459 research outputs found
Rivalry and inter-organizational learning processes: What are the horizontal benefits of clustering?
No full textKnowledge has become a crucial asset in modern production systems; therefore, its creation has become a key process in order to sustain or increase competitiveness. The ensuing shift toward a knowledge-based economy has amplified research interests in geographical clustering of firms that compete in the same or related industries, a sort of ideal space where inter-organizational learning should take place more easily.
Indeed, research has produced empirical evidence that firms located in geographical clusters are more likely to learn and innovate than isolated firms (Audretsch and Feldman, 1996; Baptista and Swann, 1998; Baptista, 2000; Porter, 1990). The renewed attention to the subject of geographical proximity highlights how far we are from having a clear understanding of the influence of geographical proximity on the process of interactive learning and innovation (Boschma, 2005; Torre and Gilly, 2000). Geographic proximity per se is not considered a sufficient condition for learning to take place (Boschma, 2005: 62) while it is able to strength other dimensions of proximity facilitating learning processes (Boschma, 2005; Boari, Espa, Odorici and Zamarian, 2004; Breschi and Lissoni, 2005; Greeve, 2005). Many scholars starting from different perspectives converge to agree that different forms of proximity should be related to one other and their importance explored to establish a specific theory of clusters where learning occupies the central stage (Torre and Rallet, 2005; Knoben and Oerlemans, 2006; Malmberg and Maskell 2002: 429).
Moreover, theoretical developments and empirical testing have largely been restricted to the relationship between geographical proximity, inter-firm cooperation and learning processes. Undoubtedly, far less attention has been paid to geographical proximity, rivalry and learning processes.
This paper aims to contribute to this debate exploring the relationship between geographical proximity and rivalry in influencing interactive learning and knowledge creation. Rivalry is considered to play a central role in the explanations of the advantage of industry agglomeration. Rivalry is at the very heart of the concept of geographical cluster, as a spatially concentrated group of firms that are rivals of one another. Claims that “knowledge in clusters is created through increased competition and intensified rivalry” (Malmberg and Power, 2005: 412) are widely shared. The ideas that rivalry should be more intense and should play an essential role in learning processes going on among the firms inside the geographical cluster (because of the geographical proximity) have been documented in few empirical investigations. Drawing on the empirical and theoretical efforts of diverse streams of research on competitive dynamic, learning and industrial agglomerations this paper addresses the relationships between geographical proximity and rivalry and their consequences on learning processes. In particular geographical proximity influences rivals identification process as well as rivals comparison process, mediating the relationship between rivalry and learning process.
In order to address the issue, we made use of an agent-based model (ABM). ABMs reconstruct interactions between agents out of their behavioral rules. In this case, strategic choices of rival firms are derived from general assumptions on competitive behavior and learning processes.
The rest of this article is structured as follows. The second section provides the theoretical and conceptual framework of the study. The third section illustrates the elements of the model.. The fourth section shows the experiment and preliminary results
A Case Study of a Community Action Group Using Greensville Against Serious Pollutions Inc. as a Local Example
No full textTitle: A Case Study of a Community Action Group Using Greensville Against Serious Pollutions Inc. as a Local Example, Author: Sirio A. Vacca, Location: ThodeThe purpose of this research paper is to shed some light
on the relatively unexplored issue of community opposition to
proposed Municipal landfill sites. The first objective is to
identify the issues and concerns of citizens directly affected
by the proposal. The second objective is to identify the key
concerns of the community action group. The third objective is
to evaluate the success of the community action group in
achieving its strategic goals. Key informant interviews, local
newspaper articles, relevant reports, and Public Liaison
meeting minutes provide the data source base. The results show
that although the concerns of local residents vary slightly
from the concerns of the community action group, the action
group is a key voice in the government's site selection
approval process.ThesisBachelor of Arts (BA
A tuple space implementation for large-scale infrastructures
No full textCoordinating activities in a distributed system is an open research topic. Several models have been
proposed to achieve this purpose such as message passing, publish/subscribe, workflows or tuple
spaces. We have focused on the latter model, trying to overcome some of its disadvantages. In
particular we have applied spatial database techniques to tuple spaces in order to increase their
performance when handling a large number of tuples. Moreover, we have studied how structured
peer to peer approaches can be applied to better distribute tuples on large networks. Using some of
these result, we have developed a tuple space implementation for the Globus Toolkit that can be
used by Grid applications as a coordination service. The development of such a service has been
quite challenging due to the limitations imposed by XML serialization that have heavily influenced
its design. Nevertheless, we were able to complete its implementation and use it to implement two
different types of test applications: a completely parallelizable one and a plasma simulation that is
not completely parallelizable. Using this last application we have compared the performance of our
service against MPI. Finally, we have developed and tested a simple workflow in order to show the
versatility of our service
Indirect evaluation of erosion entity in drainage basins through geomorphic, climatic and hydrological parameters.
No full textThe regression equations connecting suspended sediment yield by streams with some parameters - expressing the main climatic, hydrologic and morphologic characters which control erosion intensity in drainage basins - were improved by extending the quantitative geomorphic studies already started by the authors on drainage networks. To have a sample which is representative of the different physiograpic conditions of Italy, twenty drainage basins were chosen. -from Author
Demetra: A Survey on Work Safety in 103 Agricultural Farms in Friuli Venezia Giulia
No full textAbstractThe objective of this study was to investigate current levels of work safety in agriculture, based on interviews conducted in a composite sample of 103 farms located in the region Friuli Venezia Giulia (North-East of Italy). The survey has outlined a number of patterns that were consistently found across all types of farms and only slightly varied depending on farm size, type of production and location. The results were used to define guidelines for safety experts on the field with new, updated approaches for risk assessment and accident prevention in the farms
Educação Ambiental problematizadora e desenvolvimento sustentável: uma revisão critica
No full textDissertação(mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Pós-Graduação em Educação Ambiental, Instituto de Educação, 2008.A presente dissertação tem como problemática de estudo a Educação Ambiental Problematizadora no contexto do Desenvolvimento Sustentável com base nas concepções de Sirio Lopez Velasco e Carlos Frederico Loureiro. O tema da sustentabilidade e a comparação crítica dos autores sobre a mesma foi o objeto e a meta de estudo do presente trabalho. A metodologia adotada foi um estudo reflexivo, de análise conceitual, desenvolvido através da pesquisa bibliográfica e análises/discussões realizadas no decorrer das disciplinas do Programa do Mestrado em Educação Ambiental da Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande. Com base em Loureiro e Velasco entende-se educação ambiental como um processo longo e contínuo de aprendizagem de uma filosofia de trabalho participativo. Isso significa que todos os atores sociais devem estar envolvidos: família, escola e comunidade, com o propósito de construir cidadãos, cujos conhecimentos acerca do ambiente biofísico e seus problemas associados, possam alertá-los e habilitá-los a resolver seus problemas. A reflexão iniciada nesta dissertação não teve a pretensão de esgotar uma temática tão ampla quanto o desenvolvimento sustentável e a saúde das populações, mas de levar para o campo da enfermagem a preocupação com a necessidade e a responsabilidade em adentrar-se nesta dimensão do viver humano. O desafio da humanidade do século XXI é justamente vencer o paradigma do Capitalismo e da exploração do homem pelo homem. Existe um horizonte além das lutas de classes, além da fome, do desemprego, das condições subumanas que um terço da humanidade vem sendo submetida ao longo dos séculos. Acredita-se que o Ecomunitarismo proposto por Velasco é uma mudança de postura e suas premissas são capazes de respeitar e sustentar a vida individual e coletiva. Não se trata de um conceito utópico, pois seus preceitos podem muito bem ser incorporados por seres humanos que realmente entendam o verdadeiro sentido da vida. O homem caminha para alcançar um grau de desenvolvimento intelectual-
perceptivo muito além do egoísmo que estamos inseridos. Na profissão enfermagem se lida
com a vida e com a morte com freqüência e percebe-se que independentemente de classe
social, religião e estilo de vida as pessoas se transformam quando estão perto de falecer. Assim, tem-se a necessidade de enxergar a própria vida e o mundo com outros olhos, com os olhos da compaixão, do senso de coletivo, do amor para consigo e o outro. É essa mudança de atitude e de beatitude interior que se precisa manter acesa e em mente, pois se sabe que o mundo material é fruto direto dos pensamentos. A realidade é construída tal como ela é pensada e as pessoas precisam estar cientes disso.This dissertation has the rendering problematic Environmental Education as a
questionable study based on the concepts of Sirio Lopez Velasco and Carlos Frederico
Loureiro. The sustainability theme and the author critic comparison about it was the study object and goal of this work. The adopted methodology was a reflexive study, of a conceptual analysis, developed through the bibliographic research and analyses/discussions put into practice along the subjects of the Master Program in Environmental Education at Federal University Foundation of Rio Grande. Based on Loureiro and Velasco, the Environmental Education is understood as a long and continued process of a philosophy learning of a participative work This means that all social actors must be involved: family school and community, with the purpose to create citizens, whose knowledge about the biophysics environment and its associated problems, may alert them become able to solve their problems. The reflexion started on this dissertation did not have the intention to eliminate a so broad thematic as the sustainable development and the population health, but take to the nursing field, the worrying with the need and responsibility to penetrate into this dimension of human living.The humanity challenging in the XXI century is for sure to beat the Capitalism paradigm and the exploration of the man for man. There is a horizon besides the fights of classes, hunger, unemployment and the human under conditions that a third of humanity has
been submitted along the centuries. The Ecommunitarism proposed by Velasco is a changing of posture and its premises are able to respect and sustain the individual and common life. Possibly, it is not an utopia, because its principles may well be incorporated to human beings that really understand the true sense of life. Man walks to reach an intellectual-perceptive degree of development very far from the selfishness that it was introduced. The nursing job
often leads with life and death and apart from social class, religion and life style, people change when they are near to die. There is a need to see life and the world with other eyes, with the eyes of compassion, of the collective sense, of love for oneself and for the other. It is a changing of attitude and the interior beatitude that it is necessary to maintain minds lit, since it is known there is a direct fruit of human thoughts. Reality is built up as it really is and there is a need to be conscious about it
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