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A case study of Letterkenny in 2020: a scenario planning approach
Get PDFThe objective o f this research was to explore possible futures for the town o f \ud
Letterkenny towards 2020 using a scenario planning approach. A six stage modified \ud
scenario development design was applied to develop a series o f scenario statements. \ud
The scenario includes six sub-scenarios: social cohesion; the business community and \ud
labour market; education; regional development; government policy; and the external \ud
environment. These sub-scenarios provide an account o f possible, plausible futures \ud
for Letterkenny. The purpose o f this study is to generate discussion and inform \ud
planning and policy development within the region.\ud
Jntenñews were conducted with experts to enable the designation o f the scenarios. \ud
Following this, two questionnaires were distributed: one investigating the practice o f \ud
managing town centres in Northern Ireland and the second’ a scenario statement \ud
questionnaire, testing possible scenarios fo r Letterkenny in 2020. This was follow ed \ud
by the presentation o f the findings to a focus group to enable the writing o f the final \ud
scenario for Letterkenny in 2020. This research indicates that Letterkenny has \ud
undergone radical change during the Celtic Tiger years. However, since the \ud
economic crisis Letterkenny is now facing a period o f further change. This research \ud
facilitated the collection o f a broad range o f ideas and knowledge which will help \ud
policy makers develop appropriate responses to current economic developments. The \ud
results o f this study will also have value for other urban areas who are trying to \ud
respond to the challenges o f post Celtic Tiger Ireland
Fast and accurate genome anchoring using fuzzy hash maps
Get PDFAlthough hash-based approaches to sequence alignment and genome assembly are long established, their utility is predicated on the rapid identification of exact k-mers from a hash-map or similar data structure. We describe how a fuzzy hash-map can be applied to quickly and accurately align a Prokaryotic genome to the reference genome of a related species. Using this technique, a draft genome of Mycoplasma genitalium, sampled at 1X coverage, was accurately anchored against the genome of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The fuzzy approach to alignment, ordered and orientated more than 65% of the reads from the draft genome in under 10 seconds, with an error rate of <1.5%. Without sacrificing execution speed, fuzzy hash-maps also provide a mechanism for error tolerance and variability in k-mer centric sequence alignment and assembly applications
Dialogical action research as engaged scholarship: an empirical study
Get PDFThe rigor versus relevance debate continues to be a matter of lively discussion in the information systems discipline. The main argument of this paper is that dialogical action research provides a methodology to pursue engaged scholarship in the IS field. The context is an examination of innovation management in an Irish subsidiary of APC by Schneider Electric. The primary objective of the paper is to answer the following research question: how does dialogical action research provide a milieu for engaged scholarship between researchers and practitioners. The work seeks to make a contribution by: testing out a novel form of action research; providing an empirical study of researcher-practitioner engagement; and suggesting improvements to the methodology. As a result the study should be pertinent to scholars who are interested in exploring approaches that facilitate real-world collaboration while also contributing to academic discourse
Towards an innovation-based view of the firm
Get PDFThe central thesis of this paper is that the resource-based view of the firm and the knowledge based view of the firm require updating to an innovation-based view. This novel hypothesis of the firm is informed by a review of relevant literature and an empirical study of innovation management. The ICT revolution has a major impact on business and society resulting in an opening of the firm’s boundaries and increasing the digitalization of organizations. We utilize a grounded theory approach to the case study based in the Irish subsidiary of a multi-national corporation where innovation emerged as a key differentiator. Five empirical indicators of a firm’s propensity to harness innovation in order to generate sustained competitive advantage are proposed: management of paradox, degree of openness, the dilemma of initiation and implementation, non-technological nature and technological nature. The paper contributes to advancing theory by advocating and developing an innovation-based view of the firm
An evaluation of online asynchronous support within e-learning environments across the Institutes of technology in Ireland
Get PDFAs the uptake of e-learning continues to increase, it has come to light that engaging students in e-learning requires a large time commitment on the part of the lecturer. This burden may be eased by the expedient use of online asynchronous support tools. This research evaluates the use of asynchronous support tools in the Irish Institutes of Technology (IoTs) and their application to the provision of online support to IoT students. This study provides an evaluation of the perception of IoT students as to the adequacy of asynchronous support offered to them and prescribes for improvement\ud
of that support. This research suggests that asynchronous support tools are substantially underutilised within the IoTs and consequently student engagement via asynchronous support is insufficient in meeting students learning needs. While email is identified as the preferred and dominant means of communications, discussion boards and weblogs\ud
are not employed to anywhere near potential. The findings suggest that improved use of asynchronous support tools would help redistribute scarce lecturers’ time and address the important issue o f providing online support to students in a ‘just-in-time’ learning manner, rather than a ‘just-in-case’ data repository. In addition it\ud
recommends for the integration of e-leaming platforms and their constituent tools with a knowledge base. This would facilitate the lecturer in providing ‘reusable’ and\ud
‘in context’ online support to be availed o f by students if and when required. The findings therefore present two major challenges to IoTs; to enhance student support\ud
by substantially improving the current use of online asynchronous support tools and to employ the expedient use of semantic technologies. The findings indicate that there may be an emphasis on e-learning technology to deliver learning content rather than the learning process. The main findings are categorised into seven main issues identified in this research. These are: the rising expectations of students and lecturers\ud
from the affordance of technology; the need for to implement a social learner support environment; the need for greater emphasis on publishing quality learner content; the need to address the variance in students IT skills; the need to explore methods to accommodate for 24/7 demand of online support, the need to implement technologies to provide greater mobility of online support, and the develop design strategies for greater accessibility of online learning content. Facing and surmounting these challenges are a vital step in creating and sustaining a quality online supportive environment for both lecturer and student
Dialogical action research: a case study
Get PDFThe paper is in the form of a case study, in it the researchers used APC-Ireland, a subsidiary of the American Power Conversion (APC) Corporation. The Corporation entered a major period of transition in the first quarter of 2007 with completion of its acquisition by Schneider Electric. The case study was to see how the concept of Diological Action Research could be used in practical situations using the above company
An investigation into the attitudes that exist among accounting and non-accounting business students towards innovation and creativity in the accountancy sector
Get PDFSince the recession began there has been a reduced credit flow in this country. As a \ud
result many companies have found themselves insolvent. For viable companies there \ud
is an option available called examinership. This process provides a company with \ud
court protection from its creditors for a limited period. During this period the \ud
company will receive new investment and restructure. This involves the company \ud
being given the opportunity to significantly reduce its debts. In return for the writing \ud
down of the company’s debts, their creditors will receive a dividend which is funded \ud
by this new investment. This legislation was enacted in 1990 to prevent the collapse \ud
of the Goodman group. This legislation was rushed into law and amendments had to \ud
be made in 1999 to rectify problematic issues with the original legislation. However \ud
many issues still remain with this legislation. It has been described by many as too \ud
expensive and inaccessible for small companies. \ud
This thesis aims to discover whether there is a need for reform of the current \ud
legislation. It is important in recessionary times that there is an appropriate \ud
mechanism in place to help viable companies in financial difficulty to survive. This \ud
will aid in the recovery of the economy and the protection of jobs. This thesis will \ud
investigate the issues associated with the current examinership process and also how \ud
these issues may be rectified. Practitioners in this area were asked to give their \ud
opinions on the issues identified and also if they could suggest any further \ud
improvements to this process. \ud
\ud
The research found that there may not be a need for reform; however there are minor \ud
amendments that may be required. Such as a further extension to the period of court \ud
protection for large and more complex companies. The research discovered that \ud
judges consider the number of employees a company has when deciding on a \ud
company’s application for examinership even though this is not outlined in the \ud
legislation. This should not be a factor as every job is important and every job saved \ud
could save the government €14,000 per annum. Additionally the legislation makes it \ud
impossible for SME’s to enter the process due to the high costs. Holding cases in the \ud
Circuit Court would significantly reduce these costs and make the process accessible \ud
to SME’s. This research also found that the current alternatives are inadequate and \ud
can be only used in certain circumstances
Town Centre Management: a solution to the challenges facing urban centres?
Get PDFThe purpose of this paper is to explore the experience of towns which utilize Town Centre Management (TCM) initiatives. The findings which emerge offer insights into how TCM can aid the development of urban centers.\ud
Design/methodology/approach - This paper presents qualitative research conducted with public servants charged with the delivery of TCM initiatives in Northern Ireland (NI).\ud
Findings – The paper presents multiple perspectives on the purpose, process, benefits and challenges of TCM, specifically the TCM initiative in NI.\ud
Practical implications - The paper presents evidence of the success of TCM in each of the participating urban centres.\ud
Originality/value – The paper focuses on research which seeks to enhance the\ud
understanding of TCM initiatives. This research indicates that TCM (with the right stakeholders) is a viable alternative to town planning, regeneration and management
An empirical study on the market for customised clothing for Irish females
Get PDFMost women purchase their clothing in a retail outlet however many consumers seem to have difficulty finding the proper fit to certain garments, whether it be with their upper or lower body. Therefore, consumers who are not the average straight-cut shape experience difficulty when shopping for clothes. Many apparel manufacturers still focus on one specific shape however they are four different shapes women can be. Apparel manufacturers are still living in the past in relation to body shapes. Body shapes have change drastically since the 1970’s due to women’s lifestyle now a days. Some department stores carry petite, sixteen plus and tall sections however there is only a limited variety for respondents to choose from within these sections. A prompt reasonable customised service could solve many women’s problems in relation to their clothing fit. As the present economic climate is looking dismal, the non standard sizes are being punished the most as department stores are closing their petite, sixteen plus and tall sections. This can have both a physical and mental effect on women. The lack of availability of properly fitted clothing can affect women’s confidence and self\ud
esteem. Recent research indicates that women are becoming bigger in size. Satisfaction levels are quite poor in relation to ready to wear clothing. Many women have to get alterations made to their apparel after purchasing it. With these both in mind a change is needed within the women’s clothing sector.\ud
The purpose of this study is to investigate: (1) if there is a market for customised clothing for Irish women, (2) to discover what garment of clothing women have most\ud
difficulty finding the proper fit for, (3) the percentage of women in Ireland who already avail of customised clothing services. (4) what method Irish women would prefer to buy their customised clothing, if the service was available, (5) if Irish women would buy customised clothing if the service were available online
Attitudes towards honesty and misconduct in modern business: evidence from business graduates
Get PDFSince the recession began there has been a reduced credit flow in this country. As a \ud
result many companies have found themselves insolvent. For viable companies there \ud
is an option available called examinership. This process provides a company with \ud
court protection from its creditors for a limited period. During this period the \ud
company will receive new investment and restructure. This involves the company \ud
being given the opportunity to significantly reduce its debts. In return for the writing \ud
down of the company’s debts, their creditors will receive a dividend which is funded \ud
by this new investment. This legislation was enacted in 1990 to prevent the collapse \ud
of the Goodman group. This legislation was rushed into law and amendments had to \ud
be made in 1999 to rectify problematic issues with the original legislation. However \ud
many issues still remain with this legislation. It has been described by many as too \ud
expensive and inaccessible for small companies. \ud
This thesis aims to discover whether there is a need for reform of the current \ud
legislation. It is important in recessionary times that there is an appropriate \ud
mechanism in place to help viable companies in financial difficulty to survive. This \ud
will aid in the recovery of the economy and the protection of jobs. This thesis will \ud
investigate the issues associated with the current examinership process and also how \ud
these issues may be rectified. Practitioners in this area were asked to give their \ud
opinions on the issues identified and also if they could suggest any further \ud
improvements to this process. \ud
\ud
The research found that there may not be a need for reform; however there are minor \ud
amendments that may be required. Such as a further extension to the period of court \ud
protection for large and more complex companies. The research discovered that \ud
judges consider the number of employees a company has when deciding on a \ud
company’s application for examinership even though this is not outlined in the \ud
legislation. This should not be a factor as every job is important and every job saved \ud
could save the government €14,000 per annum. Additionally the legislation makes it \ud
impossible for SME’s to enter the process due to the high costs. Holding cases in the \ud
Circuit Court would significantly reduce these costs and make the process accessible \ud
to SME’s. This research also found that the current alternatives are inadequate and \ud
can be only used in certain circumstances