation created when a request comes from someone less dependent. One way the help-giver can relieve their cognitive tension is to offer help; helping a co-worker satisfies the co-worker's expectations, thereby balancing the help-giver's cognitive situation. The experiment also demonstrated that a high level of task-dependence is necessary for helpful behaviours to increase; without the ability and opportunity to help afforded by task-dependence, greater social expectation will have little effect on the amount of helping behaviour.

In this thesis, we propose an optimization model to assist the Region of Waterloo Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to meet the new provincial land ambulance response time standard. The new land standard requires multiple response time thresholds which are based on the acuity of the patient determined at the time the 911 call is made. The performance of an EMS system is affected by many factors, including the number of ambulances deployed, their locations, and the dispatching strategy that is employed. The number of ambulances available over the course of the day varies when ambulance crews start and end their shifts, and when ambulance crews are called out or return from a call. In order to maintain coverage, it is therefore desirable to locate ambulances in stations as a function of how many are available, and the geography and frequency of potential calls. This may result in relocation of ambulances whenever there is a change in the number of available vehicles. This research provides a compliance table indicating how many ambulances to locate at each station when the number of available ambulances is given. We explore two main objectives: 1) maximizing the expected coverage for all patients, and 2) maximizing the coverage for the most acutely ill patients. Constraints include the number of available ambulances, the response time requirements, and service level constraints for each acuity level. In this study, we conducted an empirical analysis of ambulance response times, travel times to a hospital, and time spend at the hospital. We used two years of EMS data from July 2006 to June 2008 for the Region of Waterloo (ROWEMS). Based on this study, we show that using the binomial distribution to represent the number of busy ambulances suggested by Gendreau et al. (2006) is only valid for low utilization rates. The problem of allocating available ambulances among candidate stations is formulated as a Mixed Integer Non-linear Problem (MINLP) model that includes the priority of calls and multiple daytime periods. Computational results using the ROWEMS data will be presented. A detailed comparison shows that the predictions obtained from our model are often as good as the Approximate Hypercube (AH) model, but with a simpler and quicker procedure. The model proposed in this thesis can also be used as a planning tool to find promising candidate locations for new ambulance stations.