A cognition-driven framework for the evaluation of startups in the digital economy

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 2327-2347
Author(s):  
Jéssica C.M. Simões ◽  
Fernando A.F. Ferreira ◽  
Marta Peris-Ortiz ◽  
João J.M. Ferreira

PurposeCapital restrictions normally exist in the creation of a startup, requiring investors to analyze funding alternatives in a highly competitive climate. Although different types of incentives to support startups exist, these incentives are only available to those companies that fulfill the requirements of the funding program to which they have applied. Due to social and economic changes introduced by the digital economy, however, existing mechanisms for assessing the potential growth of startups are scarce, outdated or simply incomplete, distorting the results of such evaluations.Design/methodology/approachEvaluating business opportunities and how to exploit them are critical activities for an entrepreneur. This study sought to address this issue through the combined use of cognitive mapping and the Decision EXpert (DEX) technique. Assuming a constructivist stance, the study brought together a panel of experienced entrepreneurs and business investors to identify and articulate the criteria to be considered in the evaluation and classification of startups.FindingsThe evaluation system created in this study was tested, and the results were validated by the expert panel on a collective basis, demonstrating that the dual methodology used can increase our understanding of the decision problem at hand and lead to more informed and potentially better evaluations of the potential growth of startups.Originality/valueThe authors know of no prior work reporting the integrated use of cognitive mapping and DEX in this study context.

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 480-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana M. Gonçalves ◽  
Fernando A.F. Ferreira ◽  
João J.M. Ferreira ◽  
Luís M.C. Farinha

PurposeSmall- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become increasingly important in national and international markets because they contribute to the development of local and national economies. SMEs often face serious challenges when competing with multinational companies. The purpose of this paper is to develop a method for assessing SMEs’ competitiveness.Design/methodology/approachBased on a constructivist epistemology, this study makes an integrated use of cognitive mapping and the measuring attractiveness by a categorical-based evaluation technique (MACBETH). To this end, face-to-face sessions were conducted with a panel of entrepreneurs and senior managers who deal with the challenges of maintaining SME competitiveness every day. The proposed assessment system was tested and validated by the panel members.FindingsThe methodological processes adopted in this study provide promising results for decision makers seeking to identify the most competitive SMEs. Specifically, the results emphasize, among other points, the importance of innovation and the human dimension to gaining competitive advantages.Research limitations/implicationsThe evaluation system developed in this study is extremely versatile and confirms the usefulness of integrating cognitive mapping and MACBETH to facilitate evaluations of SME competitiveness. However, due to its idiosyncratic and process-oriented nature, generalizations need to be done with caution.Practical implicationsThe proposed method can be valuable to researchers seeking to develop mechanisms for evaluating SMEs’ entrepreneurial performance and include specialized know-how and sensemaking in organizational decision-making processes.Originality/valueThe integrated use of cognitive maps and MACBETH contributes to a better understanding of how to assess SMEs’ competitiveness. No prior work reporting the use of this dual methodology in this study context has been found.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 696-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catarina Grillo ◽  
Fernando A.F. Ferreira ◽  
Carla S.E. Marques ◽  
João J. Ferreira

Purpose The 2008 global financial crisis showed that the ability to innovate is a key management skill and that approaches to assessing the innovation capability of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to be as realistic as possible. This study aims to address the latter practical need through a sociotechnical approach. Design/methodology/approach Based on a combined use of cognitive mapping and the Decision EXpert (DEX) technique, and grounded on the insights generated by a panel of SME managers and entrepreneurs in two intensive group meetings, a knowledge-based assessment system for evaluating SMEs’ innovation capability was created, tested and validated. Findings The knowledge-based assessment system identified the most innovative SMEs in a sample of companies. The “plus-minus-1” and dominance analyses carried out provided further support for the results. Research limitations/implications The proposed system is extremely versatile but process-oriented and idiosyncratic in nature, meaning that extrapolations to other contexts need to be done with due caution. Practical implications The panel of SME decision makers agreed that the system improves the current methods used to evaluate SMEs’ innovation capability, contributing to a more informed perspective on management issues. The panel members also noted that the proposed system functions as a learning mechanism, facilitating the development of well-focused suggestions for improvements SMEs can make. Originality/value The integrated use of cognitive maps and rule-base decisions contributes to a better understanding of how to assess SMEs’ innovation capability. No prior work reporting the integrated use of these two techniques in this study context has been found.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 1365-1383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernardo M.S. Castela ◽  
Fernando A.F. Ferreira ◽  
João J.M. Ferreira ◽  
Carla S.E. Marques

Purpose The aftermath of the recent financial crisis has shown that the ability to innovate is a vital management skill and that the methodologies used to evaluate innovation capability within small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should be as holistic and integrative as possible. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue through the combined use of cognitive mapping and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Design/methodology/approach Cognitive mapping and multiple criteria decision analysis have proved over the years to be effective in handling a wide range of complex decision problems. Following a socio-technical approach, a non-parametric method of evaluating SME innovation capability – based on the results of group meetings with a panel of information technology entrepreneurs and SME chief executive officers – was created, tested and validated. Findings The methodological processes adopted in this study provide promising results for decision makers seeking to identify the most innovative SMEs. Furthermore, the sensitivity analyses carried out also supported the findings. Research limitations/implications This study confirms the usefulness of integrating cognitive mapping and the AHP to facilitate evaluations of SME innovation capability. However, due to the process-oriented nature of the research, extrapolations without proper adjustments are not recommended. Practical implications The panel members who participated in this study consider the proposal extremely versatile and see great potential for further applications in the measurement of SME innovation capability. Originality/value The combined use of cognitive mapping and the AHP offers a holistic and well-informed perspective on the issue in question. The authors know of no prior work reporting this approach in the same research context.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-53
Author(s):  
Ibragimova Gulirano ◽  
Husnuddinova Dilorom ◽  
Akhmatova Khurshida ◽  
Shodibekova Dildor

Recent economic changes have developed via modern technological prospective. Consistent measures for the development of digital economy are being implemented gradual introduction of e-commerce systems for electronic document flows and service of individuals. However, find solutions for the lack of a unified information and technology platform, which integrates the centralized information by just one digital economic reform in world regions. After the global financial crisis of 2001–2009 years, digital industries have been amid the most dynamic and promising in the global economy. However, equilibrium is lacked of benefits and risks in the digital economy around the world, which explains the need for global governance in this sphere. In this article authors analyzed main role and characteristics of digital economy around average income countries. Generally, reviewing define the key characteristics of this sector, as well as highlight the challenges to international cooperation. Modern approaches on legal entities is being implemented in Uzbekistan for further development.


1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuf Ersşahin ◽  
Saffet Mutluer ◽  
Sevgül Kocaman ◽  
Eren Demirtasş

Object. The authors reviewed and analyzed information on 74 patients with split spinal cord malformations (SSCMs) treated between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1996 at their institution with the aim of defining and classifying the malformations according to the method of Pang, et al. Methods. Computerized tomography myelography was superior to other radiological tools in defining the type of SSCM. There were 46 girls (62%) and 28 boys (38%) ranging in age from less than 1 day to 12 years (mean 33.08 months). The mean age (43.2 months) of the patients who exhibited neurological deficits and orthopedic deformities was significantly older than those (8.2 months) without deficits (p = 0.003). Fifty-two patients had a single Type I and 18 patients a single Type II SSCM; four patients had composite SSCMs. Sixty-two patients had at least one associated spinal lesion that could lead to spinal cord tethering. After surgery, the majority of the patients remained stable and clinical improvement was observed in 18 patients. Conclusions. The classification of SSCMs proposed by Pang, et al., will eliminate the current chaos in terminology. In all SSCMs, either a rigid or a fibrous septum was found to transfix the spinal cord. There was at least one unrelated lesion that caused tethering of the spinal cord in 85% of the patients. The risk of neurological deficits resulting from SSCMs increases with the age of the patient; therefore, all patients should be surgically treated when diagnosed, especially before the development of orthopedic and neurological manifestations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bull

Purpose – Information and communications technology (ICT) offers a peculiar twenty-first century conundrum, as it offers both a cause and solution to rising carbon emissions. The growth in the digital economy is fueling increased energy consumption while affording new opportunities for reducing the environmental impacts of our daily lives. This paper responds and builds on Patrignani and Whitehouse’s overview of Slow Tech by providing examples of how ICT can be used to reduce energy. Encouraging examples are provided from the field of energy and buildings and implications for wider society are raised. Design/methodology/approach – This paper builds on the previous overview “The Clean Side of Slow Tech”, based on a comprehensive knowledge of literature of the latest developments in the field of digital economy, energy and sustainability. Findings – This paper provides clear and encouraging signs of how ICT can be used to contribute to sustainability through controlling systems more efficiently, facilitating behavioural changes and reducing energy consumption. Future challenges and recommendations for future research are presented. Originality/value – This conceptual paper presents the latest research into the use of ICT in energy reduction and offers cautious, but encouraging signs that while the environmental impact of ICT must not be overlooked, there are benefits to be had from the digital economy.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-74
Author(s):  
Yufeng Ma ◽  
Long Xia ◽  
Wenqi Shen ◽  
Mi Zhou ◽  
Weiguo Fan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is automatic classification of TV series reviews based on generic categories. Design/methodology/approach What the authors mainly applied is using surrogate instead of specific roles or actors’ name in reviews to make reviews more generic. Besides, feature selection techniques and different kinds of classifiers are incorporated. Findings With roles’ and actors’ names replaced by generic tags, the experimental result showed that it can generalize well to agnostic TV series as compared with reviews keeping the original names. Research limitations/implications The model presented in this paper must be built on top of an already existed knowledge base like Baidu Encyclopedia. Such database takes lots of work. Practical implications Like in digital information supply chain, if reviews are part of the information to be transported or exchanged, then the model presented in this paper can help automatically identify individual review according to different requirements and help the information sharing. Originality/value One originality is that the authors proposed the surrogate-based approach to make reviews more generic. Besides, they also built a review data set of hot Chinese TV series, which includes eight generic category labels for each review.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.S. Sreejith

Purpose – Explains why performance evaluation designed for manufacturers is inappropriate for information technology organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Underlines the distinctiveness of the information technology workforce and provides the basis for an effective performance- evaluation system designed for these workers. Findings – Highlights the roles of consensus and transparency in setting and modifying evaluation criteria. Practical implications – Urges the need for a fair and open rewards and recognition system to run in parallel with reformed performance evaluation. Social implications – Provides a way of updating performance evaluation systems to take account of the move from manufacturing to information technology-based jobs in many developed and developing societies. Originality/value – Reveals how best to recognize, reward and assess the performance of information technology workers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajit Nair ◽  
Santosh Vishwakarma ◽  
Mukesh Soni ◽  
Tejas Patel ◽  
Shubham Joshi

Purpose The latest 2019 coronavirus (COVID-2019), which first appeared in December 2019 in Wuhan's city in China, rapidly spread around the world and became a pandemic. It has had a devastating impact on daily lives, the public's health and the global economy. The positive cases must be identified as soon as possible to avoid further dissemination of this disease and swift care of patients affected. The need for supportive diagnostic instruments increased, as no specific automated toolkits are available. The latest results from radiology imaging techniques indicate that these photos provide valuable details on the virus COVID-19. User advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and radiological imagery can help diagnose this condition accurately and help resolve the lack of specialist doctors in isolated areas. In this research, a new paradigm for automatic detection of COVID-19 with bare chest X-ray images is displayed. Images are presented. The proposed model DarkCovidNet is designed to provide correct binary classification diagnostics (COVID vs no detection) and multi-class (COVID vs no results vs pneumonia) classification. The implemented model computed the average precision for the binary and multi-class classification of 98.46% and 91.352%, respectively, and an average accuracy of 98.97% and 87.868%. The DarkNet model was used in this research as a classifier for a real-time object detection method only once. A total of 17 convolutionary layers and different filters on each layer have been implemented. This platform can be used by the radiologists to verify their initial application screening and can also be used for screening patients through the cloud. Design/methodology/approach This study also uses the CNN-based model named Darknet-19 model, and this model will act as a platform for the real-time object detection system. The architecture of this system is designed in such a way that they can be able to detect real-time objects. This study has developed the DarkCovidNet model based on Darknet architecture with few layers and filters. So before discussing the DarkCovidNet model, look at the concept of Darknet architecture with their functionality. Typically, the DarkNet architecture consists of 5 pool layers though the max pool and 19 convolution layers. Assume as a convolution layer, and as a pooling layer. Findings The work discussed in this paper is used to diagnose the various radiology images and to develop a model that can accurately predict or classify the disease. The data set used in this work is the images bases on COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 taken from the various sources. The deep learning model named DarkCovidNet is applied to the data set, and these have shown signification performance in the case of binary classification and multi-class classification. During the multi-class classification, the model has shown an average accuracy 98.97% for the detection of COVID-19, whereas in a multi-class classification model has achieved an average accuracy of 87.868% during the classification of COVID-19, no detection and Pneumonia. Research limitations/implications One of the significant limitations of this work is that a limited number of chest X-ray images were used. It is observed that patients related to COVID-19 are increasing rapidly. In the future, the model on the larger data set which can be generated from the local hospitals will be implemented, and how the model is performing on the same will be checked. Originality/value Deep learning technology has made significant changes in the field of AI by generating good results, especially in pattern recognition. A conventional CNN structure includes a convolution layer that extracts characteristics from the input using the filters it applies, a pooling layer that reduces calculation efficiency and the neural network's completely connected layer. A CNN model is created by integrating one or more of these layers, and its internal parameters are modified to accomplish a specific mission, such as classification or object recognition. A typical CNN structure has a convolution layer that extracts features from the input with the filters it applies, a pooling layer to reduce the size for computational performance and a fully connected layer, which is a neural network. A CNN model is created by combining one or more such layers, and its internal parameters are adjusted to accomplish a particular task, such as classification or object recognition.


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