As we witness a series of social, political, cultural, and economic changes/disruptions this book examines the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the way emerging technologies are impacting our lives and changing society. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterised by the emergence of new technologies that are blurring the boundaries between the physical, the digital, and the biological worlds. This book allows readers to explore how these technologies will impact peoples' lives by 2030. It helps readers to not only better understand the use and implications of emerging technologies, but also to imagine how their individual life will be shaped by them. The book provides an opportunity to see the great potential but also the threats and challenges presented by the emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, posing questions for the reader to think about what future they want. Emerging technologies, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, big data and analytics, cloud computing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, the Internet of Things, fifth-generation wireless technologies (5G), and fully autonomous vehicles, among others, will have a significant impact on every aspect of our lives, as such this book looks at their potential impact in the entire spectrum of daily life, including home life, travel, education and work, health, entertainment and social life. Providing an indication of what the world might look like in 2030, this book is essential reading for students, scholars, professionals, and policymakers interested in the nexus between emerging technologies and sustainable development, politics and society, and global governance.

The systematic approach to innovation development today is one of the world's most prominent scientific fields, and with good reason. When applied correctly, such system produces regular outcomes, which consistently drive lasting competitive advantage. Unfortunately, as much as it is beneficial, the orchestration of an undisturbed flow of multiple complex, dynamic, and flexible innovation development processes is structurally demanding. In this book, a recognised innovation management specialist sets the record straight, offering a comprehensive approach to the improvement of innovation efficiency with the use of management control system. Unlike other books on the subject, it proposes original representation - the CDI model - of the relationships between management control system, decision-making quality, and innovation system efficiency and explains why management control is fundamental to innovation management. In addition to that, inside the reader will find several original developments. These include: the info-deficiency (I-D) model, depicting the various parameters hindering decision-making in innovation development; the product innovation development (PID) system, offering the original function-based approach to innovation management; and the composite innovation index - specially designed tool intended to evaluate the efficiency of an innovation development system. It will be of interest to researchers, academics, practitioners, and advanced students in the fields of management, strategy, and innovation. Chapter 4 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com

* The books is very timely: Many expect a return to business as usual after Covid19, but the bigger problem of life-threatening climate change makes it clear that the way humans live and work must change. * The book is informative and stimulating: As technological progress made, it is important that those who need to know are informed. This includes both interested members of the public as well as key policy makers and other climate change stakeholders. * The book is controversial: The degree of change is large, with winners and losers coming from ideas and approaches that in some cases appear to contradict current thinking (e.g. electric cars). * The book is written by an expert: The author has had a distinguished career, in designing safe systems using technology pushed to the limit of optimum performance while making sure that everything is safe throughout the whole life. He has served on many advisory boards reporting at high level to the prime minister, and ministerial level both in UK, and in Indonesia.

Provides clear steps for readers to attain resilience and a sense of wellness in a digital age. The book is told through the voices of entrepreneurs and practising leaders, which gives the book authenticity and sets it apart from other books on the market. Adopts an engaging story-telling approach, which makes the book accessible to both managers and students.

This book focuses on the challenges and changes that new technologies bring to human resources (HR) of modern organizations. It examines the technological implications of the last changes taking place and how they affect the management and motivation of human resources belonging to these organizations. It looks for ways to understand and perceive how organizational HR, individually and as a team, conceptualize, invent, adapt, define and use organizational technology, as well as how they are constrained by features of it. The book provides discussion and the exchange of information on principles, strategies, models, techniques, methodologies and applications of human resources management and technological challenges and changes in the field of industry, commerce and services.

The Spanish Conference of Industrial Engineering /Ingenieria de Organizacion Industrial (CIO) is an annual meeting promoted by Asociacion para el Desarrollo de la Ingenieria de Organizacion/ Industrial Engineers Association (ADINGOR). The aim of CIO is to establish a forum for the open and free exchange of ideas, opinions and academic experiences about research, technology transfer or successful business experiences in the field of Industrial Engineering. The Scientific Committee is composed by 68 international referees and we foresee the attendance of some 200 people from more than 15 countries and following the rotation of venue and organization between various Spanish universities, the 2011 Conference will be the fifteenth National Conference and the fifth International Conference in Cartagena. During three days the 2011 Conference will include the participation of European and other foreign countries researchers and practitioners that will presenting communications, reproduced in this volume, on a range of topics including: Production and Operations Business Management Supply Chain Management Economic environment Technological and Organizational Innovation and Management and Innovation in Education The Conference on Industrial Engineering (CIO) and its proceedings are an excellent platform for the dissemination of the outputs of the scientific projects developed in the frame of the European, national or regional Research and Development plans.

This volume explores emerging models, methods and tools in the management of research and development (R&D) in the knowledge era, with a particular focus on the challenges of the emerging technologies. The contributions are organized in five parts. Part I, Managing Emerging Technologies, provides methods and tools to understand the challenges created by the emergence of new technologies. Part II, Technology and Engineering Management Tools and Policies, explores different technology and engineering tools, including topics such as product concept development, design, selection and adoption, using technology roadmaps and bibliometrics. Part III, Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship, explores R&D, knowledge transfer and entrepreneurial education. Part IV, Commercialization of Technological Innovations, explores the development and application of the technology transfer process which allows managers to succeed in commercializing the outcomes of R&D projects. Part V, Managing the Engineering Enterprise, explores the effect economic decision-making, leadership styles, change management and quality management have on an organization's ability to plan and execute initiatives and projects. Research and Development has always played a critical role in the engineering and technology focused industries. In an era of big data and smart applications, knowledge has become a key enabler for R&D. Managing R&D in the knowledge era requires use of key tools and methods. However, emerging technologies pose many challenges and cause uncertainties or discontinuities, which make the task of managing R&D even more difficult. This book will examine these challenges and provide tools and methods to overcome them. Exploring such industries as automotive, healthcare, business intelligence, energy and home appliances, this book is a valuable resource for academics, scholars, professionals and leaders in innovation, R&D, technology, and engineering management.

This book examines the strategic aspects of outsourcing in relation to the firm. It provides a holistic view of the outsourcing process, starting with conceptualization, through to implementation and management of the process. Although the book is based on a case study of the pharmaceutical industry, the general principles derived from the Strategic Sourcing Model are generic in nature and the model can be applied to instances of outsourcing in other industries.

Embedding the theoretical discussion on the framework of evolutionary regional innovation systems (RIS), this book reveals the informal nature of the emerging RIS in China, within which interactive learning is organized on the basis of social networks. Furthermore, in a comparative study in the Pearl River Delta, China demonstrates that dirigiste governance in the initial industrialization phase leads to a more mature and developed RIS than does grassroots governance. The theoretical developments and empirical investigation presented in this book will grant readers a deeper understanding of the specific features of RIS within the transitional context of emerging economies.

Since the turn of the century, technology transfer and innovation has played an increasingly important role in government policy for reinvigorating and supporting a country's industry. This has been fueled by technology transfer from third parties such as universities, but due to the rapid evolution of the external environment of technology, companies require regular upgrades to information systems and technical infrastructure and adjustments. University-Industry Technology Transfer in the UK: Emerging Research and Opportunities provides innovative insights into how technology transfer has operated in university-company projects undertaken in small- to medium-sized enterprises. Highlighting 19 different cases drawn from companies in the regions adjoining the University of Gloucestershire, UK, from a qualitative case study approach, the content within this publication analyzes contract packers, the manufacturing industry, and research organizations. It is a vital reference source for managers, business owners, education administrators, researchers, academicians, professionals, policymakers, and graduate-level students seeking coverage on topics centered on case examples of technology transfer projects in different industry sectors.

This book introduces a paradigm of reverse hypothesis machines (RHM), focusing on knowledge innovation and machine learning. Knowledge- acquisition -based learning is constrained by large volumes of data and is time consuming. Hence Knowledge innovation based learning is the need of time. Since under-learning results in cognitive inabilities and over-learning compromises freedom, there is need for optimal machine learning. All existing learning techniques rely on mapping input and output and establishing mathematical relationships between them. Though methods change the paradigm remains the same-the forward hypothesis machine paradigm, which tries to minimize uncertainty. The RHM, on the other hand, makes use of uncertainty for creative learning. The approach uses limited data to help identify new and surprising solutions. It focuses on improving learnability, unlike traditional approaches, which focus on accuracy. The book is useful as a reference book for machine learning researchers and professionals as well as machine intelligence enthusiasts. It can also used by practitioners to develop new machine learning applications to solve problems that require creativity.

This book sets out to explain blockchain for the non-technical expert, to decipher the dense technicalities that dominate the field and to present the opportunities for busy professionals using practical applications and case studies. Presented in a clear and structured way and with documented real-world cases, the book is a practical reference guide that can be used across different industries. It offers both a constructive and critical review of the pain points blockchain is facing today, illustrates the pitfalls as well as the opportunities for business and describes the steps towards overcoming them. It also aims to provide a unique view of both the intersection and synergy of blockchain with other emerging technologies and the wider digital ecosystem, as we see increasingly that blockchain alone won't be able to deliver business solutions. Most important, the book identifies trends and a path for the future of blockchain and its impact on society as a whole. The book is written for business audiences across all sectors. It is not a technical guide to blockchain, but it enables businesspeople to be better informed and prepared to plan ahead and develop strategies using blockchain.

Keep ahead of your competitors New Product Development will help you and your company overcome an expensive and common weakness: the lack of adequate new product development. This vital book examines the requirements of new product development in detail as well as in the context of corporate strategy. Packed with practical information that can immediately be put into effect, New Product Development can help you keep your company on the leading edge, no matter what type of industry you?re in This uniquely insightful volume will help you become a successful innovator by showing you how to plan and execute strategies for developing a continuous flow of new products and services to help you stay ahead of the competition. It demonstrates how innovation, far from being a staff function, is a dynamic line management task. It calls for the same aggressive thrust as marketing and sales, and every officer of the company, from the president on down, has a share in this responsibility.Medium size, small, and even large companies constantly face a mass of problems in achieving successful innovation. New Product Development will help you deal with issues including: inaccurate budgeting costs exceeding budgets faulty market and technical research findings flaws in design inadequately durable materials unforeseen consumer rejection caused by the lack of proper consumer trials leakage of plans to competition failure by outside suppliers missed opportunities for cooperation with outside specialists poorly coordinated development staff ineffective leadership and much more Beginning with an "executive summary" that will guide you quickly to the chapters most relevant to your business, this well-organized book should be on the shelf of every company officer who wants to see his firm prosper, innovate, and create new products that sell-now and for years to come

Collaboration among industry, universities and research institutes plays a vital role in stimulating open innovation, which in turn leads to new products, processes, services and business models. This book brings together a number of real-life examples of how to govern and manage open innovation collaboration projects more effectively, and provides timely insights that project consortia, governance boards and funding agencies can directly apply to implement and monitor projects and achieve greater impacts. All papers were written by recognized leading authorities with extensive experience in governance and management, and reveal how to capitalize on the potential of open innovation. This book shares multidisciplinary research perspectives on the potential benefits and challenges of collaboration, project management, and open innovation, as well as the management of complex organizational cultures and governance models.

In this book, the story of how IKEA and its paper producers struggled to solve the problem of creating environmentally friendly paper constitutes the foundation of a discussion of technological development. Through a detailed analysis of the case-study, the authors demonstrate the necessity of including social, technological and economical factors when dealing with such issues.
Focusing on the interactive aspects of commercial and technological development, they examine how new solutions are developed and shaped in relation to the different companies and organizations involved. They investigate resources in terms of how they are related and built into other resources through historical and contemporary interaction processes. Their overall emphasis is on dealing with the issue of how different, closely and distantly related companies and organizations are affected when resources are developed.


eBook available with sample pages: 0203217535

This book systematizes the concepts of business relationships and network embeddedness, taking a new approach to internationalization, relevant for the global economy. It reflects the growing importance of network internationalization theory and explores the impact of embeddedness in domestic and foreign relationships on a company's performance. The author questions the validity of the distinction between domestic and foreign activity of companies and demonstrates that in the B2B market, there are actually no exclusively domestic companies which are not directly or indirectly connected with foreign entities. Chapters cover both small to medium sized enterprises and large multinational corporations, presenting a qualitative analysis of over 400 companies including case studies from the IT and furniture industries. This informative study will provide useful insight for academics and students of business and management, international business and organization studies.

In this book, leading international scholars provide a timely reconsideration of how and why entrepreneurship matters for economic development, particularly in emerging and developing economies. The book critically dissects the evolving relationship between entrepreneurs and the state.

Navigating Digital Transformation in Management provides a thorough introduction to the implications of digital transformation for leaders and managers. The book clearly outlines what new or enhanced roles and activities digital transformation requires of them. The book takes a practical approach and shapes an actionable guide that students can take with them into their future careers as managers themselves. With core theoretical grounding, the book explains how the digital transformation imperative requires all organizations to continuously undertake digital business transformation to adapt to ongoing digital disruption and to effectively compete as digital businesses. The book discusses the critical roles managers need to play in establishing, facilitating, and accelerating the day-to-day activities required to build and continuously upgrade these capabilities. Drawing on cutting edge research, this textbook: Explains how digital technology advancements drive digital disruption and why digital business transformation and operating as a digital business are critical to organization survival Unpacks the different digital business capabilities required to effectively compete as a digital business Considers the new or digitally enhanced competencies required of leaders, managers, and their supporting professionals to effectively play their roles in digital transformation Discusses how leaders, managers, and their supporting professionals can keep up with digital technology advancements Unpacks key digital technology advancements, providing a plain language understanding of what they are, how they work, and their implications for organizations Enriched with pedagogical features to support understanding and reinforce learning, such as reflective questions, learning summaries, and case studies, and supported by a suite of instructor materials, this textbook is an ideal choice for teachers that want to enable their information systems, information technology, and digital business students to compete and thrive in the contemporary business environment.

Series Information:
Harwood Fundamentals of Pure & Applied Economics

This book points out that "Internet" is the means, and the digital economy is the result. Therefore, the development of digital economy will inevitably have a profound impact on traditional enterprises and Internet enterprises and become the main way and new driving force for China's innovation and growth. The book starts with the concept of digital economy and reveals the current development of digital economy, how to improve the foundation of digital construction, and the strategies for accelerating digital transformation of various industries, the problems that need to be solved in the development of digital economy and the huge role it will play in promoting society. The book provides a clear blueprint for the government and enterprises to understand and formulate policies and development strategies in the era of digital economy.

Over 12 years ago Logica started the development of TestFrame(r), a test method which enables organizations to develop and execute their tests in a structured way. Since then many new techniques have been developed, such as, most recently, "Service Oriented Architectures (SOAs)" or "Software as a Service (SaaS)," requiring updates to test procedures and processes that seemed well-established. These trends have prompted Logica to update and renew the TestFrame(r) method. Chris Schotanus new book takes into account the recent developments and his presentation is focused on supporting daily test practice. Every step within this structured test method is dealt with exhaustively, providing the reader with the necessary details for successful software testing. Yet his book will not only help test personnel to improve effectivity, it will also serve as a way to improve efficiency through its strong focus on reuse. This makes TestFrame the practical guide to testing information systems for everyone involved in software testing test developers, test managers, and staff charged with quality assurance."

Capitalism produced entrepreneurs and property rights, the two basic pillars of innovation and growth. As the speed of technology is steadily increasing only radical innovation can be the name of the game. This book discusses technology and innovation trends by looking into historical examples and telling the latest business stories. It opens the discourse about pirates, pioneers, innovators and imitators; proposes the framework of dominant, science-driven and high-tech industry for innovation management and gives insights into intellectual property rights, industrial designs and technical risk management. Finally, it offers 8 important innovation principles for technology driven enterprises that have turned out to have a big effect on the outcome - and in the end on growth.

This book discusses skill formation, upskilling of workers, and their interaction with technological change in Gulf countries. Heavy dependence on oil, the 'Dutch Disease', and the high incidence of unskilled foreign workers have caused serious structural imbalances in the labour market in the Gulf. The author shows that success of economic development strategies to address such imbalances are all contingent upon the development of adequate and appropriate skills in the region. This book confirms the role and impact of the deficiencies in the educational system alongside the well established effects of the excessive use of uneducated foreign workers and lack of incentives in the labour market. A comprehensive investigation of the skill problem and an elaborate in-depth analysis to assess the causes, consequences and relationships between poor skills and technological performance are highlights of this book. This is an ideal resource for policy makers in the Gulf region and researchers of the topic.

Addressing the effect of big data analytics-capable information systems on organizational ambidexterity, this book investigates how these systems can be used to enhance organizational agility and flexibility, generally considered to be two key determinants of organizational ambidexterity. With a focus on the opportunities for businesses rather than the burden that big data can represent, the authors highlight the impact of big data on ambidextrous organizations and how current organizational structures can be modified in order to improve big data analytics and implement big data-capable information systems.

The main purpose of this book is to expose economics graduate students and researchers to the most significant development in international trade that has taken place in the recent past. Service transactions now make up a sizeable portion of global trade. Trade in both final and intermediate inputs is done virtually through information and communication networks, raising afresh the question of the basis of trade and calling for in-depth investigation. This book succinctly comes up with a relatively new explanation for the basis of trade, thus it adds a new dimension to three existing building blocks: technology, endowment, and returns to scale. Against a backdrop of standard Ricardian and Heckscher-Ohlin competitive models of trade, the chapters of this book nicely introduce the issue of communication cost and the difference in time zones between two trading nations. Then follow many intricate phenomena such as informality, skill formation, growth, wage inequality, and decisions regarding foreign direct investment (FDI). However, imperfectly competitive models are not dealt with in great detail as they deserve more space than can be allotted to them here. Given the nonexistence of any research-oriented in-depth analyses of competitive trade models with time-zone differences, this book is a valuable addition to the resources available to researchers and policymakers interested in deciphering recent developments in global trade patterns and the subsequent welfare effect.