No description available.

Master-Arbeit Univ. St. Gallen, 2008.

No description available.

This research was conducted during the 2009-2010 school term as a case study of a large school division’s technology initiative after eight years to chronicle its effect on high school business and marketing teachers’ use and integration of technology. The 18 teachers were business and marketing teachers from eight high schools, two technical centers and one alternative school who participated in the one-to-one laptop initiative from its inception and who were asked to participate in the study. A web-based survey on technology use and adoption was administered to 18 high school business and marketing teachers. The researcher conducted a total of four unannounced observations of each teacher’s instruction, specifically for technology use, by using the Instructional Technology Resource Teachers’ Technology Integration form. Additionally, the teachers were asked to participate in one of two focus group interviews to determine their level of technology use along with their perceptions regarding the technology initiative and its effect on their instruction and teaching strategies. This case study has relevance to school districts with technology initiatives or districts considering adopting one. The high school business and marketing teachers’ vantage point provided unique information about the effect a one-to-one laptop initiative has made on business and marketing teachers’ technology use over the last eight years. The effect that a comprehensive, one-to-one initiative had on business and marketing high school teachers’ technology use was twofold. First, instruction was affected. Teachers and students were found to manage data electronically, the amount of and methods for teachers’ communication changed, and exemplars surfaced. Second, challenges emerged. Teachers’ classroom management responsibilities included laptop monitoring, access issues as a consequence of network filtering policies, and a need for additional technology-based professional development for teachers and time to practice new skills. While some positive effects were visible, eight years into the one-to-one laptop initiative problems were evident, and administrative support as well as teacher acceptance seemed to play an important role in teachers’ willingness to regularly and enthusiastically modify their pedagogy to include technology in teaching strategies and student lessons.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe, explore and explain the influence of entrepreneurial knowledge transfer effectiveness in the subsidiary initiative selling process. Specifically the flow of tacit knowledge relating to specific entrepreneurial opportunities transferred from subsidiaries as part of an attempt to achieve approval, support or resources for subsidiary initiatives is under focus. The paper seeks to develop hypothesis regarding possible relationships between tacit knowledge transfer effectiveness and subsidiary initiative, and further the relationship regarding the utilization of tacit knowledge transfer mechanisms for this purpose. Method The study consists of qualitative research in the form of a multiple case study. Eight cases are presented, four are Swedish subsidiaries of international organizations and the other four are Swedish headquarters of international MNC´s. The study uses an ‘abductive’ approach, moving frequently between literature, theory and empirical findings in order to prepare hypotheses that can be used for quantitative testing. The study develops its final hypotheses by comparing hypotheses that can be derived from literature, and then confirming, rejecting or modifying them based on the empirical evidence collected. Findings The study finds that tacit knowledge transfer effectiveness is a significant determinant of subsidiary initiative. Despite this fact the study finds that subsidiary managers appear to underrate and in some cases disregard the importance of tacit knowledge transfer effectiveness in the initiative selling process. The fact that tacit knowledge transfer effectiveness is not actively addressed means that a significant opportunity for improvement probably exists in this area. The study findings stand in contrast to the viewpoint held by the majority of the existing literature that although the transfer of tacit knowledge and the associated integrative and interactive communication mechanisms will have a positive direct effect on subsidiary initiative, they will as a secondary effect increase headquarters monitoring and interference. This interference is thought to decrease subsidiaries autonomy, entrepreneurial-ness and ultimately the level of subsidiary initiative. The study finds that the secondary effect is in fact in the opposite direction, being positively related to subsidiary initiative. The study also finds that when examining subsidiaries located in small developed markets the most important entrepreneurial knowledge flow to consider may be between the subsidiary and its regional management structure, as opposed to the head office. Originality/Value The study combines existing literature with a multiple case study to create hypothesise specifically relating to tacit knowledge transfer effectiveness and its role as a determinant of subsidiary initiative. The study further focuses on the influence of tacit knowledge transfer mechanisms in relation to subsidiary initiative. The study provides a classification of subsidiary initiatives which is most useful given the subject of this study and further creates a distinction between the discrete short term effects of a specific instance of knowledge transfer and the continuous process of knowledge transfer over time. The paper also brings forward the importance of the distinction between the conceptualization of the discrete specific process of initiative selling, and the cumulative effect of initiative selling over time, which along with other types of knowledge transfer and subsidiary promotion tactics I refer to as ‘subsidiary selling’. Implications for research The hypotheses developed in this paper are suitable to be tested in a large scale quantitative study. The fact that managers do not seem to be actively trying to transfer tacit knowledge more effectively means that where active tacit entrepreneurial knowledge transfer strategy is found it is likely to have significant effect on subsidiary initiative level. The challenge to the conventional assumptions that the presence and utilization level of tacit knowledge transfer mechanisms are likely to have a positive side effect on subsidiary initiative, as opposed to the negative side effect as predicted by contingency theory, is very significant. The distinction between the short- and medium term effects, as put forward in this study, informs scholars that an academic study needs to both take into account the time frame over which the effects of knowledge transfer are studied as well as the negative feedback loop of the knowledge transfer. The study also puts forward specific categories of subsidiary initiative, and suggests that these categories should be individually studied in future quantitative research. Implications for managers/practitioners Subsidiary Management should be aware that they could dramatically improve their entrepreneurial project approval rate by improving their tacit knowledge transfer effectiveness. The finding  regarding that increases in tacit knowledge effectiveness, lead to lower costs of future knowledge transfer, further leading to increased likelihood of headquarters attention and comfort, means that they have the opportunity to create a virtuous circle of increased knowledge transfer resulting in lower costs of knowledge transfer resulting in more willingness to engage in knowledge transfer. The finding that the secondary effects of knowledge transfer of entrepreneurial opportunities have a further positive effect on subsidiary initiative means that there is very little downside to increasing the use of integrating and interactive communication mechanisms, and with significant upside this indicates managers should immediately attempt to increase the presence and utilization of these mechanisms. The study indicates that it may be a prudent strategy for managers of subsidiaries in multinational corporations operating in small developed market’s to increase their tacit knowledge transfer effectiveness regarding entrepreneurial opportunities during the initiative selling process, as this rare skill may help them win the battle for internal resources such as attention and finance.

No description available.

This study assesses the U.S. bargaining chip approach in strategic arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union. The study's theoretical framework is based upon several concepts inherent in the theory of compellence as conceptualized by Schelling (1966) and Craig and George (1983). Furthermore, several key elements of domestic politics are incorporated into the framework to add richness to this traditional conception of inter-state bargaining. The empirical validity of the hypotheses rests on the findings generated by four case studies, including the use of the Strategic Defense Initiative as a bargaining chip. This study's findings show that there is, in fact, no basis for traditional criticisms levelled at the use of bargaining chips in arms control. However, the study strongly suggests that policy-makers should be prepared to escalate the operation of a negative leverage from the threat to deploy a weapon system through actual deployment to the exercise of positive leverage to fully exploit the bargaining chip's potential.

Thesis (doctoral)--Friedrich-Alexanders-Universität zu Erlangen.

Thesis (M.S. in Systems Technology) Naval Postgraduate School, June 1990. / Thesis Advisor(s): Lacer, Donald. Second Reader: Luqi. "June 1990." Description based on title screeen viewed on October 15, 2009. DTIC Descriptor(s): Computer programs, military strategy, space technology, defense systems, management, antimissile defense systems, reliability, communication and radio systems, engineers, strategic defense initiative, battles, space warfare, computer personnel, scientists, nuclear weapons DTIC Indicator(s): Computer program reliability, strategic defense initiative, problem solving, theses. Author(s) subject terms: Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), reliability, error free, Balistic Missile Defense (BMD) (BM/C3) Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-88).

World-over, E-Government has been recognised as a tool for radically improving the way governments interact with their citizens. While the obvious benefits of E-Government include providing convenience and easy access to customers thereby resulting in improved services to citizens, reduction of costs (by re-deploying resources from back-end processing to front-end customer service); providing easier access to information, increasing transparency and communication between government departments and with the public, the long term benefit of E-Government is also to make it easier for people to conduct their daily lives and business in the nation, thereby making it an attractive location to attract global talent. On the other hand, introducing E-Government requires a transformation in the way the government structure functions – thereby requiring a change in the organisational culture, managerial styles, systems and procedures apart from large financial investments towards technology upgrades. In order to ensure that e-Government is actually bringing about the changes that are desired (via the benefits) it is vital that strict performance measures be instituted on a continuous basis to check the effectiveness of e-Government. This study investigates 8 government departments employing e-Government in Dubai through a case study method and seeks to identify the challenges faced by each department in providing their services to their customers, the performance measures that have been instituted by these departments to evaluate the effectiveness of their e-services and the benefits that they have derived there from. The key challenges and performance issues have been studied and how these challenges could be managed effectively has been analysed. The study utilised the case study method by interviewing key members from each of the 8 departments studied. Important documents were reviewed and the researcher made personal observations from visiting the websites and portals of each of these departments. The results show that while the e-Government initiative in Dubai is quite advanced in comparison with the similar initiatives in countries across the world, there are several challenges faced by these departments. These include – no clear and standardised performance measures being used across the board, lack of technological knowledge and education initiatives for department staff and perhaps not enough organisational learning to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the e-Government Initiative.