Refine
Year of publication
- 2018 (302) (remove)
Document Type
- Journal article (119)
- Conference proceeding (96)
- Book chapter (39)
- Book (25)
- Working Paper (9)
- Doctoral Thesis (6)
- Patent / Standard / Guidelines (3)
- Issue of a journal (3)
- Anthology (1)
- Report (1)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (302)
Institute
- ESB Business School (101)
- Informatik (83)
- Technik (52)
- Texoversum (33)
- Life Sciences (31)
Publisher
- Springer (47)
- IEEE (37)
- Elsevier (17)
- Hochschule Reutlingen (16)
- LIT Verlag (15)
- RWTH Aachen (8)
- Universität Tübingen (8)
- MDPI (7)
- Hanser (6)
- VDE Verlag (6)
Boost converters suffer from a bandwidth limitation caused by the right-half plane zero (RHPZ), which occurs in the control-to-output transfer function. In contrast, there are many applications that require superior dynamic behavior. Further, size and cost of boost converter systems can be minimized by reduced voltage deviations and fast transient responses in case of large signal load transients. The key idea of the proposed ΔV/Δt-intervention control concept is to adapt the controller output to its new steady state value immediately after a load transient by prediction from known parameters. The concept is implemented in a digital control circuit, consisting of an ASIC in a 110 nm-technology and a Xilinx Spartan-6 field programmable gate array (FPGA). In a boost converter with 3.5V input voltage, 6.3V output voltage, 1.2A load, and 500 kHz switching frequency, the output voltage deviations are 2.8x smaller, scaling down the output capacitor value by the same factor. The recovery times are 2.4x shorter in case of large signal load transients with the proposed concept. The control is widely applicable, as it supports constant switching frequencies and allows for duty cycle and inductor current limitations. It also shows various advantages compared to conventional control and to selected adaptive control concepts.
Unternehmen, die gesellschaftliche Verantwortung für die Auswirkungen ihrer Geschäftstätigkeit übernehmen, stehen vor der Herausforderung, CSR und Compliance systematisch und umfassend in ihr Unternehmen zu integrieren und kontinuierlich umzusetzen. Dieser Beitrag zeigt vor diesem Hintergrund auf, wie Unternehmen durch die Etablierung von Wertemanagementsystemen sowie PDCA-Zyklen (Plan-Do-Check-Act) CSR- und Compliancemanagementsysteme integrieren und umsetzen können. Des Weiteren werden Instrumente, die relevant für die Entwicklung, Implementierung und Umsetzung von effektiven und effizienten CSR- und Compliancemanagementsysteme sind, aufgelistet.
§ 303 Schuldenkonsolidierung
(2018)
Ein praktisches Problem im Auslandsgeschäft besteht oft darin, zu bestimmen, binnen welcher Fristen Käufer ihre Rechte bei Sachmängeln geltend machen müssen. Verjährungs- und Rügefristen können die Rechte des Käufers ganz oder zum Teil ausschließen oder ihnen ihre Durchsetzbarkeit nehmen. Die nationalen Regelungen unterscheiden sich hier sehr: zum einen gibt es für die Gewährleistung Verjährungsfristen zwischen sechs Monaten und sechs Jahren, zum anderen verlangen einige Rechtsordnungen vom Käufer, mangelhafte Ware sofort zu rügen oder zurückzuweisen, während wiederum andere darauf verzichten. Das UN-Kaufrecht löst diese praktischen Probleme nur zum Teil, wie der nachfolgende Beitrag aufzeigt.
This paper introduces a highly scalable heteromodular origami art technique for constructing 3D framework structures using elementary struts and connectors folded from uncut sheets of standard A4 office paper. The presented technique, named ZEBRA, allows the design of meter-scale architectural objects, such as truss bridges and towers, which are capable of bearing substantial mechanical loads. Moving parts, ranging from simple levers to complete multi-bar linkages, can be integrated into static frameworks using a set of kinematic extensions. An overview is given of how the ZEBRA system can be used to teach university students various theoretical and practical aspects of the engineering sciences in an entertaining and hands-on way.
Workshops and tutorials
(2018)
The 19th International Conference on Product-Focused Software Process Improvement (PROFES 2018) hosted two workshops and three tutorials. The workshops and tutorials complemented and enhanced the main conference program, offering a wider knowledge perspective around the conference topics. The topics of the two workshops were Hybrid Development Approaches in Software Systems Development (HELENA) and Managing Quality in Agile & Rapid Software Development Processes (QUaSD). The topics of the tutorials were The human factor in agile transitions – using the personas concept in agile oaching, Process Management 4.0 – Best Practices, and Domain-specific languages for specification, development, and testing of autonomous systems.
Der technische Fortschritt und die Digitalisierung haben den Kunden eine noch nie da gewesene Kontrolle über ihre eigene Kauferfahrung gegeben. Kunden können unter einer Vielzahl von Schnittstellen zu den Verkäufern wählen und zu jeder Tageszeit Produkte und Dienstleistungen erwerben. Der Wettbewerbsdruck unter den Unternehmen steigt nicht nur aufgrund der sich ständig verändernden Kundenerwartungen, sondern auch, weil die Kundenerfahrungen von Marktführern wie Amazon, Google und Apple nachhaltig geprägt werden, sodass die Kunden diese positive Erfahrung als selbstverständlich ansehen und auch in anderen Industrien und Märkten erwarten (Duncan et al, 2016, S. 3).
Längst ist das World Wide Web mit unzähligen Online-Shops aus dem In- und Ausland überflutet. Es wird immer wichtiger für Online-Shop-Betreiber, aus dieser Masse herauszustechen. Die Produktbeschreibung ist dabei oft Indikator für die Qualität eines Shops. Die Entwicklung von Software zur automatischen Content-Generierung ist hierbei eine kostensparende Möglichkeit, Texte zu erstellen, die sich in Sekunden massenhaft variieren lassen. Kreiert die robotergesteuerte Texterstellung jedoch auch eine Zukunft, die ganze Arbeitszweige obsolet werden lässt?
Objective: This paper aims at getting an understanding of current problems and challenges with roadmapping processes in companies that are facing volatile markets with innovative products. It also aims at gathering ideas and attempts on how to react to those challenges.
Method: As an initial step towards the objectice a semi-structured expert interview study with a case company in the Smart Home domain was conducted. Four employees from the case company with different roles around product roadmaps have been interviewed and a content analysis of the data has been performed.
Results: The study shows a significant consensus among the interviewees about several major challenges and the necessity to change the traditional roadmapping process and format. The interviewees stated that based on their experience traditional feature-based product roadmaps are increasingly losing their benefits (such as good planning certainty) in volatile environments. Furthermore, the ability to understand customer needs and behaviors has become highly important for creating and adjusting product roadmaps. The interviewees see the need for both, sufficiently stable goals on the roadmap and flexibility with respect to products or features to be developed. To reach this target the interviewees proposed to create roadmaps based on outcome goals instead of product features. In addition, it was proposed to decrease the level of detail of the roadmaps and to emphasize the long-term view. Decisions about which feature to develop should be open as long as possible. Expected benefits of such a new way of product roadmapping are higher user centricity, a stable overall direction, more flexibility with respect to development decisions, and less breaking of commitments.
Die Additive Fertigung bietet großes Potenzial zur Erschließung neuer, flexibler und innovativer Fertigungsprozesse mit kurzen Durchlaufzeiten. Erhöhte Komplexität und die Integration von Funktionen in Bauteile wird gefördert. Zur Steigerung der Konkurrenzfähigkeit und weiteren Ausweitung des Einsatzgebietes sind automatisierte Fertigungsschritte nach dem Bauprozess erforderlich. Werkzeugmaschinen spielen auch in der Prozesskette der Additiven Fertigung eine zentrale Rolle bei der Erzeugung von genauen Funktionsflächen. Dabei ist evtl. eine andere Auslegung aufgrund reduzierter Zerspanvolumen und geringeren Flächen möglich.
Im Forschungsprojekt "Innovative Methoden für die teilnehmerorientierte Schulungsentwicklung in der beruflichen Weiterbildung" wurden die Prinzipien des Design Thinkings und der nutzerzentrierten Produktentwicklung auf die Konzeption von Veranstaltungen der beruflichen Weiterbildung transferiert. In zwei Vergleichsgruppen mit Schulungsteilnehmenden eines Industriepartners und eines öffentlich-rechtlichen Anbieters konnte aufgezeigt werden, dass es möglich ist, Weiterbildungsveranstaltungen mit Methoden des Design Thinkings zu erforschen und weiterzuentwickeln und damit die User Experience - das Nutzererleben der Teilnehmenden - positiv zu beeinflussen.
Rapid prototyping platforms reduce development time by allowing quick prototyping of a prototype idea and achieve more time for actual application development with user interfaces. This approach has long been followed in technical platforms, such as the Arduino. To transfer this form of prototyping to wearables, WearIT is presented in this paper.WearIT consists of four components as a wearable prototyping platform: (1) a vest, (2) sensor and actuator shields, (3) its own library and (4) a motherboard consisting of Arduino, Raspberry Pi, a board and a GPS module. As a result, a wearable prototype can be quickly developed by attaching sensor and actuator shields to the WearIT vest. These sensor and actuator shields can then be programmed through the WearIT library. Via Virtual Network Computing (VNC) with a remote computer, the screen contents of the Raspberry Pi can be accessed and the Arduino be programmed.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face tension between economic growth and environmental impact. Tourism fuels growth, but the resulting solid waste and other pollutants threaten the SIDS’ natural beauty, quality of life for residents, attractiveness to tourists, and economic success. We assess the tension between tourism-driven economic growth and environmental degradation from a limits-to-growth perspective, developing a generic system dynamics model of the problem using 38 years of data from the Maldives to estimate parameters and Monte-Carlo methods to assess the sensitivity of results to uncertainty. We contrast development paths for the next three decades under three sets of policies focusing on promoting growth, managing tourism demand–supply balance, and improving waste management. Findings are counterintuitive; policies focused on better waste management alone are self defeating, because they increase tourism, growth and waste generation, undermining attractiveness and growth later. Policies that limit tourism demand improve economic and environmental health.
Sport-Events emotionalisieren das Publikum. Einstellungsänderungen bzw. Imageverbesserungen stellen deshalb zentrale Zielsetzungen im Sport-Event-Marketing dar. Dies rührt insbesondere daher, dass eine hohe Korrelation zwischen der Einstellung bzw.dem Image einer Marke oder eines Unternehmens und dem tatsächlichen Kaufverhalten der Konsumenten angenommen wird. Im Folgenden wird ein spezifisches Imagetransfermodell für das Sport-Event-Marketing entwickelt und die Bedingungen für das Zustandekommen eines Imagetransfers von einem Sport-Event auf eine Marke bzw. ein Unternehmen erläutert. Je nachdem, ob die notwendige und/oder hinreichende Bedingung erfüllt ist, lassen sich verschiedene Konsequenzen bzw. Implikationen für die Unternehmenspraxis unterscheiden.
Die Dynamik der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung und deren Abhängigkeit von globalen Wechselwirkungen wachsen heute schneller denn je. Das macht Zukunftsprognosen besonders schwierig. Dennoch bietet der Blick auf langfristig prägende Trends die Chance, eine Diskussion darüber zu eröffnen, welche Realität uns morgen erwarten könnte und wie wir damit umgehen wollen.
Dieses Impulspapier stellt aus Sicht der Mitgliedsinstitute des Fraunhofer Verbunds Innovationsforschung eine Auswahl derjenigen Trends dar, die Innovationssysteme im Zeitraum bis 2030 wesentlich beeinflussen werden. Auf dieser Grundlage werden Thesen für Innovation im Jahr 2030 abgeleitet und beschrieben, welche Aufgaben sich daraus für Wirtschaft, Politik, Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft ergeben.
Die Erfindung betrifft eine Vorrichtung und Verfahren zur Analyse eines Materialstroms S mit einem Einlassbereich E, einem Messbereich M und einen Auslassbereich A sowie mit einer ersten Weiche W1 und einer zweiten Weiche W2 und einem Umlenkbereich U, wobei die beiden Weichen W1, W2 in einem ersten Schaltzustand Z1 einen durchgängigen ersten Materialdurchströmungsraum vom Einlassbereich E über die erste Weiche W1 durch den Messbereich M über die zweite Weiche W2 bis zum Auslassbereich A ausbilden und in einem zweiten Schaltzustand einen durchgängigen zweiten Materialdurchströmungsraum vom Einlassbereich E über die erste Weiche W1 durch den Umkenkbereich U über die zweite Weiche W2 bis zum Auslassbereich A ausbilden.
Die Erfindung betrifft eine Vorrichtung und Verfahren zur Analyse eines Materialstroms (S) mit einem Einlassbereich (E), einem Messbereich (M) und einen Auslassbereich (A) sowie mit einer ersten Weiche (W1) und einer zweiten Weiche (W2) und einem Umlenkbereich (U), wobei die beiden Weichen (W1, W2) in einem ersten Schaltzustand (Z1) einen durchgängigen ersten Materialdurchströmungsraum vom Einlassbereich (E) über die erste Weiche (W1) durch den Messbereich (M) über die zweite Weiche (W2) bis zum Auslassbereich (A) ausbilden und in einem zweiten Schaltzustand einen durchgängigen zweiten Materialdurchströmungsraum vom Einlassbereich (E) über die erste Weiche (W1) durch den Umlenkbereich (U) über die zweite Weiche (W2) bis zum Auslassbereich (A) ausbilden.
Von harten Hunden und hyperaktiven Affen : der richtige Umgang mit Menschen im Beruf und Alltag
(2018)
Jeder Mensch ist einzigartig! Das ist fraglos richtig. Dessen ungeachtet finden Sie bei Ihren Mitmenschen wiederkehrende Charaktereigenschaften, mit denen Sie im Beruf und im Alltag umgehen müssen. Denken Sie nur an den harten Hund aus der Chefetage, den cleveren Fuchs aus dem Controlling oder den zappeligen, aber vor Ideen sprühenden, Affen aus der Marketingabteilung.
Der Kommunikations- und Verhandlungsexperte Nello Gaspardo skizziert neun solcher Typen anhand von Tierbildern. Er zeigt deren Stärken und Schwächen auf und verrät Ihnen pointiert, was Sie im Umgang mit diesen Menschen unbedingt wissen sollten und wie Sie mit diesen Typen richtig kommunizieren.
Das Buch ist ein unverzichtbarer Ratgeber für alle, die im Beruf und im Alltag gemeinsam mit anderen Menschen schnell und harmonisch Ziele erreichen möchten.
Auf jeder Stufe der Lebensmittelkette muss von der Herstellung bis zum Inverkehrbringen eine Rückverfolgung der Produkte möglich sein. Erzeuger, Verarbeiter, Transportunternehmen und Händler stehen vor der Herausforderung, Systeme zur Rückverfolgbarkeit effizient in ihre Unternehmensprozesse zu integrieren und gegenseitig zu vernetzen. Für die betriebliche Umsetzung werden die rechtlichen Anforderungen skizziert und die Grundlagen eines Rückverfolgbarkeitssystems vorgestellt.
Die Welt dreht sich immer schneller. Etablierte Firmen, die sinnbildlich für innovative Produkte stehen, werden in kurzer Zeit vom Markt gedrängt und durch disruptive Ansätze aus ihrem Geschäft verdrängt. Inkrementelle Ansätze zur Verbesserung der Produktqualität, zur Reduktion von Herstellkosten und der Fokus auf die Produktionsoptimierung nach dem Individualisierungsprinzip (Losgröße 1) sind keine auf die Zukunft ausgerichtete Zielzustände für Automobilhersteller mehr. Neue Wettbewerber, seien es Softwaregiganten oder agile Startups, treten in den Markt ein. Die traditionelle Massenproduktion des Automotivbereichs kann den sich stetig verändernden Kundenanforderungen nicht mehr länger gerecht werden. Dazu bedarf es Geschäftsmodell-Innovationen, wie beispielsweise digitale Preismodelle oder On-Demand Funktionalitäten.
Digital Enterprise Architecture allows multiple viewpoints on a company’s IT landscape. To gain valuable information out of huge amounts of operational data, it is indispensable to have both an understanding of the operations architecture and an engine capable of managing Big Data. The mechanism of understanding huge amounts of data is based on three main steps: collect, process and use. The main idea is focused on extracting valuable information out of Big Data to make better design decisions. The Elastic Stack is an open-source solution to comfortably and quickly handle Big Data scenarios.
Die hohen Schulden in einigen Staaten der Europäischen Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion lassen nach wie vor staatliche Insolvenzen befürchten. Um die bereits entstandenen Probleme zu bewältigen, aber auch damit eine solche Situation künftig gar nicht erst eintritt, ist eine staatliche Insolvenzordnung erforderlich.
This article investigates the fundamental value of digital platforms, such as Facebook and Google. Despite the transformative nature of digital technologies, it is challenging to value digital services, given that the usage is free of charge. Applying the methodology of discrete choice experiments, we estimated the value of digital free goods. For the first time in the literature, we obtained data for the willingness-to-pay and willingness-to-accept, together with socio-economic variables. The customer´s valuation of free digital services is on average, for Google, 121 € per week and Facebook, 28 €.
Recognizing actions of humans, reliably inferring their meaning and being able to potentially exchange mutual social information are core challenges for autonomous systems when they directly share the same space with humans. Today’s technical perception solutions have been developed and tested mostly on standard vision benchmark datasets where manual labeling of sensory ground truth is a tedious but necessary task. Furthermore, rarely occurring human activities are underrepresented in such data leading to algorithms not recognizing such activities. For this purpose, we introduce a modular simulation framework which offers to train and validate algorithms on various environmental conditions. For this paper we created a dataset, containing rare human activities in urban areas, on which a current state of the art algorithm for pose estimation fails and demonstrate how to train such rare poses with simulated data only.
Context: Organizations increasingly develop software in a distributed manner. The cloud provides an environment to create and maintain software-based products and services. Currently, it is unknown which software processes are suited for cloud-based development and what their effects in specific contexts are.
Objective: We aim at better understanding the software process applied to distributed software development using the cloud as development environment. We further aim at providing an instrument which helps project managers comparing different solution approaches and to adapt team processes to improve future project activities and outcomes.
Method: We provide a simulation model which helps analyzing different project parameters and their impact on projects performed in the cloud. To evaluate the simulation model, we conduct different analyses using a Scrumban process and data from a project executed in Finland and Spain. An extra adaptation of the simulation model for Scrum and Kanban was used to evaluate the suitability of the simulation model to cover further process models.
Results: A comparison of the real project data with the results obtaind from the different simulation runs shows the simulation producing results close to the real data, and we could successfully replicate a distributed software project. Furthermore, we could show that the simulation model is suitable to address further process models.
Conclusion: The simulator helps reproducing activities, developers, and events in the project, and it helps analyzing potential tradeoffs, e.g., regarding throughput, total time, project size, team size and work-in-progress limits. Furthermore, the simulation model supports project managers selecting the most suitable planning alternative thus supporting decision-making processes.
Engineers of the research project “Digital Product Life-Cycle” are using a graph-based design language to model all aspects of the product they are working on. This abstract model is the base for all further investigations, developments and implementations. In particular at early stages of development, collaborative decision making is very important. We propose a semantic augmented knowledge space by means of mixed reality technology, to support engineering teams. Therefore we present an interaction prototype consisting of a pico projector and a camera. In our usage scenario engineers are augmenting different artefacts in a virtual working environment. The concept of our prototype contains both an interaction and a technical concept. To realise implicit and natural interactions, we conducted two prototype tests: (1) A test with a low-fidelity prototype and (2) a test by using the method Wizard of Oz. As a result, we present a prototype with interaction selection using augmentation spotlighting and an interaction zoom as a semantic zoom.
Durch das stetige Wachstum an neuen Technologien und Möglichkeiten steht der Verschmelzung von Technologien mit dem Menschen kaum noch etwas im Wege. Die Untersuchung der Implantate und die damit verbundenen Risiken sind ein Teil dieser Arbeit. Von Bedeutung sind hier die Funktionsweise und die IT-Sicherheitsaspekte. Alle in dieser Arbeit dargestellten Implantate benötigen eine Kommunikation nach außen. Diese Kommunikationsmöglichkeit birgt Risiken, die nicht nur auf die Daten der Träger beschränkt sind, sondern auch gesundheitliche Risiken beinhalten.
Eines der gängigsten bildgebenden Verfahren in der Medizin ist die Sonografie. Jedoch ist die Reproduzierbarkeit der Ultraschalldiagnostik bis heute noch immer ein Problem, wodurch Fehldiagnosen gestellt werden. Durch das in diesem Papier vorgestellte prototypische System zur Unterstützung für Medizinstudenten in Ultraschallseminaren sollen Anforderungen zur Reproduzierbarkeit einer Ultraschalluntersuchung definiert werden. Durch Experteninterviews wurden Einblicke in die klinischen Abläufe und den Krankenhaus-Alltag gewonnen, welche Inhalte relevant sind, um die Reproduzierbarkeit von Ultraschalluntersuchungen zu ermöglichen.
Unternehmertum ist ein integraler Bestandteil des Ernuerungsprozesses von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Die Erneuerer sind nicht Politik oder Management, es sind einzelne Persönlichkeiten, die wagen, mit etwas zu beginnen, dessen Ausgang ungewiss ist, die ungebremst Kraft und Fähigkeiten einsetzen, mit der Folge, dass am Ende etwas Neues erschaffen worden ist. Wenn in wirtschaftlichen, kirchlichen, staatlichen, wissenschaftlichen und politischen Bereichen wirksam und innovativ gearbeitet wird, sind möglicherweise die gleichen personalen Talente und Gaben wirksam...Oft ist es eine Idee, ein motivierendes Bedürfnis, das sich Ausdruck verschafft in Handlungen, fast unabhängig von der Ausbildung oder einem begonnenen Studium. Man kann methodisches Know-how aufbauen, jedoch nicht Unternehmertum lernen.
This research addresses the question of why employees use enterprise social networks (ESN). Against the background of technology acceptance research, we propose an extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, adapt it to an ESN context, and test our model against data from ESN users of large and medium-sized enterprises. We use partial least squares structural equation modeling to gain insights into the determinants of ESN use. This paper contributes to ESN acceptance research by evaluating a model containing determinants of ESN use. It also examines the effects of determinants on five different usage dimensions of ESN. The results reveal that facilitating conditions are the main driver of ESN use while the impact of intention to use is comparably small. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
The unprecedented acceleration in the dynamics of economic development and its dependence on global interactions makes predicting the future especially difficult. Nevertheless, an examination of long-term trends provides an opportunity to begin a discussion about what reality could await us tomorrow and how we want to deal with it. With this food-for-thought paper, the member institutes of the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research wish to present a selection of the trends that are destined to have a significant impact on innovation systems in the period leading up to 2030. Based on these trends, the paper derives theses for innovation in the year 2030 and describes the resulting tasks for business, politics, science and society.
Motor-based theories of facial expression recognition propose that the visual perception of facial expression is aided by sensorimotor processes that are also used for the production of the same expression. Accordingly, sensorimotor and visual processes should provide congruent emotional information about a facial expression. Here, we report evidence that challenges this view. Specifically, the repeated execution of facial expressions has the opposite effect on the recognition of a subsequent facial expression than the repeated viewing of facial expressions. Moreover, the findings of the motor condition, but not of the visual condition, were correlated with a nonsensory condition in which participants imagined an emotional situation. These results can be well accounted for by the idea that facial expression recognition is not always mediated by motor processes but can also be recognized on visual information alone.
Digital transformation has changed corporate reality and, with that, firms’ IT environments and IT governance (ITG). As such, the perspective of ITG has shifted from the design of a relatively stable, closed and controllable system of a self-sufficient enterprise to a relatively fluid, open, agile and transformational system of networked co adaptive entities. Related to this paradigm shift in ITG, this paper aims to clarify how the concept of an effective ITG framework has changed in terms of the demand for agility in organizations. Thus, this study conducted 33 qualitative interviews with executives and senior managers from the banking industry in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Analysis of the interviews focused on the formation of categories and the assignment of individual text parts (codings) to these categories to allow for a quantitative evaluation of the codings per category. Regarding traditional and agile ITG dimensions, 22 traditional and 25 agile dimensions were identified. Moreover, agile strategies within the agile ITG construct and ten ITG patterns were identified from the interview data. The data show relevant perspectives on the implementation of traditional and new ITG dimensions and highlight ambidextrous aspects in ITG frameworks.
While there are several theoretical comparisons of Object Orientation (OO) and Service Orientation (SO), little empirical research on the maintainability of the two paradigms exists. To provide support for a generalizable comparison, we conducted a study with four related parts. Two functionally equivalent systems (one OO and one SO version) were analyzed with coupling and cohesion metrics as well as via a controlled experiment, where participants had to extend the systems. We also conducted a survey with 32 software professionals and interviewed 8 industry experts on the topic. Results indicate that the SO version of our system possesses a higher degree of cohesion, a lower degree of coupling, and could be extended faster. Survey and interview results suggest that industry sees systems built with SO as more loosely coupled, modifiable, and reusable. OO systems, however, were described as less complex and easier to test.
Purpose: This study aims to conceptualize and test the effect of consumers´ perceptions of complaint handling quality (PCHQ) in both traditional and social media channels.
Design/methodology/approach: Study 1 systematically reviews the relevant literature and then carries out a consumer and manager survey. This approach aims to conceptualize the dimensionality of PCHQ. Study 2 tests the effect of PCHQ on key marketing outcomes. Using survey data from a German telecommunications company, the study provides an explanation for the differences in outcomes across traditional (hotline) and social media channels.
Findings: Study 1 reveals that PCHQ is best conceptualized as a five dimensional construct with 15 facets. There are significant differences between customers and managers in terms of the importance attached to the various dimensions. The construct shows strong psychometric properties with high reliability and validity, thereby opening up opportunities to treat these facets as measurement indicators for the construct. Study 2 indicates that the effect of PCHQ on consumer loyalty and word-of-mouth (WOM) communication is stronger in social media than in traditional channels. Procedural justice and the overall quality of service solutions emerge as general dimensions of PCHQ because they are equally important in both channels. In contrast, interactional justice, distributive justice and customer effort have varying effects across the two channels.
Research limitations/implications: This study contributes to the understanding of a firm´s channel selection for complaint handling in two ways. First, it evaluates and conceptualizes the PCHQ construct. Second, it compares the effects of different dimensions of PCHQ on key marketing outcomes across traditional and socialmedia channels.
Practical implications: This study enables managers to understand the difference in efficacy attached to different dimensions of PCHQ. It further highlights such differences across traditional and social media service channels. For example, the effect of complaint handling on social media is of particular importance when generating WOM communication.
Originality/value: This study offers a comprehensive conceptualization of the PCHQ construct and reveals the general and channel contingent effects of its different dimensions on key marketing outcomes.
Container virtualization evolved into a key technology for deployment automation in line with the DevOps paradigm. Whereas container management systems facilitate the deployment of cloud applications by employing container based artifacts, parts of the deployment logic have been applied before to build these artifacts. Current approaches do not integrate these two deployment phases in a comprehensive manner. Limited knowledge on application software and middleware encapsulated in container-based artifacts leads to maintainability and configuration issues. Besides, the deployment of cloud applications is based on custom orchestration solutions leading to lock in problems. In this paper, we propose a two-phase deployment method based on the TOSCA standard. We present integration concepts for TOSCA-based orchestration and deployment automation using container-based artifacts. Our two-phase deployment method enables capturing and aligning all the deployment logic related to a software release leading to better maintainability. Furthermore, we build a container management system, which is composed of a TOSCA-based orchestrator on Apache Mesos, to deploy container-based cloud applications automatically.
Mature economies which are driven mainly by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly becoming dependent on material imports. Global material consumption is ever increasing, mainly driven by population increases. Decoupling of material consumption from economic growth is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Within this paper available methods for the assessment of material efficiency on different economic scales are investigated and those detected that are particulary suitable for the use in SMEs. Recommendations for further improvements of the selected tools and an outlook concerning planned research activities in the field of material efficiency in enterprises, supply chains and circular economy aspects are given.
This paper investigates if food ^ retailing mobile applications from Germany, Austria, USA and the United Kingdom are meant to stay a marginal topic in grocery shopping, or if they have the potential to significantly shape the future of grocery retailing by serving as competitive advantages that can fulfil customer requirements and satisfaction. It has filtered out success factors in form of functions of grocery apps and it has extracted key competencies that can be used to create customer value. The Kano model can help selecting the right app functions. But, there are other prerequisites, like customers’ general attitude towards technology and their acceptance towards any kind of apps, that play an important role looking at the big picture of apps in grocery retailing. However, this paper has contributed one vital part of giving more importance to apps in grocery retailing in form of app functions that clearly deliver customer value. In short, apps that fit customers’ needs and that provide usability and convenience clearly have the potential to shape the future of grocery retailing - if key barriers towards app use are eliminated and if incentives are given that overcome scepticism.
Implementation of product-service systems (PSS) requires structural changes in the way that business in manufacturing industries is traditionally conducted. Literature frequently mentions the importance of human resource management (HRM), since people are involved in the entire process of PSS development and employees are the primary link to customers. However, to this day, no study has provided empirical evidence whether and in what way HRM of firms that implement PSS differs from HRM of firms that solely run a traditional manufacturing based business model. The aim of this study is to contribute to closing this gap by investigating the particular HR components of manufacturing firms that implement PSS and compare it with the HRM of firms that do not. The context of this study is the fashion industry, which is an ideal setting since it is a mature and highly competitive industry that is well-documented for causing significant environmental impact. PSS present a promising opportunity for fashion firms to differentiate and mitigate the industry’s ecological footprint. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to analyze data of 102 international fashion firms. Findings reveal a significant higher focus on nearly the entire spectrum of HRM components of firms that implement PSS compared with firms that do not. Empirical findings and their interpretation are utilized to propose a general framework of the role of HRM for PSS implementation. This serves as a departure point for both scholars and practitioners for further research, and fosters the understanding of the role of HRM for managing PSS implementation.
Electromigration (EM) is becoming a progressively severe reliability challenge due to increased interconnect current densities. A shift from traditional (post-layout) EM verification to robust (pro-active) EM aware design - where the circuit layout is designed with individual EM-robust solutions - is urgently needed. This tutorial will give an overview of EM and its effects on the reliability of present and future integrated circuits (ICs). We introduce the physical EM process and present its specific characteristics that can be affected during physical design. Examples of EM countermeasures which are applied in today’s commercial design flows are presented. We show how to improve the EM-robustness of metallization patterns and we also consider mission proiles to obtain application-oriented current density limits. The increasing interaction of EM with thermal migration is investigated as well. We conclude with a discussion of application examples to shift from the current post layout EM verification towards an EM aware physical design process. Its methodologies, such as EM-aware routing, increase the EM-robustness of the layout with the overall goal of reducing the negative impact of EM on the circuit’s reliability.
Perivascular stromal cells, including mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), secrete paracrine factor in response to exercise training that can facilitate improvements in muscle remodeling. This study was designed to test the capacity for muscle-resident MSCs (mMSCs) isolated from young mice to release regenerative proteins in response to mechanical strain in vitro, and subsequently determine the extent to which strain-stimulated mMSCs can enhance skeletal muscle and cognitive performance in a mouse model of uncomplicated aging. Protein arrays confirmed a robust increase in protein release at 24 h following an acute bout of mechanical strain in vitro (10%, 1 Hz, 5 h) compared to non-strain controls. Aged (24 month old), C57BL/6 mice were provided bilateral intramuscular injection of saline, non strain control mMSCs, or mMSCs subjected to a single bout of mechanical strain in vitro (4 ×104). No significant changes were observed in muscle weight, myofiber size, maximal force, or satellite cell quantity at 1 or 4 wks between groups. Peripheral perfusion was significantly increased in muscle at 4 wks post-mMSC injection (p < 0.05), yet no difference was noted between control and preconditioned mMSCs. Intramuscular injection of preconditioned mMSCs increased the number of new neurons and astrocytes in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus compared to both control groups (p < 0.05), with a trend toward an increase in water maze performance noted (p=0.07). Results from this study demonstrate that acute injection of exogenously stimulated muscle-resident stromal cells do not robustly impact aged muscle structure and function, yet increase the survival of new neurons in the hippocampus.
The halo effect in sports
(2018)
A halo effect can lead to significantly biased and distorted judgments in numerous situations and settings in daily life. However, its impact has barely been researched in the sporting environment, although it might help a great deal in understanding how sport fans think and behave. This paper provides an international literature review on the halo effect in different research fields. Built upon this state of the art, an empirical study based on two German soccer clubs, VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Munich, analyzes the presence of halo effects explained by social identity theory. The study shows that supporters rate aspects of the respective team, for example the president’s competency, more favorable than common sport spectators, and this effect even increases with a higher level of team identification.