86,753 research outputs found
Profiting from big data analytics: The moderating roles of industry concentration and firm size
No full textBig data has gained momentum as an Information Technology that is capable of supporting organizational efforts to generate new and better business value. We here contribute to the emerging literature on big data analytic (BDA) solutions by investigating the moderating roles of firm size and industry concentration in the relationship between BDA solutions and firm profitability. Using a unique panel data set that covers 13 years, from 2004 to 2016, which contains information on 176 firms, we provide robust econometric empirical evidence of the negative moderating effects of industry concentration and the positive moderating effects of firm size on the relationship between the use of BDA solutions and firm profitability. Our findings provide strong empirical evidence on the business value of BDA as well as the essential role played by contextual conditions that managers should consider
Conceptualization, operationalization, and validation of the digital data stream Readiness Index
No full textThis article describes how in their search for value creation, companies are investing considerable resources in so-called "Big Data" initiatives. A peculiar aspect of these initiatives is the increasing availability of real-time streams of data. Successfully leveraging these streams to extract value is emerging as a critical competence for the modern firm. Despite the significant attention received, scholarly research on Digital Data Stream (DDS) remains insufficient. More importantly, there are no specialized definitions and measurement instruments that can move the field forward by initiating a cumulative research tradition. This article can provide clarification on key definitions, differentiating DDS from Big Data. Drawing on the organizational readiness concept, the DDS readiness index develops as a measure of organizational readiness to exploit real-time digital data. This article will conceptualize, define, operationalize and validate the index. By identifying the four dimensions of mindset, skillset, dataset and toolset as the elements of the DDS readiness index and discussing its managerial and research implications
Strategic business value from big data analytics: An empirical analysis of the mediating effects of value creation mechanisms
No full textBig data are a prominent source of value capable of generating competitive advantage and superior business performance. This paper represents the first empirical investigation of the theoretical model proposed by Grover et al. (2018), considering the mediating effects of four value creation mechanisms on the relationship between big data analytics capabilities (BDAC) and four value targets. The four value creation mechanisms investigated (the source of the value being pursued) are transparency, access, discovery, and proactive adaptation, while the four value targets (the impacts of the value creation process) are organization performance, business process improvement, customer experience and market enhancement, and product and service innovation. The proposed empirical validation of Grover et al.'s (2018) model adopts an econometric analysis applied to data gathered through a survey involving 256 BDA experts. The results reveal that transparency mediates the relationship for all the value targets, while access and proactive adaptation mediate only in case of some value targets, and discovery does not have any mediating effect. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed at the end of the paper
The Application of a Process Based Model for IS Check-Up within SMEs
No full textThe focus on production activities, together with their limited investment budget, often make SME entrepreneurs exclude Information Systems (IS) issues when planning organizational development. It is questionable whether anyone in a small company considers IS efficiency, effectiveness and strategic alignment as issues. As a consequence, SMEs could greatly benefit from an IS check-up tool supporting the monitoring of IS adequacy and the decision making process about IS development. In order to pursue these aims, the literature suggests considering determinants such as the strategic importance of business processes as well as the extent to which information and communication technologies (ICT) support them. This paper proposes a new check-up model specifically designed according to SME requirements. It aims at evaluating the alignment between the company strategy and the ICT support, highlighting possibile weaknesses on the IS management process. The model has been tested on a sample of 366 companies through direct invterviews with the entrepreneurial MD, the CIO and/or the process managers. The paper reports the main results of the analysis of collected data
Uromyces appendiculatus Infection in BTH-Treated Bean Plants: Ultrastructural Details of a Lost Fight
No full textThe mechanisms of BTH [benzo-(1,2,3)-
thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester]-induced resistance against bean rust caused by Uromyces appendiculatus have been explored in Phaseolus vulgaris by light and transmission electron microscopy, following the infection progression in plants challenged 7 days after treatment. While BTH did not affect
uredospore germination and fungal penetration in the substomatal cavity, a first impairment to the colonization
appeared evident about 48–96 h after inoculation, with alterations of infection hypha structure and reduction in mycelium expansion. No differences were found in this phase regarding the formation and
ultrastructure of haustoria in untreated andBTH-treated plants, except for the deposition of electron-opaque material in the extrahaustorial matrix of the latter. A second and decisive impairment in fungal progression was observed at 7–10 days after inoculation when host cell penetrated, or in close contact with the fungal hyphae, were impregnated by phenolic compounds
The DECUS (Distance Education Catholic University System) Project: An on line Mathematics Course
No full textUromyces appendiculatus Infection in BTH-Treated Bean Plants: Ultrastructural Details of a Lost Fight
No full textThe mechanisms of BTH [benzo-(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester]-induced resistance against bean rust caused by Uromyces appendiculatus have been explored in Phaseolus vulgaris by light and transmission electron microscopy, following the infection progression in plants challenged 7 days after treatment. While BTH did not affect uredospore germination and fungal penetration in the substomatal cavity, a first impairment to the colonization appeared evident about 48-96 h after inoculation, with alterations of infection hypha structure and reduction in mycelium expansion. No differences were found in this phase regarding the formation and ultrastructure of haustoria in untreated and BTH-treated plants, except for the deposition of electron-opaque material in the extrahaustorial matrix of the latter. A second and decisive impairment in fungal progression was observed at 7-10 days after inoculation when host cell penetrated, or in close contact with the fungal hyphae, were impregnated by phenolic compounds. The same was observed in fungal walls, particularly around haustoria, thus hampering the biotrophic habitus of the fungus and further mycelium spreading. This, in turn, prevented the evasion of fungal reproductive structures, the uredinia, and the appearance of visible symptoms. No particular ultrastructural alterations were observed in most of the penetrated cells, even at late stages of infection, indicating that BTH treatment does not induce host cells to respond with a hypersensitive reaction (HR). A parallel time course of the expression of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) gene, the key enzyme for the synthesis of phenylpropanoidic phytoalexins and many other phenolics, has shown that PAL mRNA is strongly and persistently transcripted in BTH-treated plants since the 6th h after treatment, though no apparent ultrastructural alterations were detectable up to some days after pathogen challenging. This indicates that BTH, at the employed concentration of 0.3 mM, directly activates the plant's own defences, thus accounting for the observed full protection against bean rust
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