Specific Technological Innovations Research Articles

An Exploration of Technological Innovations in the Audit Industry: Disruption Theory Applied to a Regulated Industry*

ABSTRACTTechnological innovation is increasing throughout the audit industry. Although prior research has explored how specific technological innovations have influenced the audit product and the profitability of the audit, the strategic implications of technological innovation for the audit industry have yet to be examined. To address this issue, we adopt Christensen's seminal theory of technological innovation (introduced in his 1997 book The Innovator's Dilemma) to gain insight into the results of 27 semistructured interviews with auditors and audit technical specialists. Consistent with Christensen's sustaining and efficiency strategic responses, our findings suggest that, at this time, technology is primarily being used by the audit industry to strengthen the audit industry's ability to serve mainstream clients by providing a “higher‐quality” and lower‐cost audit to replace menial tasks that historically have been done by junior auditors. We find that industry‐disruptive new market entry is currently prevented by regulatory and professional barriers; however, strategic disruption to the audit industry appears inevitable as technology is already being used in audits of nonregulated markets by new entrants. Strategically, the audit industry will survive in its current recognizable form only if self‐disruption occurs before the regulatory barriers are dropped, which requires significant upskilling in the industry to ensure that firms have the skills to be first movers whenever technological innovations are introduced.

A bibliometric analysis of trends in the relationship between innovation and food

PurposeFood-related innovations might contribute to a qualitative leap in the transition to sustainable food systems. In this article, the authors map the existing literature on food and innovation in order to identify and systematise major research streams and relate them to current discussions on sustainability. The authors rely on a broad definition of innovation covering specific technological innovations as well as social, environmental and system innovations.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analysed the relationship between innovation and food through bibliometric and content analysis, augmented with visualisation based on data (N = 7,987) extracted from the Web of Science. The published volume, research areas and influential journals were investigated using descriptive analyses.FindingsThis review categorises the literature on innovation and food into six main clusters, showing that most of the studies are carried out at the macro-level related to the global sustainable food systems. Network visualisation allowed them to distribute recent keywords associated with innovation across the agri-food value chain. Moreover, the authors identified environmental, social and economic pillars of innovation, which not only relate to sustainability but also are associated with open innovation as well as social innovation and eco-innovation.Originality/valueThis bibliometric analysis is amongst the first to examine the holistic knowledge structure surrounding a triple concept of innovation, food and sustainability. In addition, the study identifies research gaps and indicates new research directions, which add further value.

Unleashing the fintech revolution : Transformative impacts of technology on financial services in the National Capital Region (NCR)

This research delves into the transformative impact of technological advancements and the rise of Fintech services on financial institutions operating in the National Capital Region (NCR), India. To assess this impact, a comprehensive questionnaire was formulated using a Likert scale and administered to employees across various financial institutions in the NCR. Factor analysis of the responses unveiled four key factors that collectively accounted for 69.60% of the variance: Operational Efficiency (16.43%), Profitability (15.23%), Productivity (18.69%), and Customer Trust & Perception (19.25%). These factors hold paramount significance in shaping the financial landscape, and managers are urged to prioritize them for strategic decision-making. Embracing technology-driven solutions, process automation, and customer-centric approaches can lead to increased profitability, streamlined operations, and an amplified customer base. The study’s scope is restricted to the NCR, making it vital for further research to explore Fintech’s impact in broader geographical regions or focus on specific technological innovations. As the financial industry continues to evolve, continuous monitoring and adaptation of these factors will help institutions remain competitive and ensure sustainable growth amidst a rapidly changing landscape.

International Financial Markets of the Future: Technological Innovations and Their Impact on the Global Financial System

Today, international financial markets are becoming not only catalysts for global economic growth but also a spectrum of unpredictable challenges and opportunities. The presence of technological revolutions has always determined and influenced the development of the financial sector, determining its ability to adapt to new conditions and changes. Today, among modern innovations, technological progress plays a central role in transformational changes in international financial markets, creating opportunities for efficiency and innovative solutions. The purpose of the study is to establish the theoretical, conceptual, and practical foundations of the impact of technological innovations on the global financial system in the context of international financial market development. To achieve this goal, the study defines the essence of the concepts of “technological innovations” and “international financial market”, systemises the main types of modern technological innovations; provides a perspective overview of the evolution of technological innovations in the context of the international financial market formation, analyses the impact of modern technological innovations on the global financial system, and identifies the main trends that predict the development of technological innovations in the context of the international financial market formation in the future. For the purpose of the study, general scientific methods of cognition were used, including a critical analysis of the existing scientific literature on the topic, comparative analysis, systematisation of practical experience of introducing technological innovations, and the method of establishing cause and effect relationships. The research includes the identification of modern types of technological innovations in the international financial market (blockchain technologies, artificial intelligence of fintech platforms, electronic money and digital currencies, crowdfunding, and PR projects). The study offers its own view on the stages of development and formation of technological innovations in the international financial market, as well as an assessment of the development of modern technological innovations in the financial market, including a forecast for the future. The study presents the main trends that determine the future development of technological innovations in the global financial market. Artificial intelligence, open banking, hyper-personalised banking, blockchain, the Internet of Things, cybersecurity, immersive technologies, digital robots and bots, and quantum computing are defining a new dimension of the financial sector, opening up new opportunities for improving services and optimising processes. The adoption of these technologies will contribute to a more innovative and competitive international financial market that can better meet customer needs and ensure the stability and security of financial transactions. Future research in this area could include a deeper analysis of the impact of specific technological innovations on different segments of the international financial market and the development of adaptation strategies for financial institutions. The research could also expand its scope and explore the relationship between innovation in finance and the global economy.

Exploring the generic fallacy — meta path-dependencies in innovation-practices of ‘drone-making’ (eVTOLs)

Generic technologies are oftentimes heralded as overall beneficial drivers of innovation, especially regarding their flexibility, low cost of adaption (once established) and their inclusiveness toward a variety of actors. This paper adds to literature on innovation-studies by questioning these promises through the lenses of ‘lock in’ and ‘path dependencies’ and asks how generic approaches to innovation may contribute to a fallacy where increased flexibility is assumed yet implicitly, a sort of ‘lock in genericism’ may occur. The paper argues that, for all the advantages that come with the research and adaption of generic technologies, they also bring with them an increased risk of enamourment with innovations that are applicable to a range of potential applications that, in turn, may lead to more specific technological innovations being at the danger of becoming invisible / unwanted altogether. To investigate this phenomenon further, the paper applies the concept of ‘lock in genericism’ to the field of eVTOL-multicopter- / drone-innovation. In this context, the paper analyzes a series of three case-studies to investigate how this ‘lock-in genericism’ emerges from material, temporal and spatial components of drone-making and subsequently seeks to outline a framework for ‘integrating generic technologies’ in this particular field of application (of drones) to overcome the described lock-in in this field while maintaining their advantages. The paper concludes by discussing the relevance of the concept of ‘lock-in genericism’ on a broader level, highlighting the risk of a ‘generic turn’ in contemporary innovation practices that, in turn, requires critical reflection.

PEMBERDAYAAN SDM PETANI DAN AKSELERASI TEKNOLOGI INOVATIF MEWUJUDKAN KECUKUPAN DAN PERTAHANAN PANGAN BERDAYASAING PASCA PANDEMI COVID19

Food is the most basic needs of human life. The quality and adequacy are an important role in determining the quality, the level of intelligence of human resources. The increase rice production program, in sufficient quantities and at reasonable prices remains the top priority objectives and national agricultural development. With qualitative description methods, this paper aims to review and present various levels of technology application, the level of technical efficiency, and profitability of rice farming in the various agro-ecosystems. Agriculture as nationally and regionally, still important role and occupy a strategic place and remains a major priority development policy program is contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Therefore, providing the necessary strategy and information technology as needed, the existence of adequate operational policies, support the functioning of the various institutions (research, extension, marketing), as well as government policy support a more focused and aligned to accelerate the achievement of specific technological innovation. acceleration of the application of technological innovation, improvement of national rice products and productivity, can be pursued through: increasing productivity/optimizing the potential of agricultural resources; increasing planted area and land management; support for production facilities and capital; guarantee of grain prices, selling prices and marketing of grain and rice that provide production incentives; decrease in rice consumption; improvement of management, technical, data and information; and increasing the role and capacity of related institutions. Adequate operational policy tools are needed, the functioning of various supporting institutions (research, counseling, marketing), as well as government policy support that is more focused and impartial to accelerate the achievement of location-specific technological innovations. It is necessary to evaluate agricultural development policies from the aspect of food institutions, so that strategies and efforts to accurately formulate policies in support of increasing national rice production in the future.

ANALISIS FINANSIAL TEKNOLOGI SISTEM TANAM JAJAR LEGOWO PADA USAHATANI PADI DI LAHAN SAWAH IRIGASI

Efforts to maintain the productivity of rice farming land in a sustainable manner by applying location- specific technological innovations. Jarwo technology research aims to determine the productivity andprofits of rice farming. The research method used is to compare Jarwo technology with farmerpatterns in rice farming. Data collection is done by means of periodic observations. The data collectedincludes productivity, output, and input of rice farming. Data were analyzed using evaluation methodand cross tabulation. The results showed that the average productivity of rice using Jarwo technologywas 8.90 tons/ha GKP, while the average yield of rice productivity by farmers was 7.80 tons/ha GKP. Milled dry grain (GKG) with a moisture content of 11-12% in Jarwo technology farming is 6.14 tons/ha, while the average productivity of rice using farmer-pattern technology is 5.23 tons/ha. The labor costof rice farming on Jarwo technology is 66.36% of the total cost, while the labor cost of farmingtechnology is 67.32%. The selling value of GKP rice with Jarwo technology is higher than the farmerpattern. Rice productivity and farming profits with Jarwo technology are considered higher with an R/Cratio value of 3.91, while in farming the R/C ratio is 3.85. Jarwo technology has the potential to bewidely developed, it is recommended that massive dissemination be carried out followed by intensiveassistance, both by formal officers and independently.

A Structural Approach to Some Contradictions in Worldwide Swine Production and Health Research

Several biosafety gaps in agri-food sectors have become evident in recent years. Many of them are related to the global livestock systems and the organizational models involved in their management and organization. For example, producing pigs requires a global system of massive confinement and specific technological innovations related to animal production and health that involve broad technical and scientific structures, which are required to generate specific knowledge for successful management. This suggests the need for an underlying socially agglomerated technological ecosystem relevant for these issues. So, we propose the analysis of a specialized scientific social structure in terms of the knowledge and technologies required for pig production and health. The objective of this work is to characterize structural patterns in the research of the swine health sector worldwide. We use a mixed methodological approach, based on a social network approach, and obtained scientific information from 4868 specialized research works on health and pig production generated between 2010 to 2018, from 47 countries. It was possible to analyze swine research dynamics, such as convergence and influence, at country and regional levels, and identify differentiated behaviors and high centralization in scientific communities that have a worldwide impact in terms of achievements but also result in significant omissions.

Mathematical Methods for Identification of Core Competitors: Based on Social Networks and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis

Based on the introduction of complex social network theory and methods, this study reveals enterprises' patent layouts to help Chinese enterprises distinguish the core competitors. This study uses the social network analysis method and the system cluster analysis method to systematically analyze the macro technology development trend and competitors' micro technology innovation points. Based on the structure of enterprise resource investment, a two-dimensional matrix with the keyword “similarity-technological competition intensity” was constructed to accurately identify BYD's core technological competitors. In China, BYD company should regard GX company and ND company as core technology competitors, pay attention to the technology development direction and patent layout of YW company and HD company, and pay attention to the patent dynamics of GLM company and YQ company in specific technological innovation points.

Portfolio Optimalization on Digital Currency Market

Virtual currency represents a specific technological innovation on financial markets. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are popular alternatives to traditional cash and investment. We indicate a research gap in the literature review. We find out that current research focused rarely on portfolio diversification using bibliographic analysis in VOSviewer. We think that portfolio diversification is extremely important on the crypto market for most investors because virtual currencies are very risky compared to traditional assets. The primary aim is to construct an optimal portfolio consisting of several cryptocurrencies without traditional assets using a modern theory portfolio. The total sample consists of 16 virtual currencies from 1 October 2017 to 13 January 2020. We mainly obtain historical data on the daily close price of cryptocurrencies from Yahoo Finance. The results show that the optimal portfolio using Markowitz approach consists of Cardano, Binance Coin, and Bitcoin. In addition, virtual currencies are moderately Correlated, with the exception of Tether based on correlation analysis. The high correlation is dangerous for cryptocurrency in portfolio diversification. However, Tether is an atypical virtual currency compared to other cryptocurrencies.

Making intelligent cities in Europe climate-neutral

Smart urban futures are currently being tested and promoted in Europe using innovative and intelligent urban technologies at different spatial scales, in individual sectors such as energy or transport, or by using specific technological innovations. However, the great transformation, though often called for and widely advocated, is yet to come. This paper discusses the necessity of promoting integrative approaches that go beyond technology-centered solutions with the aim of opening up paths towards urban climate neutrality: Precisely because urban futures are hardly predictable due to diverse and partly still hidden influencing factors, it is important to include especially socio-cultural innovations, as well as resilient technical solutions. The considerations developed in this regard conclude with a presentation of the contributions in this TATuP special topic.

Achieving Portfolio Diversification through Cryptocurrencies in European Markets

Abstract Background: Cryptocurrencies represent a specific technological innovation in financial markets that keeps getting more and more popular among investors around the world. Given the specific characteristics of the cryptocurrencies, this paper examines the possibility of their use as a diversification instrument. Objectives: This paper examines the direction and strength of the relationship between the selected cryptocurrencies and important financial indicators on the European Union market. Since cryptocurrencies are a novelty in the financial system, the empirical literature in this area is rather scarce. Methods/Approach: In order to assess diversification properties of cryptocurrencies for European traders, a comprehensive econometric analysis was carried out. The first part of the analysis refers to the estimation of the multivariate Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model, whereas the second part focuses on wavelet transforms. Results: Bitcoin and Ripple proved as a possible diversification instrument on most of the observed European markets since corresponding coefficients of unconditional correlation are negative. Conclusions: The relationship between the value of the cryptocurrencies and selected indices is generally very weak and slightly negative, indicating that some cryptocurrencies can serve as a means of diversification. However, investors need to take into account the extreme volatility, exhibited in all existing cryptocurrencies.

A Memorandum on the Photograph: Movement and Time in Blurs and Stills

A Memorandum on the Photograph: Movement and Time in Blurs and Stills Kanai Mieko (bio) Translated by Hannah Osborne (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Yoneda Tomoko, Abe Kobo’s Glasses–Viewing the Manuscript of The Box Man, from the series Between Visible and Invisible, 2013. Gelatin silver print. © Tomoko Yoneda. Courtesy of the artist. [End Page 226] Prints taken and developed by a photographer used to be called “pictures,” and films taken by a cinematographer used to be called “photographs,” nowadays, however, we never see or hear these words being used in this way; except by those who delight in bucking the current trend (or, at least, appearing to), with the pride of a computer geek.1 Of course, this kind of inverted snobbery may well have been shared by the avant-garde who set themselves against bourgeois perspectives on Art, as defined by Gustave Flaubert’s Dictionary of Received Ideas: “What is its point now that its place has been taken by mechanical processes that are ‘faster and superior’?” And it is precisely from such bourgeois conceptions of Art that “paintings,” “photographs,” and “films” might in turn be seen as graduated technological advancements with each development superseding the last, so that whereas daguerreotypes simply “take the shine off painting,” photographs “consign painting to the dustbin.”2 Having said that, there are a few instances where various terms used to describe projected images were initially formed in relation to their specific technological innovations—“plate” for the icon that the pinhole camera obscura copied onto a silver coated plate; “paper prints” for the printed image of the photograph upon paper; and finally “film” for the material on to which photographs are strung together to make moving images—but have now shifted in the application of their meaning. At first, then, naming these parts was simply a matter of technical accuracy; calling “videotapes” that we watch on our television screens “films” as we do now, however, seems like a completely different exercise. [End Page 227] ________ When I started this essay, I intended to write about how photographs appear in films; but before I do so, I wish to write about how, within the moment of the unmoving fixed image of a photograph (or drawing of light)—a moment measured by the speed of the camera’s shutter—there lives a subtle cinematograph (or drawing of movement): In summer, canna lilies of all colors bloomed. In our garden they grew taller than the adults, and to me they seemed like a grove of trees. One day, our whole family formed two lines in front of those lilies. I can picture it now; a box-shaped camera pointing toward us, next to which stood a man I didn’t know. I was being held by my mother at the end of one line. We faced the main road, so our main residence was off to the left; and I could see my grandmother perched on its veranda. My elder sister and brother took turns to go and speak to her about something, but she didn’t get up. So then, having decided to leave my grandmother out, we must have all turned toward the box-shaped thing; but, this time, the strange man started talking very earnestly to me. Saying things like, “Hey, wait for the lil birdie to pop up!” he tried very hard to catch me smiling, as he pointed to the box covered with a black cloth. In our house we never once used baby words like lil birdie, so I remember that phrase extremely well; and I of course realized that the man was doing his best to divert me. Well, that lil birdie never did show its face. And it wasn’t until many years later, when looking at the photograph, that I realized what had been going on at that moment. While everyone else had appropriate smiles fixed upon their faces, only I, being held by mother, have this smudgy blur. Although I remember the scene well, I was surprised to see that I’d been so young that I’d not been able to stay still even for the duration of a photograph...

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCTIVE, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS TO DISCRIMINATE DAIRY CATTLE PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL

Abstract The South region of Brazil differs from the others due to its high milk production rates. Production heterogeneity, climate and soil diversity, and environmental and socioeconomic circumstances contribute to differentiate political-administrative regions. In this study, we aimed to spatialize the production, environmental, and socioeconomic factors that best discriminate bovine milk production in the states of the South of Brazil. Multivariate analyses were performed to discriminate both the studied variables and the mesoregion and cities of these states. The Western Catarinense and Northwestern Rio-grandense mesoregions showed the highest production indices, but they were discriminated at a low level (35.76 %). The formation of clusters showed that Casca, Marau, and Santo Cristo from the Northwestern Rio-grandense and Concordia, Coronel Freitas, Palmitos, and São Lourenço do Oeste from the Western Catarinense mesoregion had higher production indices. The municipal clusters were discriminated at a high level by production (98.24%) and by environmental and socioeconomic (72.75%) factors. Production variables were the most important for local clusters discrimination. The specificities and peculiarities to each region were evidenced through the heterogeneity of production and environmental and socioeconomic factors. Therefore, it is necessary to design and implement specific technological innovations to each region to maximize productive efficiency and minimize adverse environmental effects in dairy herds.

Simulation of Weak Signals of Nanotechnology Innovation in Complex System

It is especially indispensable for new businesses or industries to predict the innovation of new technologies. This requires an understanding of how the complex process of innovation, which is accomplished through more efficient products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas, is adopted and diffused in the market, government, and society. Furthermore, detecting “weak signals” (signs) of change in science and technology (S&T) is also important to foretell events associated with innovations in technology. Thus, we explore the dynamic behavior of weak signals of a specific technological innovation using the agent-based simulating tool NetLogo. This study provides a deeper understanding of the early stages of complex technology innovation, and the models are capable of analyzing initial complex interaction structures between components of technologies and between agents engaged in collective invention.

HELIANT HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM AS A SUPPORT TO ELECTRONIC BUSINESS OF HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN SERBIA

Electronic business of healthcare organizations is specific technological innovation when it comes to providing adequate health care services. The process of providing health care services in this case is supported by electronic health record, which is an integral part of health information systems. Monitoring of the health services providing process using tools of electronic health (e-health) in this paper, will be based on the software for graphical modeling, which will target key activities, participants and the variables of the process, and make its mapping. This is because the analysis of the electronic business processes of healthcare organizations reveal activities that can be cost-optimized for more efficient delivery of health services and faster response on the patient's condition. In this work process analysis was conducted on the case of health information system Heliant Health, which is used in most public medical institutions of the Republic of Serbia.

Integrating Technology Into Models of Response Behavior

Morelli, Potosky, Arthur, and Tippins (2017) are correct in calling for more conceptual models explicitly linking technology to industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology. As these authors note, in the absence of models and theories of technology to guide the research and practice of I-O psychology, the field runs the risk of chasing the impacts of specific technological innovations and devices rather than guiding organizations on best practices regarding the use of technology. Building theories and models that directly involve technology and placing them within individual psychological and larger organizational processes provides researchers with a way to stay ahead of the fast pace of technological innovation and anticipate its effects on measurement and prediction. Moreover, there are aspects to the use of technology that I-O psychologists are uniquely qualified to consider, including legal considerations (e.g., accessibility concerns), ethical questions (e.g., access in disadvantaged communities), practical concerns (e.g., user and target reactions), and measurement issues (e.g., construct irrelevant variance). In this commentary, we present two main points of consideration that demonstrate how I-O psychologists might use and create technology to improve assessment. First, we argue that technology can improve the measurement of psychological variables if we critically consider how technology can positively influence various parts of response behavior. Additionally, we encourage future research to consider the effects of technology in I-O psychology more comprehensively by extending the emphasis on psychological processes beyond cognition and behavior to include affect and motivation.

Technological priorities in rice production among smallholder farmers in Ghana

Technological innovations in agriculture have transformed the farming systems of smallholder farmers, leading to the realization of economic incentives of higher outputs, profits, and sustainability. However, attempts to model their adoption behaviors have failed to consider the possible interdependencies and simultaneities in the adoption decision process. This may cause invalid inferences and incorrect conclusions to be made regarding smallholder farmers’ adoption decisions. This study, therefore, models smallholder farmers’ adoption decisions while taking into account the possibility of interdependencies and simultaneities of adopting rice productivity-enhancing agricultural technologies in Ghana. Cross-sectional survey data on 1016 smallholder rice farmers sampled using a three-stage sampling method from four municipalities in two regions in Ghana were used for the study. We fit a multinomial probit model to analyze the decisions to adopt or not to adopt varied combinations of improved rice variety, fertilizer, and herbicide. Our study finds that when faced with improved rice variety-fertilizer-herbicide technological options, smallholder rice farmers’ adoption decisions fell into any one of four possibilities: (a) reject all technological options, (b) adopt a particular technology only, (c) adopt two of the technologies, and (d) adopt all technological choices. We show that such adoption decisions were consistently and most significantly predicted by farm size, extension contacts, education, participation in field demonstrations, complementary input availability, and extent of commercialization. Modeling smallholder farmers’ adoption decisions to capture interdependencies and simultaneities provides useful information for integrating diverse perspectives into the design and promotion of technological innovations based on their nature of adoption, the specific technological innovations, and influencing factors. We recommend that to achieve the maximum benefits, future technology promotion activities should concurrently reduce farmers’ subjective uncertainties and risks, promote credit access and subsidies, as well as ensure effective input delivery systems while targeting specific technological innovations.

Strategic decision for the external technological innovation acquisition mode selection by using an integration of AHP and GRA methods: A case study on a Thai new technology-based firm

The selection of the most appropriated external technological acquisition mode for a specific technological innovation is one of the important strategic decision-makings. To solve the complicated decision making problem, this study aims (i) to identify the multi-attribute criteria which influenced the selection of the external technological innovation acquisition mode and (ii) to illustrate the comprehensive proposed model by applying Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach, which was combined of Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) methods. The result can provide the prioritization of the relative important weight of criteria and the final ranking of alternative. This study is expected to effectively assist the managements or the decision-makers to choose the best appropriated alternatives which matched with their business objectives. A study case for the Thai technology-based firm was also applied in this article. KeywordsAnalytic hierarchy process, External technological innovation acquisition mode, Grey relational analysis, Multi-criteria decision-making method.

Absolute Change in Cause-Specific Infant Mortality for Blacks and Whites in the US: 1983–2002

This paper examines absolute change in infant mortality from 5 leading causes of death for whites and blacks over a 20 year period. Change in infant mortality varies by cause, race, and birth weight. Absolute decline in mortality from respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the overall study population has been more rapid for black infants during the period after specific technological innovations were approved and behavioral practices were recommended for these conditions. For low birth weight infants, blacks experienced greater decline in mortality from SIDS and whites experienced greater decline in RDS mortality. Despite remarkable declines in mortality from these causes, relative racial disparities have increased over this time period. For the overall study population, blacks and whites experienced similar rates of mortality decline from congenital anomalies. Mortality decline from this cause among low birth weight infants occurred at a faster pace for whites. Mortality from causes for which no specific innovations were developed increased for blacks but remained relatively constant for whites. An analysis of absolute change complements the relative disparities approach by revealing the dynamics of change, thus providing a more complete understanding of changing racial disparities in infant mortality.