Structural process model of absorptive capacity for stakeholder’s integration in decision-making: dynamic capability perspective

Purpose This paper aims to present empirical test to analyse a structural process model based on the constructs of absorptive capacity considering sustainability aspects. It integrates dynamic capability perspective to strengthen the existing literature. Findings of the study may help organisations to renovate business processes related to absorptive capacity and improve decision-making considering sustainability attributes. Design/methodology/approach Sample for data analysis covers 389 managers of firms demonstrating some traits of sustainability orientation and operating in a developing economy like India. Structural equation modelling is applied to test a casual model. Findings Result of this study reveals that a formal system that drives knowledge sharing, storing and exploitation of knowledge, a structured way to appropriate and reward intellectual property rights can be fundamental to development of absorptive capacity. Such a system conducive to knowledge exploration and acquisition must lead to exploration of new knowledge sources and new knowledge. A firm’s knowledge acquisition system shall be able to deliver to acquire external as well as internal knowledge spread across departments. Research limitations/implications This study considers commercial output as an aspect of innovative capability, so this attribute is not included in absorptive capacity. Practical implications The study may help organisations to develop a systemic approach to evolve decision-making and develop suitable processes linked to absorptive capacity considering sustainability challenges and uncertain market conditions. Social implications The study presents a comprehensive view of absorptive capacity considering societal stakeholder’s knowledge in addition to technological and market knowledge. Originality/value There are hardly any research articles which link absorptive capacity, dynamic capability and sustainability strategies.

The Formal Modeling Of Engineering Design Information By Means Of An Axiomatic System

<div>There is mounting evidence in the current literature which suggests that our collective understanding of engineering design is insufficient to support the continued growth of the engineering endeavor. Design theory is the emergent research field that addresses this problem by seeking to improve our understanding of, and thus our ability to, design. The goal of this author's work is to demonstrate that formal techniques of logic can improve our understanding of design. Specifically, a formal system called the Hybrid Model (HM) is presented; this system is a set-theoretic description of engineering design information that is valid independent of (a) the processes that generate or manipulate the information and (b) the role of the human designer. Because of this, HM is universally applicable to the representation of design-specific information throughout all aspects of the engineering enterprise. The fundamental unit in HM is a design entity, which is defined as a unit of information relevant to a design task. The axioms of HM define the structure of design entities and the explicit means by which they may be rationally organized. HM provides (a) a basis for building taxonomies of design entities, (b) a generalized approach for making statements about design entities independent of how the entities are generated or used, and (c) a formal syntactic notation for the standardization of design entity specification. Furthermore, HM is used as the foundation of DESIGNER, an extension to the Scheme programming language, providing a prototype-based object-oriented system for the static modeling of design information. Objects in the DESIGNER language satisfy the axioms of HM while providing convenient programming mechanisms to increase usability and efficiency. Several design-specific examples demonstrate the applicability of DESIGNER, and thus of HM as well, to the accurate representation of design information. </div>

The Formal Modeling Of Engineering Design Information By Means Of An Axiomatic System

<div>There is mounting evidence in the current literature which suggests that our collective understanding of engineering design is insufficient to support the continued growth of the engineering endeavor. Design theory is the emergent research field that addresses this problem by seeking to improve our understanding of, and thus our ability to, design. The goal of this author's work is to demonstrate that formal techniques of logic can improve our understanding of design. Specifically, a formal system called the Hybrid Model (HM) is presented; this system is a set-theoretic description of engineering design information that is valid independent of (a) the processes that generate or manipulate the information and (b) the role of the human designer. Because of this, HM is universally applicable to the representation of design-specific information throughout all aspects of the engineering enterprise. The fundamental unit in HM is a design entity, which is defined as a unit of information relevant to a design task. The axioms of HM define the structure of design entities and the explicit means by which they may be rationally organized. HM provides (a) a basis for building taxonomies of design entities, (b) a generalized approach for making statements about design entities independent of how the entities are generated or used, and (c) a formal syntactic notation for the standardization of design entity specification. Furthermore, HM is used as the foundation of DESIGNER, an extension to the Scheme programming language, providing a prototype-based object-oriented system for the static modeling of design information. Objects in the DESIGNER language satisfy the axioms of HM while providing convenient programming mechanisms to increase usability and efficiency. Several design-specific examples demonstrate the applicability of DESIGNER, and thus of HM as well, to the accurate representation of design information. </div>

Rethinking Education and Livelihoods in India

The COVID-19 crisis has revealed a need for rethinking approaches to education and livelihoods. Education in its present dispensation does not provide equitable access to children from marginalized segments of the population. It also suffers from deficits in the areas of social and emotional skills, over-emphasis on the three Rs, language used as a medium of instruction, and excessive competition for scoring marks, among others. There is very low uptake of vocational education. The National Education Policy 2020 tries to address some of these issues and plans on closer integration of vocational education with the school framework. High unemployment rates of educated youth, along with underemployment due to skill mismatch, show poor school-to-work transition and underscore the importance of TVET for youth in the future. Skill already exists in the economy in informal knowledge systems which are largely undocumented and thus not acknowledged in the formal system. These need to be combined with Western-centric knowledge systems so that the imbalance between formally educated/trained workers and informally trained workers is redressed. There is also a need to bring back the joy of learning, as Tagore’s experimentation with education has demonstrated.

The Uptake and Impact of a Label for Peer-Reviewed Books

This article presents an analysis of the uptake of the GPRC label (Guaranteed Peer Reviewed Content label) since its introduction in 2010 until 2019. GPRC is a label for books that have been peer reviewed introduced by the Flemish publishers association. The GPRC label allows locally published scholarly books to be included in the regional database for the Social Sciences and Humanities which is used in the Flemish performance-based research funding system. Ten years after the start of the GPRC label, this is the first systematic analysis of the uptake of the label. We use a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods. Our two main data sources are the Flemish regional database for the Social Sciences and Humanities, which currently includes 2,580 GPRC-labeled publications, and three interviews with experts on the GPRC label. Firstly, we study the importance of the label in the Flemish performance-based research funding system. Secondly, we analyse the label in terms of its possible effect on multilingualism and the local or international orientation of publications. Thirdly, we analyse to what extent the label has been used by the different disciplines. Lastly, we discuss the potential implications of the label for the peer review process among book publishers. We find that the GPRC label is of limited importance to the Flemish performance-based research funding system. However, we also conclude that the label has a specific use for locally oriented book publications and in particular for the discipline Law. Furthermore, by requiring publishers to adhere to a formalized peer review procedure, the label affects the peer review practices of local publishers because not all book publishers were using a formal system of peer review before the introduction of the label and even at those publishers who already practiced peer review, the label may have required the publishers to make these procedures more uniform.

A semiotic analysis of multiple systems of logic: using tagmemic theory to assess the usefulness and limitations of formal logics, and to produce a mathematical lattice model including multiple systems of logic

Tagmemic theory as a semiotic theory can be used to analyze multiple systems of logic and to assess their strengths and weaknesses. This analysis constitutes an application of semiotics and also a contribution to understanding of the nature of logic within the context of human meaning. Each system of logic is best adapted to represent one portion of human rationality. Acknowledging this correlation between systems and their targets helps explain the usefulness of more than one system. Among these systems, the two-valued system of classical logic takes its place. All the systems of logic can be incorporated into a complex mathematical model that has a place for each system and that represents a larger whole in human reasoning. The model can represent why tight formal systems of logic can be applied in some contexts with great success, but in other contexts are not directly applicable. The result suggests that human reasoning is innately richer than any one formal system of logic.

Informal Communication in a Formal Context

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in integrating mobile technologies into the formal system in the field of formal education and, in particular, higher education. Furthermore, due to the circumstances caused by the pandemic panorama that extended to most countries in the world in 2020, various sectors, in which education is included, were forced to reinvent and transform themselves in order to adapt to emergency remote education. What the authors propose with this chapter is to make an analysis of the state of the art on the theme of informal communication in the educational context, and particularly in higher education, with the use of the available technology, namely mobile media. Through a literature review already initiated in previous studies, it is intended to know the national and international panorama about the use of mobile applications in the context of higher education and in what way the devices traditionally conceived for informal communication are being used and adapted to a formal context.

Disability in Older People and Socio-Economic Deprivation in Italy: Effects on the Care Burden and System Resources

The sustainability of European Long-Term Care systems faces the demographic and socio-economic circumstances, mainly the increasing ageing of the population, with its chronic disease conditions, and the simultaneous economic general crises, exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond the increase in general rate of relative poverty, there is a higher risk of poverty among elderly and families in a high demand of care, especially if situations of Activities Daily Living (ADL) disability are present. Italian welfare, which is based on family care regimes and regional strategies, and is oriented to private or public care, is a relevant case study with which to analyze such a relationship. This paper aims to study the relationship between ADL disability and the socio-economic deprivation of families, that is, household poverty. Variables came from the ISTAT Health for All Italian Database and the INAIL Disability Allowance Database. A pool of statistical methods, based on bivariate and multivariate analyses, from bivariate correlation, through multiple linear regression to principal component factor analysis, were used to reduce the number of the variables and compute the indicators. The multivariate analysis underlines how ADL disability impacts on a household’s poverty, confirming the existence of statistical correlation between them. Moreover, the study identifies and measures two answer capability models to cope with household poverty. The answer capability of the formal system is the main tool for reducing poverty due to one family member’s ADL disability. Integration and collaboration between the formal system and family capabilities remains the main solution.

Who should care? Exploring the views and experiences of individuals in negotiating solutions for health security

PurposeThe Indonesian healthcare system has been reformed in tune with economic and political changes. The reform was pursued by encouraging growing reliance on individual contributions. Consolidating citizens' support has become increasingly important for the long-term sustainability of the programme. This study explores individual views and experiences in negotiating solutions for health security under the situation where pre-industrial modes of informal network remain intact, while private healthcare continues to be in demand by population segments targeted by the system.Design/methodology/approachIndividual attitudes toward the current healthcare system were explored using online interviews (N = 75) in the cities of Jakarta and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The qualitative exploratory approach resorted to personal views on the importance of the state, family and market in health risk management. Perceptions on who should be responsible for healthcare, and the political legitimacy of the welfare-state approach to healthcare were also observed. A thematic coding strategy was used for the data analysis.FindingsThose interviewed value and support the formal system (either state and market), yet place reliance on informal support (family and relatives). Intertwining views of religious teaching, filial piety, moral obligation were the most common reasons for individuals to support such dual welfare systems. The findings reflect the common attitudes toward welfare in the context of changing realities of individualised society at the early stage.Originality/valueThis article represents a valuable contribution at the empirical level because it provides an assessment of individuals' attitudes toward Indonesia's recent health arrangements. Such individuals are those belonging to the targeted population of the contributory system. This study also offers an alternative framework for understanding the nature of the healthcare regime generated from the perspectives of individuals.

Approaches to Informality Integration in Planned Neighbourhoods a Case Study of Eagle Island, Port Harcourt

Informality can be improved most effectively when neighborhoods adopt approaches that are pivotal to build on unplanned developments. Typically, the Eagle Island neighborhood in Port Harcourt City Council has been embroiled with forceful eviction and demotions of informal settlement by government in time past over certain fundamental issues affecting planned development, noticeable even till date. This study examined the application of existing pro-poor approaches for integrating informal settlements into neighborhood planned development in Eagle Island neighborhood, Rivers State, Nigeria. The study adopted a case study approach with primary data sourced through semi-structured questionnaires administered to 15 senior officials Rivers States Ministries of Lands and Surveys, Urban Development and Lecturers at Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Rivers State University in Port Harcourt representing 75% response rate, while secondary data were mainly from documents from United Nations Human Settlements Programmes. The data collected was qualitatively analyzed using simple percentages with thematic analysis the findings showed that the approaches for integrating informality into formality are locations specific, and not generic for the case of Eagle Island. The approaches includes granting of temporal licenses for settlers to occupy land, removal of anti-informality land laws and politics by government, and provision of laws and policies for integrating informality, government and well-spirited individuals for the intention of providing affordable housing. Therefore, the study concluded that informal settlement should not be considered as an anomaly, but rather incorporating them in the formal system that will necessitate the responses actually needed to address informal settlers, and the needs for the poor to access urban land. Keywords: Informality, Settlement, Approaches, Integration, Neighborhood, Planned Development.