Thesis (Ph. D.)--Stanford University, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-172).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references.

Esta dissertação objetivou analisar os mecanismos e estruturas de promoção à inovação dispostos pela Universidade de Caxias do Sul, a partir do modelo teórico da Tríplice Hélice. A pesquisa envolveu a identificação das interações da universidade com os instrumentos e políticas de inovação da Secretaria da Ciência, Inovação e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico do Governo do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul e com o as atividades aplicadas à inovação da empresa Keko Acessórios S.A. Neste contexto foram caracterizadas as atividades e políticas de inovação dos três agentes considerando suas interações com agentes externos, visando pontuar as interações entre eles. Com abordagem qualitativa, o estudo exploratório empregou entrevistas com roteiro semiestruturado. Utilizou-se o método de análise de discurso, através do software ATLAS.ti®, versão 7. Os resultados apresentam uma participação assídua dos agentes na busca de interações com agentes externos, através de recursos, conhecimento e análise de mercado, para a realização de seus objetivos, dentro das atividades e políticas de inovação. Essa busca fica evidente quando se trata da realização dos objetivos individuais, fazendo com que a interação com os agentes externos seja uma consequência desse processo, limitando a participação externa nas atividades de inovação. / Submitted by Ana Guimarães Pereira (agpereir@ucs.br) on 2015-09-21T12:28:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Felipe Luis de Marchi.pdf: 1302058 bytes, checksum: fb4bf2b8ff8ad7822c25a7099994ee5e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-21T12:28:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Felipe Luis de Marchi.pdf: 1302058 bytes, checksum: fb4bf2b8ff8ad7822c25a7099994ee5e (MD5) / This dissertation aimed to analyze the mechanisms and structures for the promotion to innovation disposed by University of Caxias do Sul, starting from the theoretical model of the Triple Helix. The research involved the identification of the interactions between the University, the instruments and innovation polices of the Secretary of Science, Innovation and Technological Development of the Government of the State of Rio Grande do Sul and the activities applied to innovation of the company Keko Acessórios S.A.. In this context were characterized the activities and innovation policies of the three agents considering their interactions with external agents, aiming to realize the interactions between them. Using a qualitative approach, this exploratory study employed semi-structured interviews with a script. The method of discourse analysis was used and carried out with Atlas.TI software ®, version 7. The results show an assiduous participation of agents in search of interactions with external agents, through resources, knowledge and analysis of the market for the realization of their goals, activities and innovation policies. This search is evident when it comes to the achievement of individual objectives, making the interaction with external agents a consequence of this process, limiting external participation in innovation activities.

Thesis (DTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Rationale: Unavoidably, the 21st century is witnessing continuous discourse about students’ technology uses in higher education. This thesis explores the underpinnings of students’ technology usage in their rhizomatic (personal) learning networks in the higher educational environment through a lens of four sub-research questions and four research hypotheses. Methodology: This research adopted a cross-sectional narrative and numeric study using the Frameworks for an Integrated Methodology (FraIM). The study was conducted in four universities comprising two universities in Ghana, one in South Africa and another in Belgium. Participants and respondents included students and lecturers. Data collection methods comprise focus group interviews, individual interviews, surveys (paper and web-based) and rhizomatic maps. The philosophical underpinning was inclined towards the critical realists’ stance and hinged to Rhizome Theory and Actor Network Theory. Data were analysed through descriptive and multivariate analyses and learning analytics employing tools in social network analysis. Results were presented graphically via Rhizomatic Learning Network maps, charts, tables and narratives. Findings: Students’ personal learning networks exhibit traces of rhizomatic patterns which are related through human and non-human actors. Seven categories of actors – comprising 218 individual actors – were found in students’ Rhizomatic Learning Networks. Out of 19 traceable digital devices used by students, this research established differences among the institutions in the four most widely used digital devices: Laptop, Smartphone, Tablet or iPad, and E-Reader pro rata. Students owned, in this sequence, smartphones, laptops, tablets or iPads and e-readers. This research also found statistically significant differences among all four institutions in terms of students’ self-perceived importance of handheld mobile devices towards academic success, university wireless network experiences and satisfaction of Learning Management Systems in the universities. However, results indicated that students are not likely to skip classes when materials from course lectures are available online, implying an inclination towards a blended approach to learning despite a technologically-rich environment. Implications and Value: With an underlying effect on curriculum design and implementation, this thesis, supporting rhizomatic approaches to learning, has tremendous potential to improve personal learning networks in higher education. It further contributes an understanding of emerging patterns in the personal learning networks of higher education students within a technology-rich environment. Again, integration of the two theories – FraIM, analytical tools and style of presentation – in understanding the problem through the lens of a critical realist is novel. Key Recommendations: Further rhizoanalysis research into the detailed roles performed by individual technological actors in students’ personal learning networks in the higher educational environment is required. Additionally, clear policies exhibiting willingness and enforcement strategies to integrate technology in all facets relating to learning should guide curriculum development within the universities.

Esta dissertação objetivou analisar os mecanismos e estruturas de promoção à inovação dispostos pela Universidade de Caxias do Sul, a partir do modelo teórico da Tríplice Hélice. A pesquisa envolveu a identificação das interações da universidade com os instrumentos e políticas de inovação da Secretaria da Ciência, Inovação e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico do Governo do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul e com o as atividades aplicadas à inovação da empresa Keko Acessórios S.A. Neste contexto foram caracterizadas as atividades e políticas de inovação dos três agentes considerando suas interações com agentes externos, visando pontuar as interações entre eles. Com abordagem qualitativa, o estudo exploratório empregou entrevistas com roteiro semiestruturado. Utilizou-se o método de análise de discurso, através do software ATLAS.ti®, versão 7. Os resultados apresentam uma participação assídua dos agentes na busca de interações com agentes externos, através de recursos, conhecimento e análise de mercado, para a realização de seus objetivos, dentro das atividades e políticas de inovação. Essa busca fica evidente quando se trata da realização dos objetivos individuais, fazendo com que a interação com os agentes externos seja uma consequência desse processo, limitando a participação externa nas atividades de inovação. / This dissertation aimed to analyze the mechanisms and structures for the promotion to innovation disposed by University of Caxias do Sul, starting from the theoretical model of the Triple Helix. The research involved the identification of the interactions between the University, the instruments and innovation polices of the Secretary of Science, Innovation and Technological Development of the Government of the State of Rio Grande do Sul and the activities applied to innovation of the company Keko Acessórios S.A.. In this context were characterized the activities and innovation policies of the three agents considering their interactions with external agents, aiming to realize the interactions between them. Using a qualitative approach, this exploratory study employed semi-structured interviews with a script. The method of discourse analysis was used and carried out with Atlas.TI software ®, version 7. The results show an assiduous participation of agents in search of interactions with external agents, through resources, knowledge and analysis of the market for the realization of their goals, activities and innovation policies. This search is evident when it comes to the achievement of individual objectives, making the interaction with external agents a consequence of this process, limiting external participation in innovation activities.

Enterprise architecture is the high-level design of the entire business, facilitated by enterprise architects. "Agile enterprise architecture" is the term used in enterprise architecture to describe an architecture that caters for future unknowns, enabling change to occur rapidly without undue resource utilization, yet in a controlled manner and with minimal adverse impact. Some enterprise architects still use outdated, rigid approaches to enterprise architecture which are incompatible with today‟s business environment. In addition, there is limited research into methods that can be applied to measure the agility of enterprise architecture. The current environment is such that there is a need for a more agile approach to developing and measuring enterprise architecture. This work will lead to the creation of a Framework for The Development and Measurement of Agile Enterprise Architecture. In support of the main goal of the development of the framework, a literature review will be conducted focusing on the necessary sub-goals of the research. The first sub-goal of the literature review is to develop a comprehensive definition for enterprise architecture (referred to as EA), as well as discover how it is currently practiced. Thereafter, the literature review will investigate a comprehensive definition for agility and research why it is emerging as a critical topic. The next chapter of the literature review will research how agility fits within the context of EA, uncovering a comprehensive definition for agile EA and the best practices in agile EA development. The final chapter of the literature review will investigate suitable measurement techniques that can be used to assess the level of agility of EA. On completion of the literature review, a preliminary framework will be created using the most important contributions from the literature. An empirical study will be conducted to explore the definitions for EA, agility, agile EA, the methods to measure the agility of EA and the concepts for the development of agile EA summarised in the preliminary framework. Data analysis follows an interpretive and qualitative approach based on four case studies through interviews with systems experts in four South African organizations in one province. Each interviewee was interviewed once. The initial interview with a Principal Consultant on Enterprise Strategy Consulting at organisation # 1 formed the basis of an exploratory study; the results of which were used to refine the research instrument and preliminary framework. Thereafter, a more rigorous empirical study focused on interviews with the Chief Architect, Senior Manager in Advisory Services and an Enterprise Architect at organizations 2, 3 and 4 respectively was conducted. The research follows an inductive approach to capture the interpretive experiences of participants and develop theoretical propositions from them. Following the exploratory pilot study it became necessary to make changes to the preliminary framework and initial survey instrument created. Thereafter, the empirical study consisting of the remaining three cases was conducted to test the important aspects of the framework and literature definitions. The analysis of the results of the empirical study prompted further changes to the theoretical framework and definitions created. The interviews conducted with each of the organizations confirmed the factors for agile EA development as well as the effectiveness of the definitions created in the literature review. The research uncovered that the need for a more agile approach to developing EA and a way to measure the level of agility of EA has become more and more significant in organizations. This begins with a better understanding of EA, agility, how agility fits within the context of EA, as well as appropriate methods to measure agility.

A challenge facing higher education institutions is the level of technological entrepreneurship of first-year students in the field of technological programmes. This challenge has put pressure on management of higher education institutions to introduce an entrepreneurial mindset and encourage innovation. According to Development Policy Research Unit (2007:18), 23 percent of students choose qualifications mainly for the employment opportunities. According to Shein, Crous, and Schepers (2010:1), not only in growing economies such as South Africa‟s, entrepreneurship contributes to a national growth and contributes to job creation. Shein, et al. (2010:1), further claim that recent studies have shown a shift towards studying entrepreneurship in an attempt to uncover its fundamentals and its importance in adding to the well-being of the country.

Orientador: Ana Lucia Gonçalves da Silva / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Economia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T12:46:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Chiarini_Tulio_D.pdf: 4158767 bytes, checksum: 484945f08aead7fd2cca4d258a90ab74 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Nações relativamente atrasadas, de forma deliberada, buscaram, por além de seus territórios, instrumentos tecnológicos e conhecimentos capazes de acelerar seu crescimento e desenvolvimento econômico, especialmente quando entenderam que a tecnologia é fonte de vantagens monopolísticas. Esforços empreendidos por Estados Nacionais nesse sentido foram realizados, como medidas que incentivavam o roubo, a coopção, o contrabando, a imitação, a compra de conhecimentos de ponta que pudessem ser adaptados, modificados, melhorados e internalizados. Neste contexto, nações relativamente mais atrasadas conseguiram ter saltos de produtividade ao usar tecnologias desenvolvidas por nações relativamente mais avançadas, entretanto, esse não foi um processo automático. Políticas de estímulo à construção de aptidões tecnológicas foram empreendidas decididamente para que a tecnologia importada propiciasse um processo de aprendizado doméstico. Possibilitou-se, assim, que a posição de destaque da líder Inglaterra fosse posta em jogo, a qual, a fim de manter sua posição relativa e suas vantagens, dificultou a transferência tecnológica. A partir de uma análise histórico-dedutiva, tendo como fio condutor os três principais paradigmas tecnológicos (Revolução Industrial Inglesa, Paradigma Fordista e Paradigma das TICs), apresenta-se o papel da transferência de tecnologia para o processo de emparelhamento tecnológico e diminuição do atraso relativo em diferentes revoluções tecnológicas. Ênfase será dada, sobretudo ao terceiro paradigma tecnológico, a qual serve como pano de fundo para o caso brasileiro a partir de uma análise exploratória de três canais de transferência de tecnologia: comércio de produtos de alto conteúdo tecnológico, influxo de investimento direto externo e pagamentos pelo uso da propriedade intelectual. A proposição desta tese é que, no atual paradigma tecnológico, a transferência internacional de tecnologia é relativamente mais fragilizada, seja pela mudança da natureza do conhecimento e da tecnologia, seja pelas transformações engendradas pelo próprio capitalismo contemporâneo. Ademais, especula-se sobre o processo de transferência de tecnologia para o Brasil, que no seu caso tem ajudado a aumentar a dependência tecnológica. Há indícios de que o país não consegue consolidar um processo de industrialização que resulte em exportações de alto conteúdo tecnológico e que a abertura empreendida pelo país nos anos 1990, a qual registra desde então crescentes entradas de investimento direto externo, não propiciou um aprendizado tecnológico dinâmico, mas ampliou a dependência brasileira por tecnologias externas, o que é visto, dentre outros, pelo volume crescente de pagamento pelo uso de propriedade intelectual / Abstract: Relatively backward nations deliberately sought technology available in other relatively more advanced nations in order to accelerate their growth and economic development, especially when they realized that technology was a source of monopolistic advantages. Efforts of National States in this direction were performed, as measures that encouraged theft, smuggling, imitation, cutting-edge knowledge purchases that could be adapted, modified, improved and internalized. In this context, relatively more backward nations have achieved leaps in productivity when using technology developed by relatively more advanced nations, however, this was not an automatic process. Stimuli to the construction of technological capabilities were decidedly undertaken and a process of domestic learning was stimulated. In order to maintain the relative position and the benefits, relatively more advanced nations created barriers to impeach technology transfer. From a historical-deductive analysis, taking as a guideline the three main technological paradigms (English Industrial Revolution, Fordist and ICT Paradigms), we present the role of technology transfer in a technological catching up process in different technological revolutions. We give emphasis particularly on the third technological paradigm, which serves as a background for the Brazilian case from an exploratory analysis of three channels of technology transfer: trade of high technological content products, inflows of foreign direct investment and payments for the use of intellectual property. The proposition we make here is that, in the current technological paradigm, the international transfer of technology is relatively weakened, either by changing the nature of technology, and by the contemporary transformations engendered by capitalism itself. Furthermore, we speculate on the process of technology transfer to Brazil, which in her case has helped to increase technological dependence. There are indications that the country could not build an industrialization process that could result in exports of high technological content products and the economic opening undertaken by the country in the 1990s did not provide a dynamic technological learning process but expanded Brazil¿s dependence on foreign technologies, what is confirmed, among others, by the increasing volume of payment for the use of intellectual property rights / Doutorado / Teoria Economica / Doutor em Ciências Econômicas

The importance of technology transfer to produce structural change in developing regions has been well established. However, most previous transfers to developing regions have been unplanned or triggered by actions rather than decisions. Most previous inquiries have been based on unidimensional, sectorial and mostly economic views of technology transfer; this author believes these to be inadequate representations of the transfer process. This dissertation proposes a new inquiring system for technology transfer; one which emphasizes a multidimensional viewpoint of the technology transfer process. Further, this dissertation claims to make three unique contributions: 1. a new hierarchical structure for examining the technology transfer problem. 3. a demonstration example of the suggested methodology. Special emphasis is placed on the needs of planners and policymakers who are considered the clients of the proposed inquiring systems. The hierarchical structure has three levels, each emphasizing the three critical dimensions of technology transfer: 1) resources, 2) transfer mechanisms, and 3) economic and sociocultural consequences. The goals and/or results at each of the three levels of the hierarchical structure are: 2. three measures for assessing thle performance of technology transfer. Level 1: At this level, a novel generalized morphological tree is developed to indicate structural differences of technology transfer along the three critical dimensions. Level 2: At this level, interactious between the variables specified in Level l are considered. These interactions are expressed in the form of self-interaction and cross-interaction matrices. The proposed structure of technology transfer is established in terms of these matrices. Level 3: This level specifies, in a flowgraph form, the decision, information and logic requirements to design a "most satisfactory" technology transfer. The development of these three levels combines quantitative and qualitative viewpoints, since a strictly quantitative approach would lead to an incomplete, unrealistic representation of the problem. The three measures to assess the performance of technology transfer are: feasibility in terms of resources required for transfer,efficiency expressed in terms of applicability of transfer mechanisms, and desirability in terms of the consequences of transfer. Policy statements, in the form of logic or assignment statements, are developed to estimate the nature and magnitude of the three performance measures. A horizontal transfer, specifically the transfer of computer technology to India, is considered to illustrate the proposed methodology. The hierarchical structure is developed and performance measures for the transfer are estimated. The results indicate: (a) the transfer is feasible in terms of most resource requirements, but under the constraints of domestic availability, productivity and cost, (b) the channel direct investment by business -- is most applicable for the transfer. The channels -- entrepreneur and licensing arrangements -- are of limited applicability. The mechanism -- direct investment by Indian government is applicable if long transfer times can be tolerated, and (c) the economic consequences of the transfer are significant and desirable. However, the transfer is found to have little impact on such important sectors as literacy, food, communication and characters of social organization.

Fluctuation in the demand for electrical power and the intermittent nature of the supply of energy from renewable sources like solar and wind have made the need for energy storage a dire necessity. Current storage technologies like batteries and supercapacitors fall short either in terms of power output or in their ability to store sufficient energy. Pseudocapacitors combine features of both and offer an alternative to stabilize the power supply. They possess high rates of charge and discharge and are capable of storing much more energy in comparison to a supercapacitor. In the quest for solutions that are economical and feasible, we have investigated Prussian Blue in aqueous electrolytes for its use as a pseudocapacitor. Two different active materials based on Prussian Blue were prepared; one that has just Prussian Blue and the other that contains a mixture of Prussian Blue and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Four electrolytes differing in the valence of the cation were employed for the study. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge were used to characterize the electrodes. Our experiments have shown specific capacitances of Prussian Blue electrodes in the range of 140-720 F/g and that of Prussian Blue-CNT electrodes in the range of ~52 F/g. The remarkable capacity of charge storage in Prussian Blue electrodes is attributed to its electrochemical activity ensuring surface redox and its tunnel-like structure allowing ease of entry and exit for ions like Potassium. Simple methods of synthesis have yielded specific capacitances of the order of hundreds of Farads per gram showing that Prussian Blue has promise as an electrode material for applications needing high rates of charge-discharge.