Key Factor In Assessment Research Articles

Identifying Key Assessment Factors for a Company’s Innovation Capability Based on Intellectual Capital: An Application of the Fuzzy Delphi Method

Innovation has become one of the most important sources of a company’s sustainable competitiveness. Therefore, every company strives continuously to improve its innovation capability. A company’s innovation capability is largely determined by various factors originating from its tangible and intangible resources. A lot of research related to increasing innovation capability with assessment factors originating from tangible resources has been carried out, whereas the use of assessment factors originating from intangible capital, such as intellectual capital, is still relatively limited. This study aims to identify and screen the key assessment factors for innovation capability, based on the intellectual capital of Indonesia’s manufacturing sectors. This study used a systematic literature review and focus group discussions to establish 18 initial assessment factors, after which 14 final factors were screened out by industry practitioners and academic experts using the Fuzzy Delphi Method. Four factors had the highest de-fuzzy value (0.89), namely adaptation, innovation behavior, organization culture, climate, and forward linkages. The results also showed that three factors of the aspects of human capital (adaptation, innovation behavior, and high motivation and commitment) are considered important determinants for the assessment of innovation capabilities, based on intellectual capital.

Índice para avaliar a eficiência da gestão da propriedade intelectual em pequenas e médias empresas

In small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), protecting innovations is essential for competitiveness. However, a small percentage of SMEs make effective use of intellectual property management strategies, due, among other factors, to the lack of specific management tools. In this context, the objective of this article is to develop an index to evaluate efficiency and support SMEs in the management of intellectual property based on an evaluation model composed of indicators. For this, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was used to assign weights to the elements that compose the model. Then, based on the assigned weights, mathematical modeling of the index was developed, as well as parameters for the classification of the level of efficiency of SMEs. The results indicate that the proposed index (entitled Index E) was made up of multi-attributes, distributed in 3 levels (3 dimensions, 9 key assessment factors and 42 indicators), covering several aspects that involve the dynamics of SMEs with regard to the management of intellectual property.

Network Evolution of Logistics Service Effect of Port Infrastructure in Coastal China

The similarity of logistics functions of ports and the overlapped economic hinterlands, as well as the competition and mutual effects between port infrastructure contribute to the extremely complex service effect between logistics services of ports. How to define the complex network evolution patterns of service effect between different ports becomes essential. This study builds a BBV(Barrat, Barthelemy and Vespignani model) weighted network evolution model to analysis the complex network evolution laws of the service effect of typical seaports in coastal China. We select key assessment factors that affect the service effect of ports, establish a complex network analysis model for port service effect. 15 typical seaports in coastal China are selected for empirical research to verify the practicality and effectiveness of the established model in analysis for complex networks of ports’ service effect. The results show that the network presents a hub-and-spoke spatial pattern featuring a small world and no scales, and presents polarized and complex evolution characteristics. The results of this study are conducive to government departments and policy makers for understanding port development and evolution laws, so as to roll out effective strategies as appropriate to manage and promote sustainable development of ports.

Viscosity of Plasma as a Key Factor in Assessment of Extracellular Vesicles by Light Scattering.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from biological samples are a promising material for use in medicine and technology. However, the assessment methods that would yield repeatable concentrations, sizes and compositions of the harvested material are missing. A plausible model for the description of EV isolates has not been developed. Furthermore, the identity and genesis of EVs are still obscure and the relevant parameters have not yet been identified. The purpose of this work is to better understand the mechanisms taking place during harvesting of EVs, in particular the role of viscosity of EV suspension. The EVs were harvested from blood plasma by repeated centrifugation and washing of samples. Their size and shape were assessed by using a combination of static and dynamic light scattering. The average shape parameter of the assessed particles was found to be ρ ~ 1 (0.94–1.1 in exosome standards and 0.7–1.2 in blood plasma and EV isolates), pertaining to spherical shells (spherical vesicles). This study has estimated the value of the viscosity coefficient of the medium in blood plasma to be 1.2 mPa/s. It can be concluded that light scattering could be a plausible method for the assessment of EVs upon considering that EVs are a dynamic material with a transient identity.

Viscosity of Plasma as a Key Factor in Assessment of Extracellular Vesicles by Light Scattering

Viscosity of Plasma as a Key Factor in Assessment of Extracellular Vesicles by Light Scattering

Social Cost of Carbon in Environmental Impact Assessment

While the social cost of carbon (SCC) has played a prominent role in regulatory decision-making in recent years, use in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) realm has been minimal. This article explores potential roles for SCC in EIA. Using Canada’s proposed new federal impact assessment (IA) regime as a basis, the analysis examines how a jurisdiction could employ SCC to integrate climate change considerations into project-level assessment and decision-making. Potential roles are first discussed in relation to the broad purposes of IA, before focusing on key assessment factors such as consideration of economic costs and benefits, cumulative effects, climate change commitments and sustainability. Notwithstanding important SCC critiques and limitations, this article identifies several ways in which SCC could be incorporated into IA, finding a particularly strong fit where an assessment deals with a project’s economic costs and benefits. Additionally, as a metric that links project emissions to climate change damages, as opposed to project impacts on emission reduction targets, SCC could be used to complement more traditional carbon emission calculations. This article is the first to provide detailed consideration of the potential roles of SCC in IA in Canada. The analysis has broad international relevance as jurisdictions work to put in place policies and tools -- including carbon pricing mechanisms -- to achieve commitments under the Paris Agreement.

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Shared heritage, shared authority, shared accountability? Co-generating museum performance criteria as a means of embedding ‘shared authority’

This New Zealand case study presents insights from the perspectives of Māori and non-Māori museum stakeholders. It aimed to understand which activities and responsibilities mattered to stakeholders, in order to develop more meaningful accountability for their shared heritage. Using a participatory mixed method, the research explored how museum stakeholders assess their museum’s performance. Māori and non-Māori generated, sorted and rated 'possible performance statements’. A cultural analysis, using proprietary software, produced concept maps which illustrate differently nuanced museum constructs with different relative importance for constituent elements. Pattern-matching revealed divergent priority accorded certain museum activities, but also commonalities. Both cultural groups prioritised factors not generally featured in compliance-driven approaches to accountability reporting. For Māori, greatest importance was placed on care of taonga (‘treasures’), Māori-specific practice and engagement with Māori, while collections and staff were the key assessment factors for non-Māori. Incorporating stakeholder perspectives in a museum performance framework provides opportunities to report performance on dimensions which matter to wider communities. Where shared authority is taken seriously and stakeholders are involved, accountability becomes meaningful. This collaborative approach to performance framework development offers a tool for embedding the realities of shared authority into planning and delivering the museum’s activities and responsibilities.

A multi-methodological approach for shipping registry selection in maritime transportation industry

Selecting the most suitable registry alternative for shipping fleets has become a highly complex strategic activity for ship owners in the maritime transportation industry, and necessitates consideration of both internal and external environmental factors, which can be both qualitative and quantitative. The aim of this paper is to propose an originally structured multi-methodological approach based on the systematic application of the SWOT analysis, the AHP and the TOPSIS methods to support the critical decision process on shipping registry selection under multiple criteria. In the proposed approach, the SWOT analysis is utilized to determine the key assessment factors on the shipping registry decision and to structure the decision hierarchy. While the AHP is used to measure the relative importance of evaluation criteria in this decision hierarchy, the TOPSIS is applied to rank the shipping registry alternatives. As a case study, major open registries are analyzed to select the most suitable of them for the fleet that is operated by a worldwide ship owner. The results show that the proposed multi-methodological approach takes the advantages of the SWOT analysis, the AHP and the TOPSIS to select the most suitable shipping registry. The proposed approach also provides a relatively simple and very well suited decision-making tool for this type of strategic decision making problem.

Evaluation of Liquefaction Potential and Dynamic Properties of Silty Sand Using Cyclic Triaxial Testing

Abstract The recent earthquake that struck the Bhuj area of Gujarat State in India on 26 January 2001 has caused almost a total devastation of several hundred buildings in villages and cities. Liquefaction triggered by this earthquake caused major damage to structures resting on Loose to medium dense sands. This earthquake provides grave illustrations of the importance of understanding the seismic response of such deposits. Recent developments in numerical analyses for nonlinear dynamic responses of ground due to strong earthquake motions have increased the demand for dynamic soil properties corresponding not only at small strain level but also at large strain level. In this paper, the results of cyclic undrained tests are presented for liquefied soil close to the epicenter of the Bhuj earthquake. From these tests the dynamic properties were estimated at large strain levels of 0.5 % to 4 %. The modulus and damping estimated using cyclic triaxial testing at large strain levels might serve as a key factor for assessment of ground response due to earthquakes.

Plant availability of thallium in the rhizosphere of hyperaccumulator plants: a key factor for assessment of phytoextraction

The dynamics of thallium (Tl) fractions in the rhizosphere of two Tl hyperaccumulator plants, kale (Brassica oleracea acephala L. cv. Winterbor) and candytuft (Iberis intermedia Guers.), were examined to evaluate the efficiency of their possible use in phytoextraction. Plants were grown in a rhizobox system with a soil contaminated by Tl deposits from a cement plant in Leimen, Germany (1300 μg Tl kg−1 soil (aqua regia extraction) and 106 μg Tl kg−1 soil NH4NO3-extractable Tl). After 6 and 8 weeks growth of kale and candytuft, respectively, Tl fractions were sequentially extracted and compared with Tl uptake by plants. The uptake from `plant-available' Tl (fraction 1 – 4) in the rhizosphere (0–2 mm distance from root compartment) of both hyperaccumulator plants kale and candytuft accounted for 18 and 21% of the Tl accumulated in their shoots, respectively. The uptake from the `non-plant available' Tl (fraction 5 – 7) accounted for 50 and 40% of the mass of Tl accumulated by kale and candytuft, respectively. The high uptake capacity for Tl and the subsequent marked depletion in the rhizosphere soil might have resulted in a rapid shift in the equilibrium between the various Tl fractions. In addition, the high depletion in the rhizosphere indicates that the transport of Tl to roots is mainly diffusion driven. In conclusion, the easy access of the so called `non-plant available' Tl fraction in the rhizosphere soil by both hyperaccumulator plants indicates a high efficacy of possible phytoremediation of Tl contaminated soils such as the soil at the site in Leimen.