Ownership at stake (once again): housing, digital contents, animals and robots

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Nasarre-Aznar

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the questioning around the current suitability of ownership both for accessing to certain property (housing, to be more specific) and chattels (digital contents, animals and autonomous robots) that have recently flourished, favored by technological advances and the change in the values of the millennials’ in a context of crisis. Design/methodology/approach The process of substitution (e.g. through alternative housing tenures, such as intermediate tenures and collaborative housing, licensing digital contents) or erosion/elimination (e.g. owning animals and robots, tokenization through blockchain) of ownership through key types of property and chattels. Findings Ownership, both of land and goods, is again at the stake. Technological advances and/or new values of millennials in a context of crisis have led to questioning the suitability of ownership to favor universal access to housing, of holding music and other digital contents, have limited the faculties of animals’ and pets’ owners and are favoring the evolution of autonomous robots into subjects of law rather than mere objects. Research limitations/implications Only key property (housing) and chattels are studied (digital contents, animals, robots). There is no broad study of the global current situation of ownership. Practical implications It is discussed how the changes of values and technological advances in a context of crisis have impacted in the strength and reliability of ownership to allow access to property and chattels. Social implications These changes in ownership change how we can access to property (housing) and to chattels (digital media) and even to changes in what is considered “object” such as what is happening in Europe with animals and robots. Originality/value This is a new approach to consequences of the crisis in the field of housing (fractioning of ownership -temporal and shared ownership-, collaborative economy) and a change of values in the new millennial generation (animals) in this context and owing to the advance of the new technologies (robots). Is ownership again at the stake?

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-301
Author(s):  
Kevin Doughty ◽  
David Godfrey ◽  
Billy Mulvihill

PurposeThis paper critically reviews the motivations for introducing different connected healthcare to support Assisted Living in older and other vulnerable groups. The aim is to develop a new approach that will be sustainable in the future.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology involves a consideration of assessment criteria currently being employed and the resulting costs and limitations in providing a person centred approach. The implications of introducing new technologies such as plesiocare and mCare are then considered.FindingsIt was found that one of the most cost‐effective applications of technology is in the support of informal carers but the telecare equipment that they are offered may not be the most appropriate.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are limited by a lack of formal risk assessments that are person centred. The implications include the need for improved training in assessment processes and access to a wider inventory of technologies.Practical implicationsExisting telecare services will need to change in order to adopt more plesiocare and self‐care approaches and to engage more actively in the development of models based on mcare.Social implicationsGovernments and health ministries may achieve better and lower cost support for their ageing population by adopting a model that includes multiple layers of technology, including easier access to self‐care and mCare technologies.Originality/valueThis paper includes the first discussion on plesiocare and its relative advantages over telecare in supporting informal carers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 15-17
Author(s):  
Graham Cole

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Heightened competition has become the norm for most organizations operating in the current business climate. Globalization is often cited as a key reason for this. The seemingly incessant emergence of new technologies is another. In the face of such developments, markets evolve accordingly. With firms facing increasingly tougher challenges, the spotlight on employees has intensified. The extent of technological advances means that work is no longer wholly defined by conventional boundaries of space and time. For many people, normal working hours have become something of an anachronism. The advent of the smartphone is especially significant in this respect. An increasing number of employees are now using these and other similar devices to routinely perform workplace duties in their own time. Practical implications The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachna Sharma ◽  
Alka Goel

Purpose The paper focused onto the development of microcapsules by using two essential oils. It proposes the uses of eucalyptus oil and cedarwood oil as a natural insecticide. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the application of developed microcapsules to impart insect repellency on textile substrate. Design/methodology/approach The paper opted for an experimental study using two essential oils and gum in formations of microcapsules through a simple coaseravtion encapsulation technique. The developed solution was analyzed, including confirmation of size and structure through. Application of developed finish on substrate was also undertaken to prove better ability as repellent fabric. Findings The paper highlights useful invention of microencapsulated fabric developed with the combination of gum acacia and eucalyptus oil as core and shell material. The developed fabric has better ability to repel silverfish as compared to microencapsulated fabric developed with gum acacia (shell) and cedarwood oil (core). Research limitations/implications Due to the lack of time and less availability of essential oils, only two oils were used to test the insect repellent behavior. Practical implications This paper fulfills an identified need, it includes implications for the development of a very useful natural insecticide to repel silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) insect. This insect is a very common problem found in cloth wardrobes and bookshelves; it mainly attacks the fabric with cellulosic content and starch. Social implications Society will get major benefit of using these microencapsulated finished fabrics, which repel silverfish from their home and keep their clothing and books safe for longer period. The natural fragrance and medicinal benefits of these essential oils can never be ignored. Originality/value This study sets a new approach to repel insects like silverfish from the bookshelves and clothing wardrobes. A layer of insect repellent microencapsulated finished fabric can be added in these shelves and wardrobes. It is an eco-friendly approach of using natural essential oils instead of chemical insecticides.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 1598-1612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Winnard ◽  
Jacquetta Lee ◽  
David Skipp

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report the results of testing a new approach to strategic sustainability and resilience – Sustainable Resilient Strategic Decision-Support (SuReSDS™). Design/methodology/approach The approach was developed and tested using action-research case studies at industrial companies. It successfully allowed the participants to capture different types of value affected by their choices, optimise each strategy’s resilience against different future scenarios and compare the results to find a “best” option. Findings SuReSDS™ enabled a novel integration of environmental and social sustainability into strategy by considering significant risks or opportunities for an enhanced group of stakeholders. It assisted users to identify and manage risks from different kinds of sustainability-related uncertainty by applying resilience techniques. Users incorporated insights into real-world strategies. Research limitations/implications Since the case studies and test organisations are limited in number, generalisation from the results is difficult and requires further research. Practical implications The approach enables companies to utilise in-house and external experts more effectively to develop sustainable and resilient strategies. Originality/value The research described develops theories linking sustainability and resilience for organisations, particularly for strategy, to provide a new consistent, rigorous and flexible approach for applying these theories. The approach has been tested successfully and benefited real-world strategy decisions.


Author(s):  
Xiaolong Lu ◽  
Shiping Zhao ◽  
Xiaoyu Liu ◽  
Yishu Wang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and development of “Pylon-Climber II”, a 5-DOF biped climbing robot (degree of freedom – DOF) for moving on the external surface of a tower and assisting the electricians to complete some maintenance tasks. Design/methodology/approach The paper introduces a pole-climbing robot, which consists of a 5-DOF mechanical arm and two novel grippers. The gripper is composed of a two-finger clamping module and a retractable L-shaped hook module. The robot is symmetrical in structure, and the rotary joint for connecting two arms is driven by a linear drive mechanism. Findings The developed prototype proved a new approach for the inspection and maintenance of the electricity pylon. The gripper can reliably grasp the angle bars with different specifications by using combined movement of the two-finger clamping module and the retractable L-shaped hook module and provide sufficient adhesion force for the Pylon-Climber II. Practical implications The clamping experiments of the gripper and the climbing experiments of the robot were carried out on a test tower composed of some angle bars with different specification. Originality/value This paper includes the design and development of a 5-DOF biped climbing robot for electricity pylon maintenance. The climbing robot can move on the external surface of the electric power tower through grasping the angle bar alternatively. The gripper that is composed of a two-finger gripping module and a retractable L-shaped hook module is very compact and can provide reliable adhesion force for the climbing robot.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 809-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Breidbach ◽  
Sunmee Choi ◽  
Benjamin Ellway ◽  
Byron W. Keating ◽  
Katerina Kormusheva ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the history and future of service operations, with the goal to identify key theoretical and technological advances, as well as fundamental themes that can help to imagine the future of service operations in 2050. Design/methodology/approach A review of the service operations literature was undertaken to inform a discussion regarding the role that technology will play in the future of service operations. Findings The future of service operations is framed in terms of three key themes – complexity, orchestration, and elasticity. The paper makes three contributions to the service science literature by: reviewing key themes underpinning extant service operations research to frame future trajectories of service operations research; elaborating a vision of service operations in 2050 based on history and technology; and outlining a research agenda for future service operations. Practical implications The case of service automation is used to provide an illustration of how the three themes converge to define future service operations, and in particular, to show how technology is recasting the role of the firm. Originality/value Service operations in the next 30 years will be very different from what it was in the past 30 years. This paper differs from other review papers by identifying three key themes that will characterize and instill new insights into the future of service operations research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-607
Author(s):  
Werner H. Kunz ◽  
Gianfranco Walsh

PurposeDigital media has revolutionized societies and changed forever how we do business. This paper aims to determine the current scope of service research in the area of digital media, identifying research gaps and introducing new research contributions to complement our knowledge of digital media.Design/methodology/approachBased on all service articles of the SERVSIG literature alert system from 2016 to 2019, a subset of digital media articles was identified and latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) text-mining methods were used on the abstracts and titles of the articles for topic modeling of the field. Dominant research topics were identified and depicted in a two-dimensional space.FindingsThe study identifies eight distinct topic areas of digital media in service research and shows their relationship to each other in a two-dimensional space. A clear tendency in service research towards taking primarily a customer (versus business perspective) of digital media can be observed. Further, for some journals, a trend towards specialization on particular topics could be detected.Research limitations/implicationsThis article advocates for more digital media research with a stronger business perspective. Further, although particular new technologies are exciting to discuss, it seems that the importance of customer relationship topics in digital media is not reflected in the current digital media research as needed.Originality/valueThe article uses a quantitative–explorative approach to determine the current state of research in regard to digital media in services. The authors introduce 11 new studies that aim to close the knowledge gap in critical areas of digital media.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 4-6 ◽  

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – In 2015, there was no shortage of new, disruptive technologies threatening existing media and platforms. However, there were also many new forms where the use of new technologies was not immediately obvious. Straddling both of these spheres were Twitter’s Periscope and its rival Meerkat, which offered users something very simple – to broadcast. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 434-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanbin Wang ◽  
Robert Blache ◽  
Xun Xu

Purpose This study aims to review the existing methods for additive manufacturing (AM) process selection and evaluate their suitability for design for additive manufacturing (DfAM). AM has experienced a rapid development in recent years. New technologies, machines and service bureaus are being brought into the market at an exciting rate. While user’s choices are in abundance, finding the right choice can be a non-trivial task. Design/methodology/approach AM process selection methods are reviewed based on decision theory. The authors also examine how the user’s preferences and AM process performances are considered and approximated into mathematical models. The pros and cons and the limitations of these methods are discussed, and a new approach has been proposed to support the iterating process of DfAM. Findings All current studies follow a sequential decision process and focus on an “a priori” articulation of preferences approach. This kind of method has limitations for the user in the early design stage to implement the DfAM process. An “a posteriori” articulation of preferences approach is proposed to support DfAM and an iterative design process. Originality/value This paper reviews AM process selection methods in a new perspective. The users need to be aware of the underlying assumptions in these methods. The limitations of these methods for DfAM are discussed, and a new approach for AM process selection is proposed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-336
Author(s):  
Kevin Peter Fiori ◽  
Jennifer Schechter ◽  
Sesso Christophe Gbeleou ◽  
Sandra Braganza ◽  
Joseph Rhatigan ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the authors’ experience operationalizing the care delivery value chain (CDVC) as a management and continuous quality improvement (QI) approach to strengthen HIV/AIDS services provided in Northern Togo through addressing gaps across a care continuum. Design/methodology/approach The authors led a series of discussions to develop a CDVC specific to existing HIV/AIDS services in Northern Togo. Using the CDVC framework, 28 specific gaps in service delivery were identified and integrated into a strategic QI plan. Findings At 12 months, 92 percent of delivery gaps had demonstrated improvement. The CDVC framework proved to be valuable in the following ways. First, it facilitated the first comprehensive mapping of HIV/AIDS services in the Kara region of Togo. Second, it enabled the identification of gaps or insufficiencies in the currently available services across the full continuum of care. Third, it catalyzed the creation of a strategic QI plan based on identified gaps. Research limitations/implications This case description is the authors’ experience in one setting and should not be considered comparative in nature. Furthermore, the approach described may not be applicable to all initiatives and/or organizations. As described, the lack of sophisticated and comprehensive data collection systems limited the authors’ ability to collect reliable data on some of the QI initiatives planned. Practical implications The operationalization of the CDVC framework is an effective approach to drive continuous QI. Originality/value Through the operationalization of the CDVC, the authors developed a new approach for assessing existing services, identifying gaps in service delivery and directing continuous QI initiatives in a strategic manner.


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