Abstract: The term Enterprise 2.0 (E2.0) describes a collection of organizational and IT practices that help organizations establish flexible work models, visible knowledge-sharing practices, and higher levels of community participation. E2.0 parallels and builds on another term commonly being used in the industry – Web 2.0. E2.0 represents also new packaging for strategic collaboration and Knowledge Management (KM). Organizations rely on collaboration and KM initiatives to attain innovation, growth, productivity, and performance goals.
Abstract: The paper deals with an application of quantitative analysis – the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method to performance evaluation of the European Union Member States, in the reference years 2000 and 2011. The main aim of the paper is to measure efficiency changes over the reference years and to analyze a level of productivity in individual countries based on DEA method and to classify the EU Member States to homogeneous units (clusters) according to efficiency results. The theoretical part is devoted to the fundamental basis of performance theory and the methodology of DEA. The empirical part is aimed at measuring degree of productivity and level of efficiency changes of evaluated countries by basic DEA model – CCR CRS model, and specialized DEA approach – the Malmquist Index measuring the change of technical efficiency and the movement of production possibility frontier. Here, DEA method becomes a suitable tool for setting a competitive/uncompetitive position of each country because there is not only one factor evaluated, but a set of different factors that determine the degree of economic development.
Abstract: One of the determinants of a firm-s prosperity is the
customers- perceived service quality and satisfaction. While service
quality is wide in scope, and consists of various dimensions, there
may be differences in the relative importance of these dimensions in
affecting customers- overall satisfaction of service quality.
Identifying the relative rank of different dimensions of service quality
is very important in that it can help managers to find out which
service dimensions have a greater effect on customers- overall
satisfaction. Such an insight will consequently lead to more effective
resource allocation which will finally end in higher levels of
customer satisfaction. This issue –despite its criticality- has not
received enough attention so far. Therefore, using a sample of 240
bank customers in Iran, an artificial neural network is developed to
address this gap in the literature. As customers- evaluation of service
quality is a subjective process, artificial neural networks –as a brain
metaphor- may appear to have a potentiality to model such a
complicated process. Proposing a neural network which is able to
predict the customers- overall satisfaction of service quality with a
promising level of accuracy is the first contribution of this study. In
addition, prioritizing the service quality dimensions in affecting
customers- overall satisfaction –by using sensitivity analysis of
neural network- is the second important finding of this paper.
Abstract: The present study has been carried out with a view to calculate the coastal vulnerability index (CVI) to know the high and low sensitive areas and area of inundation due to future SLR. Both conventional and remotely sensed data were used and analyzed through the modelling technique. Out of the total study area, 8.26% is very high risk, 14.21% high, 9.36% medium, 22.46% low and 7.35% in the very low vulnerable category, due to costal components. Results of the inundation analysis indicate that 225.2 km² and 397 km² of the land area will be submerged by flooding at 1m and 10m inundation levels. The most severely affected sectors are expected to be the residential, industrial and recreational areas. As this coast is planned for future coastal developmental activities, measures such as industrializations, building regulation, urban growth planning and agriculture, development of an integrated coastal zone management, strict enforcement of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Act, monitoring of impacts and further research in this regard are recommended for the study area.
Abstract: Color constancy algorithms are generally based on the
simplified assumption about the spectral distribution or the reflection
attributes of the scene surface. However, in reality, these assumptions
are too restrictive. The methodology is proposed to extend existing
algorithm to applying color constancy locally to image patches rather
than globally to the entire images.
In this paper, a method based on low-level image features using
superpixels is proposed. Superpixel segmentation partition an image
into regions that are approximately uniform in size and shape. Instead
of using entire pixel set for estimating the illuminant, only superpixels
with the most valuable information are used. Based on large scale
experiments on real-world scenes, it can be derived that the estimation
is more accurate using superpixels than when using the entire image.
Abstract: This paper presents a unified approach based graph
theory and system theory postulates for the modeling and analysis
of Simple open cycle Gas turbine system. In the present paper, the
simple open cycle gas turbine system has been modeled up to its subsystem
level and system variables have been identified to develop the
process subgraphs. The theorems and algorithms of the graph theory
have been used to represent behavioural properties of the system like
rate of heat and work transfers rates, pressure drops and temperature
drops in the involved processes of the system. The processes have
been represented as edges of the process subgraphs and their limits
as the vertices of the process subgraphs. The system across variables
and through variables has been used to develop terminal equations of
the process subgraphs of the system. The set of equations developed
for vertices and edges of network graph are used to solve the system
for its process variables.
Abstract: The rheological properties, structure and potential synergistic interactions of whey proteins (1-6%) and inulin (20%) in mixed gels in the presence of CaCl2 was the aim of this study. Whey proteins have a strong influence on inulin gel formation. At low concentrations (2%) whey proteins did not impair in inulin gel formation. At higher concentration (4%) whey proteins impaired inulin gelation and inulin impaired the formation of a Ca2+-induced whey protein network. The presence of whey proteins at a level allowing for protein gel network formation (6%) significantly increased the rheological parameters values of the gels. SEM micrographs showed that whey protein structure was coated by inulin moieties which could make the mixed gels firmer. The protein surface hydrophobicity measurements did not exclude synergistic interactions between inulin and whey proteins, however. The use of an electrophoretic technique did not show any stable inulin-whey protein complexes.
Abstract: Modern organizations operate under the pressure of
dynamic and often unpredictable changes, both in external and
internal environment. Market success, in this context, requires a
particular competence in the form of flexibility, interpreted here both
on the level of individuals and on the level of organization. This
paper addresses the changes taking place in the sphere of
employment, as observed in economic entities operating on Polish
market. Based on own empirical studies, the authors focus on the
progressing trend of ‘flexibilization’ of employment, particularly in
the context of transformations in organizational structure, designed to
facilitate the transition into management by projects and
differentiation of labor forms.
Abstract: This paper introduced the status quo of laws and
regulations of sustainable construction in China and investigated the
existing problems of current laws and regulations through
person-interviews in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Shenzhen in
China. The problems include incomplete legal system, lack of
guidance of higher-level laws, backward in some laws and regulations,
unclear legal liability and poor law enforcement. Aimed at these
problems, this paper also put forward some improvement approaches,
such as filling the legal gap, revising laws and regulations, establishing
incentive system and keeping pace with level of development.
Abstract: This paper studies the cultural creative industry's characteristics between the eastern and western of Zhejiang Province. Through the Comparative analysis, this paper works out that the cultural creative industry in western Zhejiang Province is mainly promoted by the inside force, and its level of development is obviously much lower than the eastern Zhejiang Province whose cultural creative industry is mainly pulled by outside forces. So this paper worked out some strategies for the development of cultural creative industry in western Zhejiang Province, which are based on the economic foundation and the cultural resource endowments. Finally these strategies will help to improve the whole development level of western Zhejiang Province, and contribute to the balance development between the west and east of Zhejiang Province.
Abstract: To help the client to select a competent agent
construction enterprise (ACE), this study aims to investigate the
selection standards by using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process
(FAHP) and build an evaluation mathematical model with Grey
Relational Analysis (GRA). According to the outputs of literature
review, four orderly levels are established within the model, taking the
consideration of various agent construction models in practice. Then,
the process of applying FAHP and GRA is discussed in detailed.
Finally, through a case study, this paper illustrates how to apply these
methods in getting the weights of each standard and the final
assessment result.