Horizontal Networks Research Articles

Visualization of Vessels in Tomato Seedlings Using Girdling

A novel method for the easy and detailed visualization of water pathways (i.e., xylem vessels) involving girdling after staining is proposed. This technique was applied to intact seedlings as well as seedlings whose vessels were intentionally damaged to evaluate the effectiveness of the procedure.The applicability of the technique to grafted fruit-vegetable seedlings was tested using tomato seedlings (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. ‘Momotaro’). The vessels were stained with congo red via the roots prior to girdling. This technique is unique in that it allows the visualization of the vessel network by a simple procedure as well as the continuous and unambiguous observation of the vertical and horizontal networks of vessels. Using the technique, we can observe a complex network of vessels, including vessel branching and vessel regeneration after damage.

From social conflict to social dialogue: Counter-mobilization on the European waterfront

Can trade unions organize internationally and ensure common standards of employment to prevent capital flight, social dumping and an international ‘race-to-the-bottom’? The experience of European dockworkers suggests that trade unions need to frame domestic conflicts in a global context and respond to foreign or international pressures within domestic politics before they can shift the scale of contention from the national to the European level. The campaigns against proposed Port Services Directives demonstrate that if social actors can project their domestic claims vertically onto international institutions and/or foreign actors they can divert the course of EU policy-making. In particular, if they can co-operate with other social actors through horizontal networks across different countries with similar claims, they can use both conflict and dialogue to protect their interests.

Mobile Phones, the Bottom of the Pyramid and Working‐Class Information Society in China

AbstractThe rise of China as the world's largest mobile phone market poses key challenges to existing ways of conceptualizing the relationship between mobiles and information society, including especially questions concerning class stratification and class formation at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). These are more than questions specific to the Chinese context. They are relevant to much of the Global South: Can there be a working‐class information society? If so, what does it look like? What are its basic characteristics and key issues of contention, especially in relation to mobile communication? Based on recent evidence from urban China, this article discusses important questions about mobile phones, BOP, and working‐class information society. It discusses the macro‐institutional framework in China that shapes informational needs and patterns of appropriation at the grassroots level, which not only facilitates horizontal networking and new modes of class organization but also leads to new ways of exploitation and disempowerment. When it comes to issues of the working class, social processes at the BOP are often multi‐dimensional, sometimes paradoxical, always inviting. This article also addresses issues for future research.

Estimation of Variance Components Using a Step-by-Step Approach

We may obtain a unique parameter vector solution from a combination of individually estimated parameter vectors by adjusting different observation groups. This kind of combination method, the so-called step-by-step procedure, is widely used in geodesy. We derive Helmert-type variance-component estimates for several observation groups via this step-by-step approach. In the estimation step, only individual results are used; hence, this procedure is called step-by-step estimation of variance components. The novel approach is applied to a horizontal control network and a leveling network.

Cooperation trends in horizontal business networks:: the example of retail networks in Germany

Alemania es uno de los paises en que la cooperacion empresarial alcanzo el mayor desarrollo y organizacion, especialmente en la forma de redes horizontales de empresas. El numero de acuerdos cooperativos y los resultados alcanzados por las redes a lo largo de varias decadas en actividad son significativos y sirven como interesante ejemplo para las redes brasilenas. En este articulo, se presentan el escenario actual de la cooperacion en redes horizontales en Alemania y las tendencias para la organizacion y gestion de dichas redes en el futuro. Se realizo el estudio con base en datos secundarios y entrevistas en profundidad con especialistas alemanes en el tema, academicos, consultores organizacionales, gestores de redes y representantes de entidades, seleccionados en funcion de su conocimiento sobre el asunto. Los resultados demuestran el alto grado de profesionalismo de la gestion de redes, la tendencia a un gobierno centralizado para coordinar grandes redes y la tendencia a modelos mixtos de organizacion, que combinan el sistema cooperativo con el sistema de filiales y el sistema de franquicias. La formacion de alianzas entre redes, la fusion de grupos cooperativos y la busca de la internacionalizacion son otras tendencias que merecen destaque en la opinion de los especialistas, lo que contribuye no solo a la metamorfosis de los modelos de cooperacion empresarial y sino tambien a su mantenimiento como importante estrategia de supervivencia y aumento de la competitividad de empresas independientes en Alemania.

Navigating Ambiguity: Comedy Improvisation as a Tool for Urban Design Pedagogy and Practice

The purpose of this article is three-fold: to reflect critically on the nature of comedy improvisation as a method of unleashing individual and collaborative creativity, to investigate its application in studio pedagogy as a way of enhancing the design process, and to offer insights into its effectiveness as a pedagogical tool and its implications for urban design practice. While comedy improvisation has been studied and applied in fields such as business and management, there has been no serious attempt to explore its potential as an urban design methodology. Based on the author’s experience as a professional urban designer and extensive training in comedy improvisation, an experimental urban design studio was conducted in Boston for graduate students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in early 2009. The article highlights the benefits of comedy improvisation such as creative collaboration, fostering innovation, supporting spontaneity, and learning through error; and describes the studio experience of building skills and testing ideas through pedagogical practice. The article concludes with useful insights from comedy improvisation for urban design practice, including building effective design teams as horizontal networks, developing highly creative design processes that are sensitive to constant change, and ways in which design innovation emerges out of specific types of group dynamics. Urban designers require such skills in a field marked by long-term non-linear design processes, interdisciplinary teams and multiple stakeholders with different viewpoints, and considerable ambiguity in decision making.

Another approach to reliability measures for systems with correlated observations

An approach to internal reliability analysis is presented which, compared to existing approaches, offers further insight into the system responses to observation gross errors. The proposed reliability measures are defined on the diagonal and non-diagonal elements of the modified reliability matrix being an oblique projector. It maps the observations into the least squares residuals, both expressed as multiples of the a priori standard deviations of the observations. The system responses to a single gross error, such as the local, the quasi-global or the global response, are discussed and their consistency with non-correlation case is proved. Also, the reliability criteria interpretable in terms of those responses are proposed. They enable one to evaluate the observation systems with correlated and uncorrelated observations with respect to internal reliability. An attempt is also made to relate the global responses to reliability numbers that are the basis for determining the magnitude of the minimal detectable bias. Some differences of the new reliability measures in relation to existing measures are indicated. A numerical example is provided, showing the reliability analysis for a simulated horizontal network (distances, angles and GPS vectors), with given covariance matrix for GPS-vector components. In addition, a reliability analysis is presented for a simple leveling network being a study case for other authors referred to in this paper.

Multi‐product supply chain horizontal network integration: models, theory, and computational results

AbstractIn this paper, we develop multi‐product supply chain network models with explicit capacities, before and after their horizontal integration. In addition, we propose a measure, which allows one to quantify and assess, from a supply chain network perspective, the synergy benefits associated with the integration of multi‐product firms through mergers/acquisitions. We utilize a system‐optimization perspective for the model development and provide the variational inequality formulations, which are then utilized to propose a computational procedure which fully exploits the underlying network structure. We illustrate the theoretical and computational framework with numerical examples. This paper is a contribution to the literatures of supply chain integration and mergers and acquisitions.

The role of cities in achieving the EU targets on biofuels for transportation: The cases of Berlin, London, Milan and Helsinki

Road transportation is a strongly growing source of CO 2, and use of biofuels represents one option to reduce end-of-pipe emissions of the existing car fleet. In this contribution, the implementation of the EU Biofuels Directive (2003/30/EC) and related voluntary measures at the local level are examined in Germany, UK, Italy and Finland and the cities of Berlin, London, Milan and Helsinki. Even though they are not directly involved in the implementation of the biofuel directive, all four cities studied have played an important role in emissions reduction by voluntarily participating in research and demonstration projects and by using biofuels in their own fleet. An analysis of the numerous causes and driving forces leading to different local level measures is provided. The environmental sensitivity, usually examined at national level, and the national level implementation of the EU Biofuels Directive (2003/30/EC) were not directly correlated with the city-level activities Instead, support from local businesses and acquisition of EU funds were considered to be valid explanatory factors for the city-level activities. In addition, through horizontal networking cities are starting to exchange know-how gained in their projects, contributing in this way to the accumulation of experience for future policies and technologies.

Horizontal and Vertical Networks for Innovation in the Traditional Food Sector

The locus of innovation is not the individual firm anymore but increasingly the network in which the firm is embedded. Hence, in this paper innovation is investigated in the broader context of networks and applied to the traditional food sector. Networking refers to a process of identifying and acting on complementary interests with or without formal means of cooperation and plays an important role for the diffusion and adoption of innovations, because they increase the flow of information. Two main types of networks exist. Vertical networks relate to cooperation of partners belonging to the same chain. Meanwhile, horizontal networks refer to coopereation among firms which are primarily competitors. Data were collected during focus groups and in-depths interviews in three European contries: Belgium, Hungary, and Italy. In each country, data are collected from retailers/wholesalers, food manufacturers and suppliers in the beer, hard and half hard cheese, ham, sausage, or white paprika chain. In the investigated countries both vertical and horizontal networks exist. However, the intensity of using the network differs. On the one hand vertical networks are well developed based on quality assurance schemes and traceability, though these networks often face difficulties due to high lack of trust. On the other hand, horizontal networks are well developed when a producer consortium is involved. However, these networks can be inhibited through strong competition. The partners in traditional food networks focus mainly on innovation related to product characteristics such as new size, form and packaging without changing the traditional character of the product. The main barriers for innovation in the traditional food networks are the lack of understanding the benefits of networking activities for innovation, the lack of trust, the lack of knowledge of appropriate methods and skills, and the lack of financial and physical resources. Our study points out that successful SMEs use their networks to overcome lacks of knowledge and information and to create possibilities of joint use of resources.

Communication channels, innovation tasks and NPD project outcomes in innovation-driven horizontal networks

Inter-organizational collaborations and horizontal networks are increasingly playing a pivotal role in innovations and new product development among firms. In this study, we investigate the link between the innovation task analyzability and the richness of communications channels used in network arrangements and the link between task analyzability and ties and project development time. We investigated the links based on the data collected from 372 respondents representing ninety three different innovation-driven horizontal networks. The results of structural equation modeling reveal a negative link from task analyzability to communication channel richness and a positive link from communication channel richness to ties. Communication channel richness was found to partially mediate the influence that task analyzability has on both NPD project outcomes of ties and development time. The implications of our results for theory and practice are discussed.

The Economics of Voluntary Traceability in Multi‐Ingredient Food Chains

AbstractThe consumption of multi‐ingredient foods is increasing across the globe. Traceability can be used as a tool to gather information about and manage food safety risks associated with these types of products. The authors investigate the choice of voluntary traceability in three‐tiered multi‐ingredient food supply chains. They propose a framework based on vertical control and agency theory to model three dimensions of traceability systems: depth, breadth, and precision. Their analysis has three main results. First, full traceability is feasible as long as there are net benefits to a downstream firm that demands traceability across all ingredients. Second, horizontal network externalities are positive because an increase in the level of traceability in one ingredient requires a similar increase in others. Finally, vertical network effects will be positive insofar as willingness to pay and probabilities of food safety hazards increase. [EconLit Classification: Q130, L140]. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Twelfth-century Epistolary Language of Friendship Reconsidered. The Case of Guibert of Gembloux

Historians regard the twelfth century as the golden age of friendship. Nevertheless, the correct interpretation of this culture of friendship and its literary manifestations is under debate. Researchers into the amicitia debate increasingly rely on the “ network approach”, which is centered on the use of the language of friendship. In the present article, this quantitative approach is applied to a late twelfth-century collection of letters by a Benedictine monk, Guibert of Gembloux, and is complemented by a close reading of four case studies. Guibert’s correspondence attests to a spiritual interpretation of friendship that can function as an identifying discourse within a horizontal network among a monastic elite.

Collective Entrepreneurship. Networking as a strategy for business development

The paper addresses the emerging practice of collective entrepreneurship and demonstrate a model of network marketing management in SMEs. The use of cooperation and alliances between local actors has gained increasing attention in the contemporary economy and has been discussed as a strategy for coping with increasing global competition. One example of an area in which this focus has gained acceptance is among actors located in the experience industry and especially in tourist destinations. The focus of this paper is to elaborate on marketing models in a small and medium sized tourism enterprises setting. The problem is considered from the entrepreneurship, marketing and networking perspectives. The result is based on a case study of an horizontal hotel network in the context of a Swedish municipality. In-depth interviews with hotel owners or managers as well as with the local tourism authorities contributed with the main information in the case. The interviews resulted in a visualisation of a powerful web of connections between actors showing the impact of collective entrepreneurship to achieve positive business development. This paper suggests that theories of networks may contribute to a logic that provides a better understanding of contemporary tourist destination marketing practice.

Institutional profile: Integrated center for research and treatment of vertigo, balance and ocular motor disorders

In 2009 the German BMBF (German Ministry of Education and Research) established an Integrated Center for Research and Treatment (IFB(LMU)) of Vertigo, Balance and Ocular Motor Disorders in Munich. After the 10-year period of funding by the BMBF, it is envisioned that the (IFB(LMU)) will continue over the long term with the joint support of the University Hospital, the Medical Faculty, and the Bavarian State. Vertigo is one of the most common complaints in medicine. Despite its high prevalence, patients with vertigo generally receive either inappropriate or inadequate treatment. This deplorable situation is internationally well known and its causes are multiple: insufficient interdisciplinary cooperation, no standardized diagnostics and therapy, the failure to translate findings of basic science into clinical applications, and the scarcity of clinical multicenter studies. The (IFB(LMU)) will constitute a suitable tool with which these structural, clinical, and scientific deficits can be overcome. It will also make possible the establishment of an international interdisciplinary referral center. Munich has become the site of a unique concentration of leading experts on vertigo, balance and ocular motor disorders, both in the clinical and basic sciences. Academic structures have paved the way for the creation of an interdisciplinary horizontal network that also allows structured, vertical academic career paths via the Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in Neuroscience, a Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, and the Munich Center for Neurosciences - Brain and Mind. The (IFB(LMU)) has the following objectives as regards structure and content: to create an independent patient-oriented clinical research center under the auspices of the Medical Faculty but with autonomous administration and budget; to overcome existing clinical and academic barriers separating the traditional specializations; to establish a standardized interdisciplinary longitudinal and transversal network at one site for the management of patients. This should professionalize both the management and the international recruitment of patients (integrated care, telemedicine); to organize the study infrastructure for prospective multicenter clinical studies as well as to free clinical scientists from administrative tasks; to promote translational research with a focus on the innovative topics of molecular, functional and structural imaging, experimental and clinical pharmacotherapy, clinical research of vertigo and balance disorders, mathematical modelling, interaction between biological and technical systems (robotics), and research on functionality and the quality of life; to offer new attractive educational paths and career images for medical doctors, students of the natural sciences, and engineers in clinical research in order to overcome traditional hierarchical structures. This should promote the principles of efficiency and self-reliance; to supplement the existing excellence with up to eight groups of young scientists and up to eight professorships (tenure track). This should also be seen as an incentive that will attract the best young scientists; to incorporate (IFB(LMU)) competence into the existing medical and biological graduate schools. The (IFB(LMU)) is a unique center - worldwide.

Governance and policy learning in the European Union: a comparison with North America

Several scholars argue that policy-making in the EU occurs in horizontal networks more frequently than in nation states. They add that EU networks, unlike networks in nation states, are not subordinated to any formal structure of authority. Moreover, EU networks seek consensus as their actors are concerned about the EU's democratic deficit. Consequently, learning features prominently as a method to make policy decisions in EU governance. This article tests this proposal. The test rests on a comparative survey yielding 666 completed questionnaires from actors involved in biotechnology policy development in Europe and North America. The survey was conducted twice, once in 2006 and once in 2008, and provides information on policy learning intensity, on consensus formation and on policy transfers. The survey fails to provide evidence that policy actors involved in EU governance learn more than those involved exclusively in European and North American nation states.

Vertical Politics in Horizontal Policy Networks: Framework Setting as Coupling Arrangement

Horizontal governance arrangements potentially conflict with the very principles of the representative democracy and its political institutions. This conflict manifests itself in the interaction between representatives and the executive power: Although the former has the formal power to decide upon policies and to check their implementation, the latter participates in horizontal networks and therefore has more resources to influence the content, evolvement, and outcomes of the policy process. This erodes the power position of representatives. Framework setting is commonly suggested as an arrangement for representatives to enhance their grip on policy processes. The authors of this contribution examine the effects of framework setting as coupling mechanism between horizontal networks and vertical politics in six policy processes in a Dutch province. Based on network theory and research findings, they suggest redefining the concept of framework setting in order to make it more attuned to the complex, interdependent, and dynamic nature of policymaking in networks.

Editors' Notes

The fourth and final 2009 issue of PSJ showcases the international breadth as well as the rigorous theoretically-driven scholarship found in contemporary public policy research. Readers will find applications on implementation and network analysis, the multiple streams framework, the advocacy coalition framework, attribution theory, policy disruptions, and policy entrepreneurs. This issue features articles on a wide range of issue-areas, including poverty, welfare policy, central-bank independence, education policy, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights. As editors, we are proud to feature articles written by authors residing in New Zealand, the United States, Israel, and the Netherlands. We offer three articles on salient public policy issues. The lead article is a thought provoking piece contributed by Douglas Besharov and Douglas Call entitled, “Income Transfers Alone Won't Eradicate Poverty.” This article provides a controversial perspective on the effect of government transfer programs and whether what is commonly treated as “poverty” (and addressed with government transfer programs) is better conceptualized as “income inequality.” The argument is that income inequality is best remedied by raising income and human capital. Readers must not miss the empirical and logical rebuttal by Robert Plotnick and a reply by Besharov and Call. This exchange initiates what the Editors see as an occasional point/counterpoint exchange over especially provocative arguments. Next we explore what explains support for the rights of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals. Guided by attrition theory, Greg Lewis responds to this question by showing that growing support for rights of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals is largely explained by beliefs in the biological basis of homosexuality. We are also proud to present an analysis of the social welfare systems in the United States. Ae-Sook Kim and Edward T. Jennings Jr. present their work entitled, “Effects of U.S. States' Social Welfare Systems on Population Health.” Their paper addresses the consequences of the social welfare system on the population's health. Offering a rare sub-national analysis of social welfare and population health, the authors find that improved social welfare programs enhance a population's heath condition. Innovations in policy process research can be found in five articles. The first is another contribution to PSJ's ongoing synthetic review series. We are gratified to present PSJ readers a review and synthesis of the policy entrepreneur literature by Michael Mintrom in “Policy Entrepreneurship and Policy Change.” Mintrom's piece demonstrates that the policy entrepreneur is central to a number of distinct policy approaches, in particular when considering policy change. Mintrom will likely serve as a must read for any scholar seeking to contribute to our shared understanding about the role of policy entrepreneurs in policy processes. In “The Puzzle of the Diffusion of Central Bank Independence Reforms: Insights from an Agent-Based Simulation,” Orit Rapport, David Levi-Faur, and Dan Miodownik offer probably the first agent-based model inspired by Kingdon's multiple streams framework on the diffusion across governments of central bank independence. They place special emphasis on three aspects of the diffusion process: the likelihood of reform; the rate of adoption; and the time to the outbreak. Chris Ansell, Sarah Reckhow, and Andrew Kelly integrate the civic capacity literature and the advocacy coalition framework in “How to Reform a Reform Coalition: Outreach, Agenda Expansion, and Brokerage in Urban School Reform.” Ansell, Reckhow, and Kelly compare advocacy coalitions to relatively broad civic coalitions using social network analysis in an Oakland school district. Inspired by policy network analysis, Joop Koppejan, Mirjam Kars, and Haiko van der Voort describe a framework for dealing with legislative representation and executive power in terms of the content, evolution, and outcomes of the policy process. Drawing upon the politics in a Dutch province, they argue the merits of horizontal networks and vertical politics. Finally, Peter May explores how policy disruptions affect agendas across policy subsystems post the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. May's important findings—that only limited system disruptions occur during a time of crisis—suggests that stressed bureaucratic systems deployed particularly stable subsystems as a means to buffer and minimize the threatening disruptions. As co-editors, we are doubly appreciative to the authors and reviewers for the quality of the submissions in this current issue. Once again, we encourage authors in the public policy community to continue to support PSJ bysubmitting your best manuscripts; to our referees, please note that your always thoughtful and constructive reviewsbenefit both the authors and the PSJ readership. Thank you.

Governance and Coordination in Brazilian Beef Alliances: An Analysis Based on Transaction Cost and Relational Approaches

The research aimed at finding the link between the governance structures and the coordination in Brazilian beef alliances. The paper provides a review of the literature on the coordination of the Brazilian and International beef agribusiness system that shows the importance of adequate governance to the system’s players. The theoretical analysis is based upon the transaction cost economics in order to identify the transactions’ dimensions and on the concepts of relative scope and embeddedness to find the density of relations among agents. The analytical model makes use of the transactions cost dimensions – asset specificity, uncertainty and frequency in order to explain the choice for the alliance hybrid governance structure. The governance specificities of each alliance that arise from the leadership profile – cattle producers, breed association, pack industry, retailer – are explained by the combined analysis of members’ relative scope and embeddedness. The research methodology was based on multiple case studies with data obtained through interviews with alliances’ managers. The study found evidence that agents’ coordination is strengthened in same basis by cattle producers’ leadership in a horizontal network of dense relations, and also through retailer vertical control.

Integriertes Forschungs- und Behandlungszentrum für Schwindel, Gleichgewichts- und Okulomotorikstörungen

The German BMBF (German Ministry of Education and Research) has decided to establish an Integrated Center for Research and Treatment of Vertigo, Balance and Ocular Motor Disorders (IFB(LMU)) in Munich in 2010. After funding over a 10-year period, the long-term continuation of the IFB(LMU) by the medical faculty and the hospital is envisioned. Vertigo is one of the most common complaints in medicine. Despite its high prevalence patients with vertigo generally receive either inappropriate or inadequate treatment. This deplorable situation is internationally well known and its causes are multiple: insufficient interdisciplinary cooperation, no standardized diagnostics and therapy, the failure to translate findings of basic science into clinical applications and the scarcity of clinical multicenter studies. The IFB(LMU) will constitute a suitable tool with which these structural, clinical, and scientific deficits can be overcome. It will also make possible the establishment of an international interdisciplinary referral center. Munich has become the site of a unique concentration of leading experts on vertigo, balance and ocular motor disorders, both in the clinical and basic sciences. Academic structures have paved the way for the creation of an interdisciplinary horizontal network that also allows structured, vertical academic career paths via the Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in neuroscience, a Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, and the Munich Center for Neuroscience "Brain and Mind". The IFB(LMU) has the following objectives with regard to structure and content: to create an independent patient-oriented clinical research center under the auspices of the Medical Faculty but with autonomic administration and budget; to overcome existing clinical and academic barriers separating the traditional specializations, to establish a standardized interdisciplinary longitudinal and transversal network at one site for the management of patients. This should professionalize both the management and the international recruitment of patients (integrated care, telemedicine); to organize the study infrastructure for prospective multicenter clinical studies as well as to free clinical scientists from administrative tasks; to promote translational research with a focus on the innovative topics of molecular functional and structural imaging, experimental and clinical pharmacotherapy, clinical research of vertigo and balance disorders, mathematical modelling, interaction between biological and technical systems (robotics) and research on functionality and the quality of life; to offer new attractive educational paths and career images for medical doctors, students of the natural sciences and engineers in clinical research in order to overcome traditional hierarchical structures. This should promote the principles of efficiency and self-reliance; to supplement the existing excellence with up to eight groups of young scientists and up to eight professorships (tenure track). This should also be seen as an incentive that will attract the best young scientists; to incorporate IFB(LMU) competence into the existing medical and biological graduate schools. The IFB(LMU) is a unique reference center worldwide.