Managers have responsibility for implementing a firm??s executional strategy. An executional strategy is the selection of resources and capabilities and the arrangement of them into a supply chain that puts a firm??s espoused positioning into action (Porter, 1985). Executional strategies are selected to maximize economic rents. Firm resources (Barney, 1991) and the arrangement of supply chains (Chandler, 1962; 1990) are important to rent generation. In turn, the potential arrangement of activities into a supply chain is determined by a firm??s depth of architectural knowledge; this is knowledge of how supply chain elements can be linked (Henderson and Clark, 1990). The study provides a simultaneous test of the impact of resources and supply chain arrangements on the selection of executional strategies. The theoretical model is tested through a discrete choice experiment (Louviere et al., 2000). Findings suggest that resources and cost advantages dominate management decision-making with competition also an influence. Importantly, findings for a sub-sample of subjects whose firms are most impacted by Information technology (IT), confirms that architectural knowledge does play a role in the selection of executional strategies. These ??engaged?? subjects were significantly more experienced with the subject matter and more confident about their responses. These engaged subjects utilized architectural knowledge to select strategies that leveraged their resources more widely and to minimize the influence of transaction costs on their strategic choices.

This work examines the fundamental flow behaviour of granular materials under conditions relevant to blast furnace. Such a study may have some impact on the development of new technology to improve performance of blast furnace operation. The blast furnace operation involves rich granular dynamics phenomena which currently attract a strong interest from wide scientific and engineering community. In this work, percolation phenomenon is analyzed extensively. Percolation phenomenon is one of the most significant factors which cause particle segregation and mixing. In blast furnace when sinter and coke of different size and density are charged, percolation phenomenon occurs. In this work percolation properties like percolation velocity, residence time distribution and radial dispersion are checked for different material properties of percolating particles. It was found that percolation behaviour is related to many factors. Percolation properties of a single particle and also for batches of percolating particle were examined. The effect of external forces on percolation properties is also checked. DEM simulation method was found to be suitable for analysis of percolation flow behaviour of different types of particles. It was also found that the change of packed bed conditions has a great impact on particle percolation and segregation behaviour. In a packed bed, vibration and liquid of different properties were introduced. Particle dynamics in descending packed bed condition was checked. The effect of vibration and descending velocity was measured for percolation behaviour. Both vibration frequency and amplitude are important factors for particle flow in such a packed bed. Descending velocity of packed particles combined with vibration was found to have a pronounced impact on percolation behaviour. Liquid properties like viscosity and density affect particle dynamics significantly. Particle segregation in a pile was investigated as an extension of the percolation study. The effects of diameter ratio of binary feed, initial mixing ratio, feed rate in case of central feeding on conical pile were investigated. It was found that all of those parameters affect particle flow and segregation. Flowing layer over static pile was simulated and velocity profile and mixing ratio in different layers were observed. 3-D Screening Layer model was validated by DEM and experiment. In case of multipoint feed system, a conical pile which is similar to the deadman of a blast furnace was generated and the flowing layer characteristics over this static pile was also analysed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2007. / "Graduate Program in Computer Science." Includes bibliographical references (p. 78-81).

Proefschrift Universiteit van Amsterdam. / Met bibliogr., index, lit. opg. - Met samenvatting in het Nederlands.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-114). Also available in electronic version.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-89).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1957. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [90]-100).

Thesis (M.S.)--Missouri University of Science and Technology, 2010. / Vita. The entire thesis text is included in file. Title from title screen of thesis/dissertation PDF file (viewed April 21, 2010) Includes bibliographical references (p. 38-39).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record.