<p>The idea that the private sector can play an important partin the financing and creation of built assets and thesubsequent operation of public services has gained ground overthe last decade. This development has contributed to the risein public-private partnership (PPP) projects in many countriesand within many areas in the public sector. From theconstruction perspective, these projects are usually creditedas providing real incentives for the actors involved, as wellas creating a business environment that is conducive toinnovation and improved practices, especially in theconstruction phase. This thesis examines the validity of thesestatements in the context of the PPP procurement route and theextent to which the actors involved in the design andconstruction phases are presented with, and able to exploit,opportunities for technological innovation. A multiple- casestudy approach was adopted for the empirical part of theresearch. Four major projects, containing significantconstruction work and completed between 1997 and 2002, werestudied: three in the UK and one in Sweden. Project personnel–the principal actors in the design and constructionphases–were interviewed at length. Within the findingsthere is evidence that the existence of certain conditions onprojects, and particular actions arising in relation thereto,can lead to a marked propensity towards innovative behaviour.The conclusion is reached that it is possible to implementtechnological innovations successfully on PPP projects, butthat there is reason to be cautious in promoting thisprocurement route as a prescription for success in theconstruction sector. There are inhibitors in the process thathave the potential to limit the amount of innovation achievedon a project. The thesis discusses this matter and identifiesthree key areas–communication and information, achievingtransparency in the applied framework and risk management–in which actions could be taken in order to improve theprospects for realising technological innovation on PPPprojects.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>Public-private partnerships, technologicalinnovation, construction procurement, project management,risk</p>

No description available.

E-learning has acquired the status of a "radical innovation" in higher education over the past decade. This claim is contestable, but certainly as the latest educational innovation, it can be attributed with introducing significant disruption into many facets of university life, reaching well beyond the traditional activities associated with the classroom pedagogies. In Australian universities, there are many now who simply take e-learning for granted as accepted teaching and learning practice (Oliver, 2004). Conversely, there are others who forecast its demise, claiming that, like previous educational technological innovations, it is another passing fad (Noble, 1998b). This thesis does not primarily engage this debate. Instead the purpose of this thesis is to gain insight into how universities can realise sustained benefits from the considerable investments to date that have been made in educational technological innovations. The inquiry seeks to understand better change within contemporary universities, in particular the process of embedding the e-learning innovation effectively. The intention is to produce an analysis useful to university executives, managers, teachers and researchers, as well as to make a more general contribution to knowledge about innovations in organisations. The research literature on change and innovation in organisations is relevant but is reviewed and assessed as of limited value to the enquiry. This is because: * the literature mainly focuses on the objective characteristics of an innovative product which cannot encompass the socially constructed value of e-learning * it fails to differentiate between the concept of "embedding" and other change phases and constructs, mostly examining the precursory and innovation-producing processes * the context of research into innovation has been primarily industrial, not university-based * its variable analytic paradigm fails to produce holistic analyses which can be appreciated and enacted on by decision makers and practising managers. For these reasons and because suitable research on innovation in universities is lacking, an introductory investigation based on grounded theory building was undertaken. To this end, four qualitative, descriptive case studies of contrasting Australian universities embedding e-learning were compiled. The four case universities (their identities protected through use of pseudonyms) assessed were: * Gamma University - a multi-campus institution, geographically spread across urban and regional locations * Lambda University - an established university, with the majority of students located at a single urban campus * Epsilon University - a younger, multi-campus amalgamated university with a strong reputation for distance education * Delta University - a relatively young multi-campus, urban university, although its parent bodies provide a longer history. The cases were based on interviews and focus group sessions with 74 participants, and electronic resource and document analyses over two phases; the first conducted in 1998-1999 and the second in 2002-2003. These analyses provided holistic pragmatic accounts that encapsulate a number of issues. One issue was about the importance of creativity in the innovating process. A second set of issues centred on the theme of complexity and the multifarious nature of the e-learning innovation. Other themes included the significance of the innovation context, partnerships and collaborations, and the emerging polarisation of issues such as standardisation versus diversification. These issues provoked three major propositions about the process of embedding and prompted the development of two systems-based analytical frameworks; one focusing on the nature of system relationships and interactions and the second providing a longitudinal perspective of system change. The propositions are: * the ability of a university to negotiate system intersections and transitions influences the degree to which e-learning can be embedded in that university * complexity is an integral part of an innovation, therefore cannot be ignored or eliminated without destroying the kernel of the innovation itself, and its longterm viability * the efficacy of the innovation is related, in some measure, to the ability to sustain partnerships and collaborations. The analysis suggested that there are number of key influences which affect the embedding process and the ability of an organisation, such as a university, to manage the processes associated with the e-learning innovation. The key system influences which affect embedding include: * the nature of the interactions and transactions occurring within the system, at the boundaries and between the phases of transition * the importance of organisational context (cultural, technological, strategic, geographic) * the pervasive impact of complexity on all dimensions of the research problem (the e-learning innovation, the change process and the university environment) * the necessity for collaboration. The implications of this study for university executives, managers and beyond are far reaching, and in some respects contradict accepted contemporary management practice. They include: seeking ways to maximise organisational tensions to achieve positive outcomes; enhancing decision making by allowing more flexibility and personal judgement into the process; developing greater tolerance for system fuzziness and uncertainty; and encouraging better utilisation of previous knowledge gained about innovation practices and processes.

No description available.

Diss. Jönköping : Internationella handelshögskolan, 2008.

L’étude de la prise en compte de la vie privée dans l’innovation technologique est celle du régime juridique applicable aux données à caractère personnel. Cependant, la complexité contextuelle du sujet impose une analyse pragmatique, intégrant les éléments économiques et technologiques pour définir l’utilisation effective du droit dans et par l’innovation numérique. Cela passe nécessairement par une approche phénoménologique, expliquant le cheminement juridique qui a conduit le législateur à choisir une telle forme de protection, passant d’un droit au respect de la vie privée général à un régime spécifique applicable aux données à caractère personnel, puis à une observation de son efficacité à protéger l’essence de la vie privée. Au coeur de ce travail se trouve la volonté d’apporter des éléments de réponse objectifs permettant d’expliquer l’écart existant entre la faible confiancedu public accordée à la technologie en matière de respect de la vie privée, et les déclarations des législateurs sur l’efficacité des textes protecteurs. Alors que le consentement se trouve être la pierre angulaire du nouveau règlement général sur la protection des données, cette divergence mérite d’être analysée sur un plan juridique. Dès lors, on peut résumer cette thèse à une interrogation: quelle est l’efficacité réelle du régime de protection de la vie privée dans l’innovation technologique ? / The study of privacy within technological innovations is the study of the legal system surrounding personal data. However, the complexity and context of the subject imposes a pragmatic analysis, gathering elements of economy and technology, to define the reality of the use of the law by and within numerical innovations. As such, it necessitates a phenomenological approach, reviewing the historical steps that lead to the particular set of protections that the legislator has chosen, from a general protection of privacy towards a special regime applicable to personal data, and then an observation of its effectiveness to protect the essence of privacy. At the center of this work, we can find the will to understandthe gap between the trust given by the public to technology regarding the respect of one’s privacy and the declarations of legislators on the efficiency of the legislative response. Since the consent is the core principle of these regulations, this divergence deserves a legal analysis. Consequently, we can sum this thesis by a simple question: what it the real efficiency of privacy’s protection regime facing technological innovations ?

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / From the historical context experienced by the construction industry recently, it is noted that the introduction of technological innovation in the production means has many benefits in the sector. In general terms, innovations contribute to rationalization of procedures, increasing the products to meet the new demands and transposition the technological frontier. However, it is found that persists the necessity of more information about innovations. Despite the benefits that come with the use of innovations, it is clear that its use by companies could be more disseminated and improved. It is starting from the relevance of the use of innovations in the construction industry and the need to provide more information related to innovation to sector companies, the present study aims to draw up a catalog of technological innovations. However, preliminarily it is necessary an analysis of the kinds and classifications of innovations to draw an appropriate parameter for the cataloging and classification. To prepare the catalog, it was selected the technological innovations published between 2005 and 2015 in the TÃchne magazine's publications. The innovations were classified according to the building systems observance of NBR 15575:2013. Have been cataloged 164 innovations. One of the concerns was the search for a clear, didactic and updated catalog. Finally, it should be noted that the research is marked out by national and international literature on innovation, by theses and dissertations and the related publications in the TÃchne magazine / A partir do contexto histÃrico vivenciado pela construÃÃo civil nas Ãltimas dÃcadas, constata-se que a introduÃÃo de inovaÃÃo tecnolÃgica nos meios de produÃÃo acarretou diversos benefÃcios no setor. Em linhas gerais, as inovaÃÃes contribuem para racionalizaÃÃo dos processos, incremento dos produtos para atendimento das novas demandas e transposiÃÃo da fronteira tecnolÃgica. Contudo, verifica-se que persiste a necessidade de uma maior disponibilizaÃÃo de informaÃÃes referentes Ãs inovaÃÃes existentes. Em que pese os benefÃcios advindos com o uso de inovaÃÃes, percebe-se que o seu uso pelas empresas poderia ser bem mais difundido e aprimorado. à partindo, pois, da relevÃncia do uso das inovaÃÃes no Ãmbito da construÃÃo civil e da necessidade de disponibilizar mais informaÃÃes relacionadas à inovaÃÃo Ãs empresas do setor, que o presente trabalho volta-se à elaboraÃÃo de um catÃlogo de inovaÃÃes tecnolÃgicas. Preliminarmente, todavia, faz-se necessÃria uma anÃlise sobre os tipos e classificaÃÃes das inovaÃÃes para, em seguida, traÃar um parÃmetro adequado para sua catalogaÃÃo e classificaÃÃo. Na elaboraÃÃo do catÃlogo, selecionaram-se as inovaÃÃes tecnolÃgicas que despontaram no perÃodo de 2005 a 2015, com base nas publicaÃÃes da revista TÃchne. As inovaÃÃes foram classificadas de acordo com os sistemas da construÃÃo em que estÃo inseridas, em observÃncia à NBR 15575:2013. No final da pesquisa, catalogaram-se 164 inovaÃÃes. Registre-se que uma das preocupaÃÃes que nortearam à elaboraÃÃo do documento em comento foi a busca por um catÃlogo claro, didÃtico e atualizado. Por fim, destaca-se que a pesquisa à balizada pela bibliografia nacional e internacional sobre inovaÃÃo, por teses e dissertaÃÃes relacionadas e pelas publicaÃÃes da revista TÃchne.

Venture capital has been a key driver of economic growth and employment. Venture capital funds consider many aspects when selecting targets for investment including the level of innovativeness present within the target’s products and services. This research examines what factors are considered to be most important by traditional and corporate venture capital investors during their investment decision. It continues to investigate the nature of the relationship between the level of innovativeness in products and services and the success in achieving two important steps in the venture capital value creation cycle: receiving investment funding and achieving commercial success. The research finds higher levels of innovation correlate strongly with both value-adding factors, and discovers many additional considerations prioritised by venture capital investors. An additional perspective for considering the value creation from innovation is also proposed. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lmgibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

The idea that the private sector can play an important partin the financing and creation of built assets and thesubsequent operation of public services has gained ground overthe last decade. This development has contributed to the risein public-private partnership (PPP) projects in many countriesand within many areas in the public sector. From theconstruction perspective, these projects are usually creditedas providing real incentives for the actors involved, as wellas creating a business environment that is conducive toinnovation and improved practices, especially in theconstruction phase. This thesis examines the validity of thesestatements in the context of the PPP procurement route and theextent to which the actors involved in the design andconstruction phases are presented with, and able to exploit,opportunities for technological innovation. A multiple- casestudy approach was adopted for the empirical part of theresearch. Four major projects, containing significantconstruction work and completed between 1997 and 2002, werestudied: three in the UK and one in Sweden. Project personnel–the principal actors in the design and constructionphases–were interviewed at length. Within the findingsthere is evidence that the existence of certain conditions onprojects, and particular actions arising in relation thereto,can lead to a marked propensity towards innovative behaviour.The conclusion is reached that it is possible to implementtechnological innovations successfully on PPP projects, butthat there is reason to be cautious in promoting thisprocurement route as a prescription for success in theconstruction sector. There are inhibitors in the process thathave the potential to limit the amount of innovation achievedon a project. The thesis discusses this matter and identifiesthree key areas–communication and information, achievingtransparency in the applied framework and risk management–in which actions could be taken in order to improve theprospects for realising technological innovation on PPPprojects. Keywords:Public-private partnerships, technologicalinnovation, construction procurement, project management,risk / <p>NR 20140805</p>

Addresses the issue dealing with marketing technical innovations. A practical conceptual framework which offers a systematic approach to overcoming barriers related to the marketing of technical innovations is presented. The framework is currently being field tested in several organizations and comprises three parts. The first part (integration) addresses the open system organizational structure necessary to facilitate the successful marketing of technical innovation. The second part (investigation) addresses the formulation of systematic marketing efforts and strategies targeted at the the different entities in the customer's organization. The third part (implementation) outlines a practical implementation approach.