Showing papers in "Prometheus in 2015"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explain the relationship between climate zones and innovative outputs in order to detect factors that can spur technological change and, as a consequence, human development, and show that innovative outputs are high in geographical areas with temperate climate.
Abstract: Technological innovation is a vital human activity that interacts with geographic factors and the natural environment. The purpose of the present study is to explain the relationship between climate zones and innovative outputs in order to detect factors that can spur technological change and, as a consequence, human development. The findings show that innovative outputs are high in geographical areas with temperate climate. In effect, warm temperate climates are an appropriate natural environment for humans that, by an evolutionary process of adaptation and learning, create complex societies, efficient institutions and communications systems. This socio-economic platform supports the efficient use of human capital and assets that induce inventions, innovations and their diffusion.
92 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors outline several examples of interactions among corporations, technological change, and marketing activities, which are central features of modern capitalism and provide an important theoretical basis for neoliberalism.
Abstract: Neoclassical economics dominates modern economics and provides an important theoretical basis for neoliberalism. Among its inadequacies are failure to take sufficient account either of technological change or of marketing activities, both of which are central features of modern capitalism. Neoliberals believe that the state should be confined to safeguarding individual and commercial liberty and strong property rights. But in practice, corporations’ dependence on states has been pervasive for at least 100 years. Corporations aim to secure higher profits. They lobby international organizations, as well as states, both to create conditions more favourable to their own individual interests, and also to increase the proportion of economies in which private corporations are allowed to operate. This may apply, for example, to privatization of health and education services which is not always in the public interest. This paper outlines several examples of interactions among corporations, technological change, ma...
14 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an empirical taxonomy of low and medium-technology (LMT) manufacturing firms based on the dimension of knowledge has been proposed to understand the sources and directions of innovation strategies in LMT firms and the perspectives of LMT sectors pertaining in advanced economies.
Abstract: The innovativeness of low- and medium-technology (LMT) manufacturing firms in advanced economies has been the research focus of a growing body of literature since the beginning of the last decade. This paper reviews the main research findings and highlights the largely unresolved problem in LMT research of the contradiction between the presumed homogeneity of LMT sectors because of the formal category of ‘low R&D intensity’, and the heterogeneity of the same firms in LMT sectors. To overcome this problem, the paper proposes an empirical taxonomy of innovative LMT firms based on the dimension of knowledge. To sketch out this knowledge-oriented taxonomy, the paper uses the concept of the ‘distributed knowledge base’. In this approach, four different patterns of knowledge use in LMT firms can be identified. This conceptual perspective has consequences for understanding the sources and directions of innovation strategies in LMT firms and the perspectives of LMT sectors pertaining in advanced economies, such a...
14 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, Lamberton's discussion of mindsets is extended from information sharing, cultural embeddedness and lock-in to the necessity of a mindset held by each person, change in a person's knowledge and the impact on groups of people.
Abstract: This paper theorises that a person’s mindset is a commonplace trait that has an impact in economic systems. A mindset contrasts with other theoretics which use choice and information sets to limit the economic actor’s decision-making by focusing on the description of a person’s knowledge rather than on available options. The persistent way a person thinks about the world influences their treatment of information and further development of knowledge. The mindset concept accommodates the complexity of individuals and their idiosyncrasies, whereas a standard economic approach simplifies these characteristics. In this paper, Lamberton’s discussion of mindsets is extended from information sharing, cultural embeddedness and lock-in to the necessity of a mindset held by each person, change in a person’s knowledge and the impact on groups of people. Instead of being a statement about the limited capacity of a person to think, a mindset is a consequence of history and the build-up of knowledge through disjointed e...
13 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the use of social media in disasters generates a growing need for domain-specific technological solutions that can enhance public interests as well as address the needs of both disaster managers and the a...
Abstract: Social media (SM) are fast becoming a locus of disaster-related activities that range from volunteers helping locate disaster victims to actions that are malicious and offensive, from sincere expressions of empathy towards affected communities to consuming disaster imagery for mere entertainment, from recovery support funds being collected to online marketers preying on the attention afforded to a disaster event. Because of the diversity and sheer volume of both relevant and irrelevant information circulating throughout SM, prioritising an affected population’s needs and relevant data is an increasingly complex task. In addition, SM data need to be interpreted as manifestations of social processes related to community resilience, diversity and conflict of interests, and attitudes to particular response strategies. The use of SM in disasters generates a growing need for domain-specific technological solutions that can enhance public interests as well as address the needs of both disaster managers and the a...
13 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that a range of important dynamics in knowledge systems are enhanced by generosity, and it is argued that generosity is one of the meeting points between knowledge and wisdom, and that it should become an important consideration in the knowledge policy development process.
Abstract: I pay tribute to Don Lamberton in this paper by exploring the importance of generosity in knowledge systems. The purpose of this paper is to show that a range of important dynamics in knowledge systems are enhanced by generosity. I also argue that generosity is one of the meeting points between knowledge and wisdom, and that it should become an important consideration in the knowledge policy development process. It is important that we move knowledge systems closer to wisdom if we are to respond in the best ways to such major global challenges as climate change, a fragile global financial system, the emergence of new technologies, poverty, endemic military and paramilitary conflict, and global food and water security.
12 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an autoethnographical account of the events associated with the author's redundancy from a tenured academic position at Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia is presented.
Abstract: This paper presents an autoethnographical account of the events associated with the author’s redundancy from a tenured academic position at Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. It is argued that managerialism, a social philosophy that sees the management of a university to be little different from the management of a for-profit business, provided university management with a rationale for a course of action that imposed heavy costs on individuals and undermined core academic values. The apparent weakness of the protection provided by tenure is highlighted by the mechanisms through which university management exerted control over the academic employment relationship. The cost of imposing management’s will to win at all costs corrodes valuable aspects of academic work, such as collegiality, trust and the sharing of information. The paper shows that the various mechanisms of control imposed by a university management that adheres to managerialist principles can destroy much ...
12 citations
TL;DR: Common innovation as discussed by the authors is non-business, "vernacular innovation" undertaken by the "common man or woman", which is not business, but non-conventional innovation undertaken by "common men or women".
Abstract: Peter Swann has discovered a new type of innovation – he calls it ‘common innovation’ – which is non-business, ‘vernacular innovation’ (lovely phrase, that) undertaken by the ‘common man or woman’,...
11 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate how the use of non-traditional international assignments affects knowledge creation and transfer in MNCs and hence innovation, which they construe as both idea generation and implementation.
Abstract: For many multinational corporations (MNCs), sustainable competitive advantage resides in an MNC’s ability to innovate; that is, to create new knowledge, integrate it with an existing knowledge base and exploit the resulting knowledge bundles across national borders. Traditionally, a key mechanism by which knowledge is transferred across borders and recombined works through expatriate assignments. There is, however, a growing trend towards alternative forms of international assignments, such as flexpatriates, commuters, frequent flyers and self-initiated expatriates. We ask how the use of such non-traditional international assignments affects knowledge creation and transfer in MNCs and hence innovation, which we construe as both idea generation and implementation. Our exploratory study draws on the experiences of five women living in Spain who undertook various forms of international assignment in MNCs with differing administrative heritages, working in consultancy and engineering fields. Our findings poin...
10 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the Andalusian Furniture Technology Center (CITMA) is described as a publicly funded organization with the aim of raising SME's absorption capacity by providing technological services, turning into a semi-public consulting firm focused on selling business services to big companies.
Abstract: This article analyses the design and implementation of a cluster organisation, the Andalusian Furniture Technology Centre (CITMA). The case of CITMA illustrates how policy processes are inherently political and far more complex than portrayed in conventional accounts based on the linear model of innovation. Policies are, in fact, unpredictable and fraught with uncertainty, opportunity and local specificity. However, acknowledging this complexity is not enough; it has to be unpacked to foster policy learning. To this end, we have opened the black box of the organisation to understand the political process underlying its creation and dissolution. Through this narrative, we shall witness how the technology centre, initially conceived and approved as a publicly funded organisation with the aim of raising SME’s absorption capacity by providing technological services, turned into a semi-public consulting firm focused on selling business services to big companies. The outcome of this policy was precisely the opp...
9 citations
TL;DR: The concept of "undone science" can be understood within related concepts, including ignorance, nescience, non-knowledge and the chilling effect as discussed by the authors, but when studies are undone much is lost.
Abstract: Gaps or deficits in knowledge present opportunities for new and innovative research, but when studies are undone much is lost. The concept of ‘undone science’ can be understood within related concepts, including ignorance, nescience, non-knowledge and the chilling effect. The Tasmanian devil cancer, devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), is a new and novel cancer, potentially providing many opportunities for innovative research. The contagious cancer hypothesis for DFTD is also novel. In the research it has sponsored, the Tasmanian government elected to follow this pathway, neglecting an alternative plausible hypothesis that toxins in the devils’ environment may have played a role in the initiation or progression of the cancer. The studies were not viewed as opportunities to fill gaps in devil cancer knowledge, and remain undone.
TL;DR: The development of the knowledge-based theory of internationalisation, driven particularly by early research at the University of Uppsala, led by Sune Carlson, is described in this paper.
Abstract: This paper charts the development of the knowledge-based theory of internationalisation, driven particularly by early research at the University of Uppsala, led by Sune Carlson. Information and knowledge, allied with an interest in the associated effect on risk and uncertainty, were components of a process perspective. Its essence was a focus on the restraining effects of a lack of knowledge as decision-makers contemplated international market entry or expansion requiring a commitment of resources in various forms, in different types of foreign operations (such as exporting, licensing and foreign direct investment). Lack of knowledge of a prospective foreign market (of its characteristics, culture, ways of doing business) was seen to create uncertainty so that firm decision-makers would be less prepared to commit resources. This situation was bound to change as a firm conducted operations in the foreign market and acquired experiential knowledge (learning by doing), which made the foreign market less of a...
TL;DR: In this paper, a typology of roles researchers take on in order to make academic knowledge useful is presented. But the typology does not consider the role of individual researchers and research groups in knowledge creation.
Abstract: One of the key research and policy problems in innovation studies is the development of tools for understanding and measuring the impact of academic research on society. The paper contributes to resolving this problem by providing a typology that helps us to understand and analyse the roles researchers take on in order to make academic knowledge useful. A key finding is that utility creation is context dependent and varies between individual researchers and research groups. Attempts to measure impact ought therefore to allow for diversity with regard to the individual researcher or research group in the context of knowledge creation.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an insight into the economic forces shaping innovation and technological change in the global aerospace industry, driven by heavy subsidies from governments in advanced countries in the US and Europe.
Abstract: This book provides an insight into the economic forces shaping innovation and technological change in the global aerospace industry. Driven by heavy subsidies from governments in advanced countries...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined how each type of funding source is related to the quantity and quality of academic research output and found that after controlling for unobserved heterogeneity from each research laboratory, all types of research funding are similarly related to both the count of publications and citations.
Abstract: This paper uses detailed data on funding information and research output from the Agricultural University of Athens to examine how each type of funding source is related to the quantity and quality of academic research output. Of special interest are private, Greek government and European Union sources of funding. We find that after controlling for unobserved heterogeneity from each research laboratory, all types of research funding are similarly related to both the count of publications and citations. Further, we find that research laboratories that have filed for at least one patent application produce more publications and citations to their work, indicating that laboratories that are close to industry are also engaged actively in research.
TL;DR: The industrial revolution depended upon a system of individual property rights which was unusually capable of forcing self-interest to serve the public good as well as discussed by the authors, and this system led to unprecedented growth of wealth, primarily because it encouraged technological innovation.
Abstract: The industrial revolution depended upon a system of individual property rights which was unusually capable of forcing self-interest to serve the public good as well. This system led to unprecedented growth of wealth, primarily because it encouraged technological innovation. Over time, however, the laws of property (notably those relating to the corporation and to information protection) were captured by those who could benefit from them. In particular, financiers were released from the disciplines which had applied to them since the invention of money, and this made investment in financial innovation more attractive than technology. During the first part of the industrial revolution, growth in credit meant growth in wealth, but there is now a mass of empirical evidence that this correlation has turned negative. A series of proposals for reversing this trend is offered, specifically changes in corporation law and new means for protection of information. These include measuring grants of privilege by money ...
TL;DR: The authors found that a majority of scientists follow referees' instructions rather than refute them in peer review and that conformity occurs more frequently in biology than in medicine and agriculture, when authors are in strong scientific competition, if authors are associate professors rather than full professors, and if authors have no foreign research experience, and in low-impact journals rather than in medium-imp...
Abstract: Honesty in scientific publication is critical for scientific advancement, but dishonesty is commonly and increasingly observed in misconduct and other questionable practices. Focusing on dishonest conformity in peer review, in which authors unwillingly obey referees’ instructions in order to have their papers accepted even if the instructions contradict the authors’ scientific belief, the current study aims to investigate the determinants of dishonesty. Drawing on survey data of Japanese life scientists, this study shows that the conflict between authors and referees in peer review is common. A majority of scientists follow referees’ instructions rather than refute them. The results suggest that conformity occurs more frequently (1) in biology than in medicine and agriculture, (2) when authors are in strong scientific competition, (3) if authors are associate professors rather than full professors, (4) if authors have no foreign research experience, and (5) in low-impact journals rather than in medium-imp...
TL;DR: In this paper, the idea of the academic as a master craftsman is developed to explore this important yet often neglected aspect of Don Lamberton's working life, who invited and encouraged followers to join with him in a quest to appreciate and understand the role of information in the economy.
Abstract: Don Lamberton’s enthusiasm for the study of information economics has played an influential role in many academic careers. This paper searches for those attributes that distinguish Don Lamberton as an influential academic. Lamberton’s influence was not solely grounded in the ideas that he promoted; it was also evident in the way he practiced his scholarly craft. The idea of the academic as a master craftsman is developed to explore this important yet often neglected aspect of Don Lamberton’s working life. He was a master craftsman who invited and encouraged followers to join with him in a quest to appreciate and understand the role of information in the economy.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the analysis of information at the macro level, starting with the ill-fated information sector studies and leading on to current attempts to use neoclassical economics to measure macro-level capital stocks in the context of the debate about sustainable development, also known as wealth accounting.
Abstract: Don Lamberton asked many questions about the nature and role of information, without expecting to be able to provide tidy or neat answers. The issues he raised have not gone away or been resolved. Some have re-appeared in modified or new form. This paper first focuses on the analysis of information at the macro-level, starting with the ill-fated ‘information sector’ studies and leading on to current attempts to use neoclassical economics to measure macro-level capital stocks in the context of the debate about sustainable development, also known as ‘wealth accounting’. Wealth accounting has no place for information-as-capital that goes beyond very primitive proxy measures for intangible capital other than human capital. Often, information-as-capital is neglected completely by denoting such capital stocks as ‘enabling assets’ that are assumed to be reflected in what turn out to be unmeasurable shadow prices. Next, an issue mostly neglected by Don Lamberton is discussed – the normative assessment of informat...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors give an interpretation of Antigone from political philosophy which depicts Antigeone rocking an ideological boat harboured by the polis, which results in unexpected losses in the oikos.
Abstract: Dissent and assent contribute to new information and knowledge in that they foster ideas, avert errors and counter misplaced beliefs. Although intended to facilitate progress, innovation and creativity, dissent may be opposed by the closed mind and defensive mindset. Don Lamberton encountered a specific mindset in his own duties to scholarship in economics. Thus, the perspective of dissent is a fitting way to pay homage to his scholarship. However, this paper is also a lament. It gives an interpretation of Antigone from political philosophy which depicts Antigone rocking an ideological boat harboured by the polis. The silencing of Antigone’s voice results in unexpected losses in the oikos. This is the sort of tragedy threatening critical and innovative scholarship in the twenty-first century.
TL;DR: The Productivity Commission has been given a shorter time frame (one year) and a broader remit (all intellectual property) by the Productivity Review Committee (PRC) as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In 1984, Don Lamberton wrote a two-page disclaimer to a review of the Australian patent system, pointing out that there was nothing economic about the review and that it simply pandered to special interest groups. Some 30 years later, the Productivity Commission has been given a shorter time frame (one year) and a broader remit (all intellectual property). This paper reviews the issues addressed in the Industrial Property Advisory Committee (IPAC) review of 1984. Since it was completed, substantially more empirical evidence has become available, while room for policy improvement has been curtailed by international trade treaties. While the Productivity Commission will take a sound economic approach, the breadth of its remit may prevent full appreciation of the critical issues in patent policy. This paper considers the options remaining to the Commission to recommend improvements in the national interest. Whether these will be taken up depends on the priority given to the interests of small but powerful lo...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore a model-centred approach to augment the development and refinement of the theory of emergence, focusing on the relational process of leadership as an emergent event in complex human organisations.
Abstract: This paper explores a model-centred approach to augment the development and refinement of the theory of emergence. Its focus is on the relational process of leadership as an emergent event in complex human organisations. Emergence in complex organisations is a growing field of inquiry with many remaining research opportunities, yet a number of its central themes continue to be loosely connected to practical application and reliant on equivocal translations from root meaning. This paper offers a novel model of semantic conceptualisation of theory and phenomena with simulations to strengthen the theory–model–phenomenon link, building on the work of previous authors. Strengthening this link yields numerous applications, including making sense of complex organisational dynamics and supporting a wide range of theory-building research methods in applied social science and interdisciplinary research. The paper begins with a reflection on the main ideas of the theory of emergence, followed by discussion on preval...
TL;DR: In this article, a focus on agricultural development policy in the Pacific region, the authors use a number of propositions that are suggested by Lamberton to analyse contemporary development initiatives in Pacific Island agriculture.
Abstract: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been associated with development programmes for many decades. A theme of Lamberton’s commentary on such initiatives focuses on the lack of attention given to information as a key factor in the development process. His writing reiterated a number of arguments that he saw as being fundamental to the application of an information perspective to development issues. With a focus on agricultural development policy in the Pacific region, the paper uses a number of propositions that are suggested by Lamberton to analyse contemporary development initiatives in Pacific Island agriculture. These propositions focus attention on information costs that can influence the transfer of information and development of knowledge. Document analysis of selected published sources from a Pacific Island development programme are reviewed to illustrate the significance of information costs for development processes. The paper addresses the contention between traditional authori...
TL;DR: The concept of knowledge management has become a very popular and well-known topic in the literature as mentioned in this paper, and it is common to witness the considerable attention, appreciation and reverence dedicated to the notion of knowledge.
Abstract: We live in societies in which it is common to witness the considerable attention, appreciation and reverence dedicated to the notion of knowledge. Knowledge management has become a very popular and...
TL;DR: In this paper, the pro-patent bias of the European Patent Office (EPO) in the tomato II case is discussed. But the issue is not the patentability of native traits and genes, but the fact that these new patents, the volume of which is constantly increasing, are blocking patents and cannot be circumvented by resort to cross-licensing agreements.
Abstract: The growing criticism of patentability of native traits and genes (of plants obtained by traditional cross-breeding methods of species with the use of molecular biology methods) prompts questions about the constant erosion of boundaries in the field of non-patentability, which has been denounced by authoritative legal writers. But the issue currently at stake is even more worrisome, insofar as these new patents, the volume of which is constantly increasing, are blocking patents and cannot be expected to be circumvented by resort to cross-licensing agreements. Relying on the position expressly adopted by the European Patent Office (EPO) president in the Tomato II case, this paper brings to light the pro-patent bias that affects the functioning of the European patent system. It shows that this troubling phenomenon is rooted in governance issues. Above all, it stresses a deeper factor, namely the dual ideology of an exchange society and of science and technology (the logic of progress) that has dramatically ...
TL;DR: Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap (VFF) as mentioned in this paper is the latest in the series of very short, fairly interesting and reasonably cheap books for knowledge management.
Abstract: This is the latest in the series of Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap books. Its topic is knowledge management. It is indeed very short. It can be read cover-to-cover within a few...
TL;DR: The modern university is now a busy place. It is characterised by bureaucracy, internationalisation, a profit orientation and specialisation in terms of the disciplines it is prepared to support.
Abstract: The modern university is now a busy place. It is characterised by bureaucracy, internationalisation, a profit orientation and specialisation in terms of the disciplines it is prepared to support. U...
TL;DR: The authors traces the evolution of regional economics from information economics to evolutionary economics, and illustrates the influence of Don's influence throughout the evolution process, illustrating how his subsequent influence directly helped me follow my dreams, passions and interests.
Abstract: When I first met Don, I was already an established research fellow in regional economics. Don’s subsequent influence directly helped me follow my dreams, passions and interests. Thus, my academic career grew, developed and transformed from regional economics, to information economics, and eventually to evolutionary economics. This reflection traces that evolving process, illustrating Don’s influence throughout.