How Does the Local State Mediate the Relationship Between Technological Change and Work? Evidence from Warehousing in England

Ghana’s local governments are arenas for autonomous policy decisions following its 1988 decentralization program. These structures evolve and regulate economic and physical development plans in their jurisdictions. To ensure local level participation, institution building within the local self-governments has been actively undertaken, and in metropolitan areas, regulatory authorities for physical development have been reformed and decentralized to sub-metropolitan district structures. Despite the institutional changes, the challenge of unauthorized physical development persists and threatens reserved spaces designated for public use, conservation, and recreational purposes. Given the complex mix of formal rules and practical norms within these structures, this paper explains how institutional reforms within the local self-governments work rather in favor of individuals’ interests; the changes allow not only local state actors but also private developers to juggle the various institutional frames and maneuver their way through to erect unauthorized structures in the Kumasi metropolis. Based on empirical data from the local state administrative structures in Kumasi, the paper shows how the interests of actors together with the multiple institutional rules shape residents’ options in their pursuit of physical projects in the urban space and, thus, enhancing the emergence of unauthorized settlement patterns in the metropolis. The paper, therefore, challenges the dominant notion on local state institutional reforms that links them to improved delivery of local public goods in the Global South because, in most cases, the change programs are severely limited by existing institutional interests and practices.

Identifying the impact of patent family on the patent trajectory: A case of thin film solar cells technological trajectories

In England, since 2008, some categories of infrastructure project have been defined as ‘nationally significant’ and consented through a central state-led system rather than through the traditional local state town and country planning process. When introduced, there was little focus on the role of the local state in this new Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime which, if discussed at all, was often described as diminished. Drawing on our own research into the operation of the regime in practice, we outline how local state actors have become increasingly knowledgeable about their role in the regime and have become indispensable players in the implementation of these projects, including in relation to their own formal powers and roles in the system but also through a range of informal practices drawing on local knowledge and community relationships. In performing these roles, we argue that local authorities are engaging in statecraft through scalecraft. This scalecraft means that the local state is more important to the functioning of a central state regime than has previously been acknowledged, resulting in a complex and fragmented central-local state scalar layering. In turn, this demonstrates that despite the challenges of austerity, local authorities continue to draw on their own democratic legitimacy to perform vital state functions.

Abstract: Christensen and Bower (1996) and Christensen (1997, 2003) discuss disruptive innovation by applying Dosi's concept of disruptive technological trajectories (Dosi, 1982). In the studies on performance of hard disk drives, Christensen uses and re-uses reprinted graph, in which time and performance are on the horizontal and vertical axes. However, careful examination of different publications shows a varying shape and vertical axis, raising doubts about its reliability. In fact, whether the technological trajectories look disruptive or sustaining depends on the unit on the vertical axis. To present the nature of technological trajectories, it would appear more appropriate to set the vertical axis to volumetric recording density for hard disk drives. Moreover, the technological trajectories of hard disk drives would not be disruptive, if the vertical axis was adjusted to reflect weights of hard disk drives or amounts of their electricity use. It is conceivable that Christensen came to this conclusion that the technological trajectories are disruptive before considering a more appropriate performance measure for them.Keywords: hard disk drive, disruptive technological trajectory, disruptive innovation, innovator's dilemma1. IntroductionNelson and Winter (1977) used natural trajectories1 to determine the direction of technological progress. Based on this, Dosi (1982) introduced the concept of technological trajectories. Further, Christensen and Bower (1996) make a distinction between trajectory-sustaining innovation and trajectory-disrupting (or trajectory-disruptive) radical innovation.2Dosi (1982) defines a technological trajectory as the pattern of problem solving activity, that is of progress, on the grounds of a technological paradigm (Dosi, 1982, p.152). These activities represent continuity or incremental innovation (Dosi, 1982, p. 158). For example, the technological change from a 14-inch removable disk pack to a 14-inch Winchester drive has a sustaining impact on an established trajectory of performance improvement (Christensen & Bower, 1996). In Figure 1,3 this can be seen as the switch from technology A to technology B.In general, a new technology consecutively replaces an old one. As technology A approaches a given level of maturity, the pace of its performance improvement decreases, causing a switch to technology B. Similarly, there is a switch from technology B to technology C and on to technology D. This is known as a continuous technological trajectory, illustrated by the red line in Figure 1, which is a locus of trajectory-sustaining technological change.2. Disruptive TrajectoryBy contrast, Dosi (1982) also suggests an extraordinary breakthrough as a result of radical innovation, a clear technological leap that is discontinuous on the upper side; whereas Christensen and Bower (1996) posit discontinuity on the lower side and that when one technological trajectory ends (e.g., Technology A in Figure 2), a trajectory of inferior technology with lower performance (e.g., Technology B in Figure 2) originates from below. Figure 2 clearly shows a disruptive trajectory for hard disk drives when product performance, measured in terms of storage capacity or disk size, deviated due to technological change, that is, from A (14 inch) to B (8 inch) to C (5.25 inch) to D (3.5 inch).Under normal circumstances, when there is a technological change from an existing technology to a new one with higher performance, such as the change from disk-pack drives to Winchester drives, the market reacts positively to it. This holds true whether the technological change is continuous or discontinuous (Dosi, 1982, referred to this type of discontinuity as upward compatibility), given that performance of the new technology is higher than the old one; if not, the product would not be marketable. Thus, this type of change should be trajectory sustaining.However, in the hard disk drive market, toy-like products with inferior performance gain a separate large market and are sold in that market rather than in the existing market. …

How might relationships mediate the gap between images and practices of the local state? Drawing on an ethnography of the local state and its role in the provision of social support, this article explores the place of relationships in supporting and/or undermining the ability of local state actors to get things done and live up to the expectations of their co-villagers. The study reveals that it is often through the use of personalized relationships as a basis for flexible practices that local state actors are best able to uphold the image of a coherent and efficient state. However, the ambiguities of relationships can equally undermine attempts to maintain services, institutions, and practices that embody the state at this local level.

Although stakeholder participation in place branding is actively encouraged, there has been a paucity of studies examining why uneven involvement persists in practice. This study builds on Bourdieu's theory of field and capital to explain how stakeholders from the local state, destinations, businesses and local communities negotiate influence and legitimacy in the place branding process. A multi-case study of two UK cities was employed involving semi-structured interviews with 60 stakeholders. We identify the specific characteristics of cultural capital in place branding: procedural know-how and place-sensitive knowledge. Our findings show that community representatives can acquire a seat at the place branding table by possessing distinct place-sensitive knowledge and drawing on procedural know-how accrued from professional settings. Nevertheless, traditionally dominant stakeholder groups, such as local state actors, destination management organisations and the business community, can build strategic collaborations that counter deficits in cultural capital and thus retain their status.

This paper applies multivariate analysis to a rich data set on technological innovation, in order to identify typical patterns of technological change. To single out the dominant forms of technological behaviour, twelve variables have been selected approximating firms' technological sources and innovation results. Multivariate analysis was applied to identify six main clusters or dominant technological profiles. Each cluster was then interpreted on the basis of a larger set of variables concerning firms' technological and economic performance. The results confirm recent emphasis placed by scholars of technical change on variety of bchaviour in technical change and industrial organization and, more specifically, Pavitt's seminal attempt at a classification of this variety. However, our clusters are somewhat more numerous than Pavitt's, thus showing a more complex combination of technological input and output. Moreover, representative industries of each cluster are less easily recognized as a less marked sectoral characterization of clusters emerges. The latter result seems to imply that variety in technological change is also shown by the existence of different technological trajectories and strategies within the same sector. We suggest that the diffuse nature of recent technical change has given firms greater freedom of strategic choice among different technological strategies.

In this paper, we make three interrelated points. First, while much of the recent literature on new forms of citizenship has focused on the diversity of large cities and new forms of migration, we seek to establish rural sites as important arenas for negotiating citizenship. We stress that far from being homogeneous, villages in their struggles over belonging are affected by long-standing diversity as well as global discourses. Second, we seek to complicate the interpretation of the demise of socialism as a radical break manifested in a diminished role of the state. We show that if the central state retreats, local state actors may gain in importance for local negotiations of citizenship. Third, we explore how the local state actors sometimes use their new powers over social rights to recreate boundaries of belonging through public performances tied to the administration of these rights. We go on to explore the normative basis for these performances and indicate that membership is still based on a contribution of work to the common good. This can best be conceptualised as a shifting continuity rather than a sharp break after 1989.

Adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in December 2018, the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and its Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) point to a paradigm shift in international refugee policy. The social and economic independence of refugees in destination countries and communities in particular is to be increased. In return, the international community commits to engage in burden- and responsibility-sharing by supporting hosting countries and communities with knowledge and resources. With this new deal, the UN announced its intention to break existing vicious cycles of displacement and dependence on aid in order to ensure that refugees and host communities benefit equally from the measures. The East African nation of Kenya is one of 15 pilot countries working to promote the implementation of the CRRF. The Kenyan Government pledged at the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in September 2016 to integrate refugees more effectively and involve them in national and local development planning processes. It underscored its commitments in March 2017 in the context of the regional Nairobi Declaration and Action Plan (NAP). While the national operational plan announced at the time has not yet been adopted, individual commitments are already being implemented. These also include the (further) development of the integrated refugee settlement of Kalobeyei in Turkana Country in the far north-west of the country, a project supported by the international community as part of the CRRF, but originally initiated at local level. The example of Kenya and Turkana County shows that the (capacity for) implementation of global agreements depends not least on the specific interests of sub-national actors. Requirements of the CRRF, such as better infrastructure for refugees and host communities, are compatible with the local government's economic development priorities. The capacity of Kenyan counties to take action has also been improved as a result of the decentralisation process in 2010. To a certain degree at least, counties can challenge the national security-related narratives which restrict the opportunities of refugees to participate in society to this day. In neighbouring Tanzania, implementation of the CRRF failed due in no small part to the fact that barely any consideration was given to the concerns of local actors in the nation's centralised political system. Based on our analysis, we make the following recommendations for German development policy: Local state and non-governmental actors should be involved in drafting global norms and dialogue between municipalities should be promoted, Partner governments should be made aware of the benefits of integrating refugees and political and administrative implementation should be supported, Local stakeholders should be actively involved and supported in the planning and prioritisation of refugee integration strategies.

Abstract. The purpose of this study is to analyze the driving technical characteristics in product innovation to predict technological trajectories. The analysis is based on hedonic price method and other approaches using empirical data of smartphone technology ( N =738 models over 2008-2018). Results show technological trajectories supporting the evolution of smartphone technology. In particular, critical characteristics of technological evolution in smartphone technology are: RAM in Gb, 1 st and 2 nd camera in Mpx, memory in Gb and resolution in total pixels. Implications of innovation product management are discussed. Keywords. Evolution of technology, Functionality development, Technological innovation, Product innovation management, Mobile phone, Smartphone, Technological change, Hedonic price regression, Economics of technical change. JEL. O30, O31, O32, O33, O38.

Revolutionary technological change on an exponentially growing scale is already here and mandates that the Army institute a continuous transformation process that includes all areas of doctrine, training, leadership, organization, and technology. The continuing wave of technological change is different from even the information technology revolution of the 1990s in two ways. First, it is a vastly more profound transformation due to the synergy of three emerging technologies: bio-engineering, nano-engineering, and robotics and artificial intelligence. Second, it is a revolution that will occur at a speed never seen before. In only the past couple of decades has society begun to comprehend and contemplate the implications of the apparent accelerating pace of change. This progress is not without its costs. Technological innovation is the primary cause of a growing stress in society, where the basic human desire for the comfort of permanence is in direct opposition to a deep need to control and transform the envi ronment in the service of humanity. Technological innovation continually remakes the world and is central to the economic process and cultural beliefs--commonly labeled progress--that drive modem civilization. Yet, it is this need for progress that is the source of the relentless destabilization and disorder experienced by individuals, institutions, governments, and societies. (1) The purpose of this article is to investigate three questions that are critical to the future of the US Army. First, what can be anticipated regarding the nature and pace of future technological change? Second, why is it important for the Army to continuously transform itself in response to increasingly rapid change? Finally, how could the Army respond to this change to manage the growing stress and to balance the need for organizational continuity against the requirement for the constant improvement of effectiveness to assure national security? Broad recommendations to create a continuous transformation process and to link technological innovation to desired institutional outcomes will be offered. Very little effort has been made to understand the interactions between the technological innovations required for progress and the institutional responses ensuing from these innovations. Bear in mind, the sole purpose of technological progress should be the advancement of society in general or, in the case of military technology, the strengthening of total military effectiveness. Therefore, the design of technological innovations must not be merely aimed at the enhancement of technological performance; rather, the technology must be purposefully created to produce a desired overall outcome in the Army and the nation when combined with social, political, and economic factors. What are the technologies driving much of the change in today's globally connected world, and how fast is this change occurring? The current rate of technological change will be briefly examined by observing the speed of change in several different coarse measures of progress. Next, the logic of exponential change will be considered, and why this characteristic of change is only now being recognized. The implications of the accelerating pace of technological progress are far-reaching for all organizations, and the Army cannot escape the dire consequences of failing to adapt. Emerging Technologies My intention is not to predict the particular innovations that will power social and military change for the next 15 to 20 years. However, brief descriptions of the technologies currently thought to have the greatest potential to produce the innovations that will change the world are necessary to consider their links to Army transformation. At present, broad agreement exists among experts about the general direction of the evolution of technology, and it involves three central areas: bio-engineering, nanoscale engineering, and robotics and artificial intelligence. …

The actor model is a well-established way to approach to modularly designing and implementing concurrent and/or distributed systems, seeing increasing adoption in industry. But deductive verification tailored to actor programs remains underexplored; general concurrent logics could be used, but the logics are complex and full of features to reason about behaviors the actor model strives to avoid. We explore a relatively lightweight approach of extending a system for proving sequential program correctness with means to prove safety properties of actor programs (currently, assuming no faults). We borrow ideas from hybrid logic, a modal logic for stating assertions are true at a particular point in a model (in this case, a particular actor’s local state). To make such assertions useful, we stabilize them using rely-guarantee-style reasoning over local actor states, and only permit sending stable versions of these assertions to other actors. By carefully restricting the formation of assertions that a proposition is true at a certain actor, we avoid the need for actors to handle each others’ rely-guarantee relations explicitly. Finally, we argue that the approach requires only modest adjustments beyond applying traditional sequential techniques to actors with immutable messages, by implementing most of the logic as a Dafny library.

El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar el cambio tecnológico e innovación, la forma de cómo se transmite la tecnología y las redes vinculadas a la agricultura protegida desde un enfoque territorial en el estado de Hidalgo, México. Para su análisis se utilizó la trayectoria tecnológica, el método genealógico y las redes sociotécnicas. Los resultados indican que la trayectoria se dio mediante la acumulación de cambios tecnológicos, impulsados por las políticas de fomento. Las genealogías muestran que la tecnología se introduce, adapta y reproduce por agentes innovadores que mantienen relación con universidades e instituciones públicas. Las redes sociotécnicas se caracterizan por su amplitud, heterogeneidad y clara articulación entre actores; destacan los extensionistas que se encargan de la mediación y armonización de procesos y de la creación de vínculos y relaciones entre los actores. La especialización regional fue la clave para el desarrollo de la agricultura protegida, sin embargo, es necesario diversificar productos, explorar nuevos mercados y gestionar la organización. Finalmente, el enfoque analítico utilizado permite comprender el cambio tecnológico e innovación en los sistemas de producción agrícola, cambio tecnológico, método genealógico, redes sociotécnicas y trayectoria tecnológica.

Urban morphology and local citizens in China's historic neighborhoods: A case study of the Stele Forest Neighborhood in Xi'an

PurposeIncreased globalization of the world's economies, along with accelerated technological changes are transforming research and development (R&D) activities around the world. The purpose of this paper is to study the technology development in China, particularly in the light of the globalization of R&D activities.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a detailed analysis of all US patents granted between 1979 and 2007 in which at least one inventor was a resident of China. US patents have been used as a surrogate measure of technology development and a patent developed with a resident Chinese inventor has been assumed to have been developed in China.FindingsThe paper identifies four phases of technical development in China: growth rate of patenting, extent of inventor collaboration, ownership pattern, concentration on technology trajectory and changing role of MNCs characterize each phase. While along the relatively new electrical and ICT technology trajectories, Chinese entities have benefited from the pioneering lead of foreign entities, along the traditional mechanical and chemical trajectories, foreign entities have followed the early work of Chinese entities.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the study include the validity of using US patents as the sole measure of technology development. Other measures of technology development may be necessary to validate the findings reported here.Practical implicationsThe study provides a rich source of information about different aspects of technology development in China and the challenges it faces in its internationalization.Originality/valueThe identification of four distinct phases have highlighted the pioneering role of foreign entities in opening up some technology trajectories as well as the increasing maturity and competence of all‐Chinese researcher teams.