Showing papers in "IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management in 1998"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore a two-dimensional theoretical model for the classification of technical (or engineering) projects based on four levels of technological uncertainty at the time of project initiation and three levels of system scope, which is their location on a hierarchical ladder of systems and subsystems.
Abstract: Research literature on the management of projects has been quite slow in its conceptual development and still suffers from a scanty theoretical basis. One of the main impediments in the study of projects has been the absence of constructs and the little distinction that has been made between the project type and its managerial and organizational style. Based on the findings in a field study of 26 case projects, this research shows that there is a need to adopt a more project-specific contingency approach to project management in organizations. This study explores a two-dimensional theoretical model for the classification of technical (or engineering) projects. Projects are classified according to four levels of technological uncertainty at the time of project initiation and three levels of system scope, which is their location on a hierarchical ladder of systems and subsystems. Considerable differences were found in management style, project organization and operational practice when moving along each of the model's two axes. Differences also were observed in simultaneous change in both dimensions. The findings suggest a handful of practical and managerial implications. They are based on the premise that a proper project classification prior to project initiation and a carefully selected management style may lead to better implementation and to an increased chance of project success.
199 citations
TL;DR: A mass evacuation computer program that models the evacuation process and utilizes the traffic assignment of all-or-nothing and Dial's algorithm to simulate the traffic movements during evacuation, and it was found that the UE algorithm was more efficient than the dial's algorithm in the three performance measures mentioned above.
Abstract: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires that all electric utilities develop and update evacuation plans for the areas surrounding their nuclear power plants. The evacuation of people around these plants has certain peculiar transportation-related characteristics, such as the location of the incident is fixed, the evacuation area is predetermined by NRC, and all the inhabitants must be evacuated from the affected area. These characteristics pose a challenge to evacuation planners and modelers. The developed evacuation models should incorporate these characteristics and address the peculiarities of the evacuation process. Hobeika et al. have developed a mass evacuation computer program (MASSVAC 3.0) that models the evacuation process and utilizes the traffic assignment of all-or-nothing and Dial's algorithm to simulate the traffic movements during evacuation. The objective of this paper is to describe the upgrade of MASS-VAC 3.0 to MASSVAC 4.0, which incorporates new modeling features such as the user equilibrium (UE) assignment algorithm, which was not available in MASSVAC 3.0. The focus of this paper, however, is on comparing the assignment results of Dial's algorithm with the UE algorithm using performance measures such as the evacuation time, the number of congested links, and the computer execution time. The results show that the evacuation performance measures are largely dependent on the highway network structure and the number of vehicles produced in an emergency planning zone, Generally, it was found that the UE algorithm was more efficient than the Dial's algorithm in the three performance measures mentioned above.
168 citations
TL;DR: The role of advanced communications and computing technologies, coupled with analytic procedures and models, is discussed in this paper, emphasizing the need for both pre-and post-event strategies and policies.
Abstract: Successful emergency management requires a better understanding of events with potentially disastrous consequences, a comprehensive, holistic view of managing such events, and the effective use of technology. This guest editorial for this special issue of this TRANSACTIONS provides the raison d'ˆ etre for a new field of emergency management and engineering. It provides a systems view of emergency management, emphasizing the need for both pre- and postevent strategies and policies. The role of advanced communications and computing technologies, coupled with analytic procedures and models, is discussed. This paper concludes with the recognition of the need for emergency managers to be able to utilize these technologies.
125 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors found that innovative behavior is negatively related to associative and positively related to bisociative problem-solving style and innovative behavior was positively related with LMX.
Abstract: There have been relatively few theoretically-based empirical studies of leadership in research and development (RD innovative behavior was negatively related to associative and positively related to bisociative problem-solving style and innovative behavior was positively related to LMX. Further, LMX explained variance in innovative behavior beyond that explained by problem-solving style alone. This relationship was shown to hold regardless of the type of task in which the R&D professionals were engaged. Implications for theory and for practising managers are discussed.
125 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a sample of US and Japanese-owned manufacturing plants in the United States in three different industries, and showed that the implementation of JIT has improved many of the performance measures for these US manufacturing plants.
Abstract: Since the early 1980s, when Japanese manufacturing firms in a number of industries-including auto, electronics, and machinery-achieved high levels of international competitiveness, Japanese manufacturing practices-particularly those associated with just-in-time manufacturing (JIT)-have attracted considerable attention in North America. Transfer to the United States of JIT is characterized by special production management practices involving inventory and quality control, industrial relations, and supplier-manufacturer relationships. Because so many different aspects of plant operation are involved, the transfer of JIT requires a substantial effort on the part of US manufacturers. Despite this barrier, anecdotal evidence suggests that substantial transfer of Japanese production methods has taken place and that this transfer has had a significant impact on the performance of US manufacturing plants. However, there is little empirical evidence of this process that is based on broad samples of plants and workers from various manufacturing industries. The purpose of this paper is to help fill this gap in the literature. Using a sample of US and Japanese-owned manufacturing plants in the United States in three different industries, we show that the implementation of JIT has improved many of the performance measures for these US manufacturing plants.
88 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a model to assess the efficiency of knowledge transfer within an organization, which is defined as a function of three attributes: process delay, effort, and width.
Abstract: This paper presents a model to assess the efficiency of knowledge transfer within an organization. First, a literature review of knowledge transfer management with a practical contribution to the shop-floor activities is presented. Second, a model of the knowledge transfer process with five distinctive phases is suggested. Third, an efficiency index is proposed to provide an objective numerical measure of the process. The numerical index is defined as a function of three attributes: process delay; effort; and width. Its properties and limitations are discussed. Several pilot studies have been launched to test the validity of the model. One pilot is introduced in this paper.
63 citations
TL;DR: A new model is proposed and the usefulness of the model for real-time activity scheduling in a resource-constrained project environment is demonstrated and the implications of this model and the analysis it supports are discussed.
Abstract: Traditional models for project management have not adequately incorporated a number of factors that are important for resource allocation. This paper describes the use of Petri nets to facilitate resource allocation in projects under some conditions commonly encountered in practice. Petri nets provide a powerful formalism for representing and analyzing concurrent systems. To date, however, very little has been done to integrate this graphical and mathematical tool with the area of project management. Petri net models can be used to analyze interdependencies, criticality, substitution, conflicting resource priorities and variations in the availability of resources. This paper proposes a new model and demonstrates the usefulness of the model for real-time activity scheduling in a resource-constrained project environment. The model has been computerized using the C language, and a simple project is chosen as an example to provide step-by-step explanations of the simulation carried out. This paper also discusses the implications of the model and the analysis it supports.
60 citations
TL;DR: Teams and Technology shows how to develop new information systems that support collaborative work, how to build teams that take advantage of technological potential, and how to create an organization with a structure and policies that support the synergy of teams and technology.
60 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors introduce the evolutionary process of technological innovation and technology management in Chinese enterprises since 1949 and suggest that "assimilation and self-design upon imported technology" (3-I policy) is the suitable and vital technology development avenue for most Chinese firms.
Abstract: This paper introduces the evolutionary process of technological innovation and technology management in Chinese enterprises since 1949. First, the transition of corporate management and technology management in China is introduced in comparison to Western-style management. Then, based on the historical description and case studies, the typical technology development process, especially the processes of technological acquisition, learning and secondary innovation in Chinese enterprises, is analyzed. The integration between technology acquisition and in-house design and R&D is emphasized. The authors suggest that "assimilation and self-design upon imported technology" (3-I policy) is the suitable and vital technology development avenue for most Chinese firms. To accomplish such a technological avenue, coordination, which exists between product innovation and process innovation, corporate strategy and technology strategy, and technology evolution and organizational change must be organized well and dynamically. As Chinese firms face more severe competition than ever, more attention should be paid to the development of indigenous capabilities for technological innovation. The firms' innovation system (FIS), which emphasizes the infrastructure support for a firms entrepreneurship, R&D system, and organization, as well as high-talent personnel, should be established or improved. Thus, technology strategy and the technological innovation system are currently the two key issues of management of technology (MOT) in China and will continue to be into the coming century.
56 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the development strategy from the perspective of interactions among the government, research institute, and the domestic industry in terms of technology selection, R&D activities, technology transfer, and industry development results.
Abstract: Taiwan's integrated circuit (IC) industry development process can be separated into three stages: the initiation stage, consisting of obtaining technology and facilitating setup of domestic companies; the burgeoning stage, consisting of the formation of manufacturer's RD and the growth stage, consisting of further raising an industry's international competitive levels. In each stage this article examines the development strategy from the perspective of interactions among the government, research institute, and the domestic industry in terms of technology selection, R&D activities, technology transfer, and industry development results. Finally, factors underlying success, issues arising from the case, and suggestions for newly industrialized countries are discussed.
55 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe a methodology for making route choice and emergency response team siting jointly, in a logical and sequential fashion, and illustrate the technique using preliminary estimates of shipments to be made to the Waste Isolation Pilot Project facility.
Abstract: Route choice and emergency response team siting are both important facets of any high-level radioactive waste shipment campaign. These two sets of decisions are clearly related, and both involve multiple objectives. This paper describes a methodology for making these decisions jointly, in a logical and sequential fashion, and illustrates the technique using preliminary estimates of shipments to be made to the Waste Isolation Pilot Project facility.
TL;DR: An implementation of the interval-valued fuzzy-set approach, together with a max-min schema, provides the approximate inference mechanism for the computation of machine flexibility.
Abstract: Manufacturing flexibility is a difficult and multifaceted concept that because of its inherent complexity and fuzziness is amenable to an artificial intelligence treatment. Fuzzy logic offers a suitable framework for measuring flexibility in its various aspects. This paper deals with the measurement of machine flexibility. When data are precise, this is done via a simple analytical formula. But if such data, and hence knowledge, are not precise, fuzzy-logic modeling should be employed by transforming the human expertise into IF-THEN rules and membership functions. An implementation of the interval-valued fuzzy-set approach, together with a max-min schema, provides the approximate inference mechanism for the computation of machine flexibility. This approach has the advantage of revealing second-order semantic uncertainty with the associated nonspecificity measure. The models are illustrated with a number of examples.
TL;DR: An integrated framework consisting of a data management module, a vehicle monitoring and communications module and a modeling module is presented, showing the improvement in effectiveness of emergency response operations by introducing operations research techniques coupled with advanced information technologies.
Abstract: Managers of emergency response operations in electric utility companies frequently face decisions regarding the optimum deployment of the available emergency response resources. The complexity of emergency repair problems requires the development of a decision-making framework able to address strategic and tactical emergency repair issues. This paper presents an integrated framework consisting of a data management module, a vehicle monitoring and communications module and a modeling module. The functional characteristics of the proposed system are analyzed in the context of emergency repair operations of an electric utility company. Also presented is an extensive case study encompassing the three modules of the proposed decision-making system and showing the improvement in effectiveness of emergency response operations by introducing operations research techniques coupled with advanced information technologies.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present empirical findings on interfunctional transfers of engineers, using quantitative data collected from a large, R&D-oriented, Japanese manufacturing firm, and suggest that interfunctional transfer may provide Japanese companies with critical organizational capabilities for cross-functional integration, which are embedded deeply in the social context of the engineering organization.
Abstract: This paper presents empirical findings on interfunctional transfers of engineers, using quantitative data collected from a large, R&D-oriented, Japanese manufacturing firm. Through quantitative analyses on characteristics of interfunctional transfers within a Japanese firm, the empirical part of the study reveals actual frequencies, timing, and patterns of interfunctional transfer to examine the relevancy of the general image of the "job rotation" practice of Japanese firms. Based on our empirical findings, we suggest that interfunctional transfers may provide Japanese companies with critical organizational capabilities for cross-functional integration, which are embedded deeply in the social context of the engineering organization.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the technological capabilities of Korea and Taiwan using US patent statistics for the period 1969-1992 and found that the main agent of Korea's technological innovation has been the small number of large companies in the electrical technology field, while Taiwan's patenting activities have been spread among a large number of individuals exploiting nonelectrical and miscellaneous technologies.
Abstract: This paper examines the technological capabilities of Korea and Taiwan using US patent statistics for the period 1969-1992. The analysis reveals three important trends. First, that the growth of Korean and Taiwanese technological activity has been rapid both during and after the 1980s. Second, that the processes of technological development in these countries show different patterns: a highly concentrated technical field with dynamic growth in Korea and a highly diversified technical field with stable growth in Taiwan. Third, it is shown that the main agent of Korea's technological innovation has been the small number of large companies in the electrical technology field, while Taiwan's patenting activities have been spread among a large number of individuals exploiting nonelectrical and miscellaneous technologies.
TL;DR: In this article, the escapeways in a building are modeled as a network, with links and nodes, and the evacuees are modelled as discrete flow objects with certain attributes.
Abstract: How can building occupants be safely evacuated in the case of an emergency? To address this question, this paper presents several measures of the criticality of evacuation system components, inspired by reliability theory. The escapeways in a building are modeled as a network, with links and nodes. This paper discusses how it is possible to identify the importance of different network components. The evacuees are modeled as discrete flow objects with certain attributes. This paper discusses the importance of different personal attributes. Also, management decisions are important, e.g., establishing emergency plans and strategies.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present three mathematical goal programming models: (1) a tactical model that provides the optimal repair-unit dispatch plan after a forecast of severe weather conditions; (2) a short-term strategic model that provided the optimal unit location plan under normal weather conditions, and (3) a long-term, strategic model was proposed to provide the optimal number of repair units.
Abstract: Extreme weather conditions such as ice storms often cause significant damage to electric power transmission and distribution systems and result in large-scale power failures. In such cases, electric utilities need to repair the transmission and distribution systems as expeditiously and economically as possible. In this paper, for the electric utilities, the authors present three mathematical goal programming models: (1) a tactical model that provides the optimal repair-unit dispatch plan after a forecast of severe weather conditions; (2) a short-term strategic model that provides the optimal repair-unit location plan under normal weather conditions; and (3) a long-term strategic model that provides the optimal number of repair units. These models will assist electric utilities to locate and dispatch repair units and to restore the transmission and distribution failures efficiently. The authors illustrate some features of these models with a numerical example. Finally, a comparative study shows how these models could be more efficient than a modified conventional model.
TL;DR: In this paper, the author's experience with R&D project selection suggests that the emphasis should be on the generation of high-quality projects through effective communication of corporate priorities, implementation issues, and related technical efforts.
Abstract: Much of the technical literature emphasizes R&D project selection. This paper reviews the author's experience with R&D project selection. In his view, this experience suggests that the emphasis should be on the generation of high-quality R&D projects through effective communication of corporate priorities, implementation issues, and related technical efforts.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine institutional and organizational influences upon information exchange and governance structures within R&D consortia in the United States and Japan, and find that internal diversity and interorganizational relations are both associated with information-exchange and governance mechanisms.
Abstract: We examine institutional and organizational influences upon information exchange and governance structures within R&D consortia in the United States and Japan. We hypothesized that national differences in institutional environments would lead to less active governance and information-exchange activities within Japanese R&D consortia relative to their US counterparts. At the consortium level, we expected that internal consortium diversity would increase information exchange and governance requirements, and that structures stabilizing relations between consortium members would reduce information exchange and governance requirements. We tested these hypotheses on 39 US and 54 Japanese multifirm R&D consortia, involving, respectively, 1801 US member organizations and 1647 Japanese member organizations. Controlling for organizational age, size, and strategic focus, we found that internal diversity and interorganizational relations are both associated with information-exchange and governance mechanisms. Our model has much greater explanatory power for the United States than for Japan.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the cognitive model premise in a high-technology industry where improvement-team programs are on the rise and find that performance under such programs is improved via the better utilization of skills and knowledge that occurs as employees are allowed greater decision-making in their tasks.
Abstract: Manufacturing programs aimed at improving performance often feature employee teams that address production problems at the shop-floor level. According to cognitive models of participation, performance under such programs is improved via the better utilization of skills and knowledge that occurs as employees are allowed greater decision making in their tasks. The authors examine the cognitive-model premise in a high-technology industry where improvement-team programs are on the rise. The study three types of improvement-team programs among a sample of eight manufacturing sites. The programs feature continuous improvement teams (CITs), quality circles (QCs) or self-directed work teams (SDWTs) and vary in the amount of decision-making power, skill attainment via training and skill use granted to employees. A quantitative analysis of performance reveals that CIT programs were associated with the highest direct and indirect productivity, two metrics that were available for each firm. QC and SDWT programs should not be dismissed, however, as they may lead to improvements in quality metrics, as the authors note in suggestions for future research. Qualitative data gathered in site visits suggest that poor implementation and failure to integrate production programs with engineering departments are two factors that inhibit program success.
TL;DR: In this article, an empirical study was conducted to assess the impact of IT investment in firms operating in three economies (Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia) in the Pacific Rim from 1983 to 1991.
Abstract: The impact of information technology (IT) on firm level productivity has been a subject of considerable research. Although a number of empirical studies have been reported, results are far from conclusive. Almost all of these studies are based on secondary data collected in the United States, which makes it impossible to compare productivity impacts under different economic and demographic settings. It remains unclear whether empirical findings obtained from US firms are also applicable to firms residing in other parts of the world. To answer this question, an empirical study was conducted to assess the impact of IT investment in firms operating in three economies (Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia) in the Pacific Rim from 1983 to 1991. Our results indicate that while still small as a percentage of total capital compared with the United States, computer capital stock increased substantially in all economies during the period. Our production function estimates suggest that there are positive and excess returns in one of the three economies. Results of the analysis provide the basis to address issues such as national IT policy and the effect of economic dynamics on IT adoption.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted an 18-frame (page) table-top simulation exercise to evaluate miners' cognitive skills related to escaping from a coal mine fire and found that only 13.6% of the miners achieved a desirable score of 90% mastery or greater.
Abstract: Forty-eight workers who had escaped large underground coal-mine fires were interviewed using an open-ended protocol. This information, and the actual experiences of one eight-person mine-section crew who escaped from a fire, were used to construct an 18-frame (page) table-top simulation exercise, which was then field tested with 134 miners. The exercise is a research tool that measures miners' proficiency in the information-gathering and decision-making skills related to escaping from a mine fire. It also helps miners to learn and practice these cognitive skills. The exercise was found to be valid and reliable. All miners reported that the exercise was authentic and would help them to remember important information. The exercise total score, and all but two item scores, significantly discriminated among miners with different levels of training. The two items that did not discriminate dealt with whether or not to abandon a helpless fellow miner. When the exercise total score data were pooled, only 13.6% of the miners achieved a desirable score of 90% mastery or greater. The simulation is important because it teaches and assesses critical judgment and decision-making skills that are rarely addressed in miner training.
TL;DR: The authors introduce the concept of a scenario associated with every kind of information managed by this system, which describes the tasks related with this information and their scheduling.
Abstract: This paper presents a decision support system for managers in charge of process monitoring, this domain being representative of rapidly increasing emergencies. Designing such a system means combining tasks: automate data processing; give the user efficient access to all relevant data; and synthesize pertinent information. Data used for decisions come from several independent sources. The authors introduce the concept of a scenario associated with every kind of information managed by this system, which describes the tasks related with this information and their scheduling. The system architecture is built around the association of a reactive database and a real-time information manager, whose task is to follow the scenarios describing the processes to trigger for all incoming data. This architecture, based on specifications and knowledge, allows autonomous behavior of the system in order to monitor, update and display all information needed for the user's decisions. It uses a declarative approach, i.e. it separates what is application dependent (data, scenarios and processes) from what is generic, and can be used for other applications. The Fire Management Information System is an application dedicated to forest fire prevention and fighting, partially funded by the European Research Programme for Environmental Protection.
TL;DR: In this paper, an analytic hierarchy process approach based on pair-wise comparisons between several factors in deciding the relative criticality of the processes in a hierarchy structure is studied, which can be used in management decision making in planning for statistical process control (SPC) implementation.
Abstract: A production process composed of tens or even hundreds of subprocesses is a common phenomenon in industry. Each of the subprocesses contributes to various aspects of product quality. Ideally, a control chart can be set up on every subprocess to guarantee the quality of the final product. This is not practical however, because of limited human and economic resources, and the management has to decide which subprocesses are to be given higher priorities. In this paper, for the purpose of prioritizing processes in complicated production systems for implementing statistical process control (SPC) schemes, preliminary selection based on statistical and technical criticality of processes is discussed. An analytic hierarchy process approach based on pair-wise comparisons between several factors in deciding the relative criticality of the processes in a hierarchy structure is then studied. The approach can be used in management decision making in planning for SPC implementation. A case study is presented to illustrate the methodology.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss changes in Taiwan's manufacturing industries and the response of both government and private enterprises to the challenges presented by a dynamic environment and by global competition, and conclude that learning capability and human capital will determine the endurance of Taiwan's industrial success, and that entrepreneurship must be learned by the state, as well as by the private firms.
Abstract: The industrialization of Taiwan has been a remarkable phenomenon. This paper discusses changes in Taiwan's manufacturing industries and the response of both government and private enterprises to the challenges presented by a dynamic environment and by global competition. Several cases are discussed in light of the activities and adjustments on the part of government and of the public sector, of small and medium business, and of high-tech industries. Government participation over has been and will remain pivotal in economic growth and in achieving adjusted positioning. The accelerated sociopolitical movements toward democracy, the bureaucratic management of public issues, and the political and economic interactions between Taiwan and China, exert significant effects on the industrial structure and on government's role in directing the industrial evolution. This article presents an integrated reasoning of Taiwan's economic success. It reveals that the neoclassical doctrine of market efficiency is fundamentally valid, and that the effective commercialization of national technological capability has created Taiwan's industrial evolution. Market governance proved to be an efficient short-term policy instrument when the latecomer strategy of cost leadership was applied. A conceptual model of industrial competition and technology commercialization is also proposed to facilitate the methodological analysis. This study concludes that learning capability and human capital will determine the endurance of Taiwan's industrial success, and that entrepreneurship must be learned by the state, as well as by the private firms.
TL;DR: In this article, the focus is shifted to incorporate disaster recovery planning for manufacturing enterprises, especially those that are automated, and the methodological framework proposed in this paper will aid manufacturing organizations and their managers in reducing the risks associated with unanticipated disasters.
Abstract: Disasters may strike at any moment in any location. When they do, no distinction is made about the type of firm that is being affected, whether it is a bank or a manufacturing plant. Most firms do not plan for possible disasters, and those that do have typically focused on computer and data contingency planning. In this paper, the focus is shifted to incorporate disaster recovery planning for manufacturing enterprises, especially those that are automated. Automated manufacturing enterprises have characteristics that put them at an increased risk to disasters. The methodological framework proposed in this paper will aid manufacturing organizations and their managers in reducing the risks associated with unanticipated disasters. The framework is termed the "Manufacturing Operations Recovery and Resumption" model. Recommended activities and tools for effective management of this methodology are identified.
TL;DR: Hong Kong and Singapore have remarkably similar social, economic, and historical profiles, and their policies to promote economic and technological progress constitute an on-going natural experiment and provide a stark contrast.
Abstract: Although Hong Kong and Singapore have remarkably similar social, economic, and historical profiles, their policies to promote economic and technological progress constitute an on-going natural experiment and provide a stark contrast. The well-documented, state-led information technology (IT) effort in Singapore is used here to benchmark the lesser known policies and interventions of the Hong Kong government and to examine their impact on IT innovation. Economic restructuring and political uncertainty in Hong Kong, resulting in the mass emigration of manufacturing operations and the professional elite, have prompted a traditionally noninterventionist state to selectively complement the invisible hand of market forces. The Hong Kong government has supported knowledge building and diffusion and helped to create public goods such as electronic commerce, but it has stopped short of guiding or directly subsidizing IT innovation efforts. Emerging IT issues and policy options are considered as Hong Kong becomes part of the People's Republic of China (PRC) under the principle of "one country, two systems". Free trade and information flows, efficient telecommunications, property rights protection, and technology management expertise are identified as critical factors if Hong Kong is to remain an attractive conduit for and recipient of technology transfer, and if its businesses are to sustain their fast-follower and focus strategies, synergize technological innovations from China and the West, and capitalize on the vast new domestic market.
TL;DR: An associated preparedness plan module is described, which contains, for a given EM organization, its contingency plan and procedures to be applied during predefined stages of an emergency.
Abstract: This paper outlines the main features of an electronic communication system, MMS, designed to support coordination and exchange of information in connection with emergency management (EM) efforts. The design of the MMS has been motivated by interviews with EM decision makers and reviews of communication and coordination problems observed during EM efforts and exercises. The system involves the use of a small set of message types designed to match the main categories of acts of communication in the domain of EM. Message tokens related to a sequence of message transactions can be linked, and links among messages can be viewed in a graphic tree-like display. By employing the extensive filtration facilities offered by the MMS, users are able to monitor the current status of messages. And, in general, filtration provides users with means of surveying a possibly large number of responses to messages. Thus, users are able to define filters that capture, for instance, "unanswered requests sent out by me today" or "requests from me that have not been answered by an unconditional 'OK' ". Last, the authors describe an associated preparedness plan module, which contains, for a given EM organization, its contingency plan and procedures to be applied during predefined stages of an emergency.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors surveyed 96 managers in six high-technology settings about their overall perceptions of contractor performance, finding that respondents perceived it to rival that of comparable employees, regardless of the amount of time the contractor spent in the client workgroup.
Abstract: "Contractors", sometimes called "job shoppers", are temporary workers from an agency "A" who perform professional work at client site "B" under the direction of the client's employees. The authors surveyed 96 managers in six high-technology settings about their overall perceptions of contractor performance, finding that respondents perceived it to rival that of comparable employees. Such perceptions of contractor performance were unaffected by the amount of time the contractor spent in the client workgroup. Also, perceived overall contractor performance was unaffected both by aggregated client measures against coemployment risk and by existence of a forced-departure rule.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the history of the commercialization of the transistor radio, Japan's first successful semiconductor product, and present a theoretical framework to compare and analyze the two products.
Abstract: In the 1950s, Japanese electronics firms moved from a technological level that seemed far behind their US and European rivals to dominate the first commercial markets for semiconductors The processes by which this happened have been little studied and are not well understood Aside from the apparent mystery of how the Japanese advanced so quickly with the technology are such related issues of importance to policymakers and managers as: did government contribute to or detract from the Japanese success? How did the major Japanese electron-tube producers, unlike their US counterparts and dominant firms in numerous other industries undergoing a major shift in technology, successfully make the transition to the new technology? This paper explores the history of the commercialization of the transistor radio, Japan's first successful semiconductor product The history is organized into a theoretical framework to help permit systematic comparison and analysis