No description available.

<p>The combination of the existing mobile system and the IEEE standard for WLAN makes way for development of the 4th generation mobile systems. Access for laptop-users to WLAN is today a reality giving a taste of that new generation. Designing a product that introduces WLAN networking for handheld computers would be a major step in the development spoken of. Accommodating existing WLAN PC Card for laptops to handheld PDAs gives a short time to market. Therefore a product prototype for a compact flash module was designed and manufactured to make way for the 4th generation indoor networking facilities on the market.</p>

The combination of the existing mobile system and the IEEE standard for WLAN makes way for development of the 4th generation mobile systems. Access for laptop-users to WLAN is today a reality giving a taste of that new generation. Designing a product that introduces WLAN networking for handheld computers would be a major step in the development spoken of. Accommodating existing WLAN PC Card for laptops to handheld PDAs gives a short time to market. Therefore a product prototype for a compact flash module was designed and manufactured to make way for the 4th generation indoor networking facilities on the market.

A computer simulation model of a springboard and a diver was developed to investigate diving takeoff techniques in the forward and the reverse groups. The springboard model incorporated vertical, horizontal and rotational movements based on experimental data. The diver was modelled as an eight-segment link system with torque generators acting at the metatarsal-phalangeal, ankle, knee, hip and shoulder joints. Wobbling masses were included within the trunk, thigh and shank segments to allow for soft tissue movement. The foot-springboard interface was represented by spring-dampers acting at the heel, ball and toes of the foot. The model was personalised to an elite diver so that simulation output could be compared with the diver's own performance. Kinematic data of diving performances from a one-metre springboard were obtained using high speed video and personalised inertia parameters were determined from anthropometric measurements. Joint torque was calculated using a torque / angle / angular velocity relationship based on the maximum voluntary torque measured using an isovelocity dynamometer. Visco-elastic parameters were determined using a subject-specific angledriven model which matched the simulation to the performance in an optimisation process. Four dives with minimum and maximum angular momentum in the two dive groups were chosen to obtain a common set of parameters for use in the torque-driven model. In the evaluation of the torque-driven model, there was good agreement between the simulation and performance for all four dives with a mean difference of 6.3%. The model was applied to optimise for maximum dive height for each of the four dives and to optimise for maximum rotational potential in each of the two dive groups. Optimisation results suggest that changing techniques can increase the dive height by up to 2.0 cm. It was also predicted that the diver could generate rotation almost sufficient to perform a forward three and one-half somersault tuck and a reverse two and one-half somersault tuck.

Elite springboard divers typically make very precise and reproducible movements when they perform the same dive many times. However, variability is always present in both technique and outcome. While it is desirable to have low outcome variability this may necessitate real-time adjustments which result in increased technique variability from trial to trial. The aim of the present research was to determine whether feedback control adjustment is used during (a) the hurdle takeoff, (b) the dive takeoff, and (c) the dive flight phase. 15 forward pike dives and 15 forward 21⁄2 somersault pike dives, performed by an international diver, were video recorded at 250 Hz and manually digitised followed by DLT reconstruction of joint centre locations. Orientation angle and joint angles were calculated and fitted with quintic splines to give angular velocities. Foot placements, mass centre location and velocity were determined along with angular momentum about the mass centre. In the hurdle takeoff no adjustment was made to reduce the variability in the foot location at hurdle landing. In the dive takeoff phase an angle-driven simulation model was used to determine the expected variation in mass centre velocity and angular momentum at the instant of takeoff arising from the variation in velocity and angular momentum at touchdown. The simulated variation at the instant of takeoff was greater than the variation in the recorded performances indicating that some adjustment had been made during the takeoff phase. In the flight phase an angle-driven simulation model was used to determine the expected variation in orientation angle at water entry arising from the variation in velocity and angular momentum at takeoff. The variation in the orientation angle at entry obtained from the simulations was greater than the variability in the actual performances, indicating that the diver had used feedback control adjustments in the flight phase to reduce his performance outcome variability. The variation in the angular momentum at takeoff was reflected in the average hip angle in flight, indicating that the hip angle was adjusted to be larger to compensate when the initial angular momentum was greater. The use of feedback control adjustments found in this study demonstrated that variability has a functional role in human movement.

The springboard perspective argues that emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) can overcome their latecomer disadvantages via aggressive and risk-taking capability-upgrading measures in developed economies. However, extant research is mainly designed to study cross-sectional data sets rather than longitudinal process research. Therefore, the former contributes little to explaining the evolution of EMNEs’ springboard strategy in a consideration of firm-specific capability-upgrading. Building on these main tenets and echoing scholars’ appeal for further research into EMNE’s capability-upgrading and qualitative process perspective, this thesis opens the way for two new avenues of research in the springboard literature: the initial springboard assumption, the springboard advantages of specific host locations – most notably small and open developed economies, and the relationship between different ownership structures and springboard strategy. By default of process research these avenues have been poorly explored. In order to address these avenues and further uncover the evolutionary motivations and processes of springboard behavior, this study uses Chinese multinational enterprise (CMNE) cases to investigate how they achieve firm-specific capability-upgrading through a process perspective.While CMNE strategies in large European markets such as Germany, the UK, and France have received considerable attention, there is a lack of in-depth research on the locational advantages of most notably small and open economies such as Belgium, the Netherlands or Luxemburg. Given the demand for the extension of the aforementioned springboard perspective and the specificity of the research object and setting, I follow a grounded approach as part of inductive research. Grounded theorizing is especially plausible in research contexts calling for theoretical elucidation grounded in the practitioners’ own experiences. This theory can provide a more complete and convincing argument through creative interpretation and systematic rigor. In this study, our major sources of data are collected by interviews. On the basis of a grounded analysis, five aggregate dimensions emerged which relate to the process of CMNE’ capability-upgrading through overseas investment: (I) Capability-upgrading intent, (II) Initial learning challenge, (III) Learning mechanism, (IV) Subsidiary bound evolution, (V) Capability evolution. Furthermore, we developed a three-phase model of springboard capability-upgrading starting from i) headquarter managers’ initial intent, ii) Subsidiary learning challenge, and iii) consequent renegotiation with headquarter managers with regard to the subsidiary’s capability-upgrading role. This result shows that the subsidiary mandates of CMNEs have evolved along with different stages of internationalization.This study makes two main contributions to the springboard literature. First, it challenges assumptions of the springboard perspective through a process perspective. Second, this study contributes to qualitative process research and proposes a grounded model of CMNE evolutionary springboard process based on a three-stage typology. It suggests that CMNEs’ learning through subsidiaries in small and open economies has extended the scope of the springboard perspective through insights into the evolutionary process. / Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

No description available.

Det primära syftet med studien var att undersöka hur ett medelstort företag upplever självutvärderingsverktyget språngbrädan. Syftet var också att bidra med kunskap om forskningsläget kring språngbrädan. En mixad metod användes där datainsamlingen genomfördes genom en enkät på ett urval av företaget. Första delen av enkäten utgjorde en lättversion av språngbrädan som användes för självutvärdering av verksamheten, därigenom fick respondenterna uppleva verktyget. Andra delen av enkäten utgjorde en utvärdering av hur språngbrädan upplevs, med både skalfrågor och öppna frågor. Resultatet visar att en övervägande del är positiva till språngbrädan och kan tänka sig fortsätta använda verktyget. En övervägande del är neutrala i frågan huruvida språngbrädan behöver utvecklas och anpassas efter den egna verksamheten, och huruvida det finns fördelar och nackdelar. Resultatet visar också att språngbrädan är väldigt outforskat där endast en vetenskaplig artikel identifierades. Slutsatsen är att det behövs fler studier där deltagarna informeras om arbetssättet självutvärdering / The primary purpose of the study was to investigate how a medium-sized company experiences the self-assessment tool - the springboard. The purpose was also to contribute with knowledge about the research that has been conducted on the springboard. A mixed method was used where the data collection was conducted on a sample of the company's operations through a survey. The first part of the survey constituted a light version of the springboard that was used for self-assessment of the business, thereby letting the respondents experience the tool. The second part of the survey was an evaluation of how the tool is experienced, with both rating questions and open questions. The result shows that the majority is positive to the springboard and can imagine continuing to use the tool. A majority is neutral to the question of whether the springboard needs to be developed and adapted to its own business, and whether there are advantages and disadvantages. The result also shows that the springboard is very unexplored where only one scientific article was identified. The conclusion is that more studies are needed, where the participants are informed about the method of self-assessment and about the tool prior to the study, in order to obtain more comprehensive data. / <p>2019-06-27</p>

Digitalization may have opened up the scope of easy remote interaction among companies, but it has also brought the unwanted baggage of "distance", especially those who have a large number of subsidiaries spread all over the continents. Taking this into consideration, it has been seen that multinational companies (MNCs) who have their subsidiaries around the globe face challenges to share their learnings among them. This means on one side digitalization enables integration efficiently within those who share similarities and also with the stakeholders in the local environment. On the other side, digitalization created a detachment among subsidiaries who are distantly located. Subsidiaries learned new skills and adapted new routines based on their local environment while going through the transition of digitalization. It can be seen that sharing of these learnings between the subsidiaries were impacted due to this transition. But with the MNCs, reaping the benefits of digitalization, they are ready to take the next step of switching somewhat permanently, a hybrid work culture, which includes digitalization of many in-person interactive events and training. The focus of this dissertation is to analyze the challenges MNCs will face while building learning mechanisms especially among those subsidiaries that are distantly located. Along with it the needs that are evolving from within the MNCs have been identified because, if they are attended efficiently it will facilitate to overcome these challenges.