Lifecycle risk assessment of a technological system using dynamic Bayesian networks

Investigations of technological systems accidents reveal that technical, human, organizational, as well as environmental factors influence the occurrence of accidents. Despite these facts, most traditional risk assessment techniques focus on technical aspects of systems and have some limitations of incorporating efficient links between risk models and human and organizational factors. This paper presents a method for risk analysis of technological systems. Application of the presented framework makes it possible to analyze the influence of technical, human, organizational, and environmental risk factors on system safety. It encompasses system lifecycle from design to operational phase to give a comprehensive picture of system risks. The developed framework comprises the following main steps: (1) development of a conceptual risk analysis framework, (2) identifying risk influencing factors in different levels of technical, human, organizational, and environmental factors providing the possibility of analyzing interactions in a multi‐level system, (3) modeling system risk using dynamic Bayesian network (DBN), (4) assignment of probabilities and risk quantification in node probability tables (NPTs) based on industry records and experts extracted knowledge, (5) implementation of the model for wind turbines risk analysis combining use of V‐model, risk factors, and DBN in order to analyze the risk, and (6) analyzing different scenarios and the interactions in different levels. Finally, the various steps of the framework, the research objective fulfillment, and case study results are presented and discussed.     

Exploring the Niche Overlaps Between Organizational Ecology and Industrial Economics

The goal of this essay is to bring the work of organizationalecologists on population dynamics to the attention of economistsand to try to engineer an exchange of ideas between the twosubjects. Following a relatively brief exposition of the basicarguments made by organizational ecologists, we explore a numberof areas where cross-fertilization between organizational ecologyand industrial economics seems promising. These include: examiningthe limits of competitive exclusion; exploring how models thatfocus on selection between firms might apply to selection betweenproducts; linking models of population dynamics to models whichexplain changes in market structures over time; understandingthe sources of structural inertia which limit the ability offirms to react to market events. We conclude by making a fewobservations on what each group of scholars might learn fromthe other.     

组织记忆传递与复制的基本特征及实证研究

组织记忆(Orgamizational memory,OM)整合了组织中的各类知识,被认为是信息技术支撑知识管理的先决条件。组织记忆的传递与复制是在组织发展过程中建立健全组织知识体系的重要组成部分。本文在分析了组织记忆传递与复制的影响因素之后,研究了组织记忆的受体特征和受体模型,并进行了组织记忆受体对组织记忆认可水平的实证研究,为深入认识组织记忆的传递与复制奠定了理论基础。     

Economic Growth Revisited

In this essay it is suggested that the success of Japan andthe newly industrialized countries (NICs) is, in no small measure,due to their intuitive grasp of the relationships between technology,growth and economic policy as these countries constantly adjustedeconomic policy to reflect changed economic circumstances, withconcomitant changes in economic structure. The key element tothe explanation in this paper is ‘economic organization’.Economic organization refers to more than the simple dichotomybetween ‘centralization’ and ‘decentralization’of decision making at the highest level. As is now widely recognized,market economies consist of many firms; these firms, however,may be organized in different ways. At one extreme each maybe highly centrally controlled, in which case the economy canbe thought of as a polyarchy of hierarchies. There are two aspectsof economic organization of particular relevance: the abilityto monitor and to innovate. Changes in technology have profoundeffects on how well different organizational structures canperform these central functions and, on the other hand, an importantaspect of economic development is organizational innovationswhich affect the ability of the economic system to monitor andinnovate. Moreover, the performance of an economy depends notjust on the internal organization of its firms and the marketstructure; it depends on how well capital markets function.These too may be organized in markedly different ways. The paperis organized into six sections. The first describes the majorphenomena to be explained, the stylized facts with which anyexplanation of growth must come to terms. The second and thirddiscuss the two competing explanations—explanations whichemphasize returns to scale and factor accumulation—andargue that these explanations cannot account for * The authoris a member of the Council of Economic Advisors, on leave fromStanford University The views expressed are solely those ofthe author. This paper is based on research which was supportedin part by the National Science Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.the Hoover Institution and the World Bank My ideas on the growthprocess have been greatly influenced by an extended study ofthe East Asia miracle, sponsored by the World Bank. For fullerdiscussions of the East Asia miracle, see World Bank (1993).Stiglitz (1994a) and Stiglitz and Uy (1994). This paper incorporatesand excends ideas developed there as well as those presentedin several earlier papers, in particular Stiglitz (1992a). Theinfluence of my co-authors Bruce Greenwald. Andrew Weiss, ThomasHellmann, Andres Rodriguez, Kevin Murdock and Marilou Uy shouldbe evident.     

结构性创新对组织绩效的影响机制研究

基于生态位理论,深入研究了结构性创新对组织绩效的影响机制,考察知识解构/知识重构的中介作用和知识共享/资源获取的调节作用。针对221个制造型企业的多时点研究发现：结构性创新正向影响组织绩效,知识解构和知识重构在其中起中介作用;知识共享调节结构性创新与知识解构/知识重构间的关系,也通过知识解构/知识重构调节结构性创新与组织绩效的间接关系;资源获取调节结构性创新与知识重构间的关系,也通过知识重构调节结构性创新与组织绩效的间接关系。     

Influence of the Adoption and Use of Social Media Tools on Absorptive Capacity in New Product Development

Abstract:

In this article, we discuss how the adoption and use of social media tools influences new product development (NPD). Our aim is specifically to consider how an organization's absorptive capacity is influenced by using social media tools. Based on a two-phase data collection process comparing the situation before and after adoption of social media tools in three organizations, we conclude that the amount of accessible knowledge and the number of ideas increases as an organization's ability to find and access various sources of intra-organizational expertise increases, thus, increasing knowledge acquisition and assimilation. Consequently, we infer that organizational absorptive capacity rises and is linked to improvement in new product development.     

基于结构熵的人力资源管理部门组织结构的评价

比较了职能式与矩阵式两种人力资源部门的组织架构,并基于结构熵模型,分析了人力资源管理部门作为一个组织系统的信息流的时效熵和质量熵,对矩阵式和职能式两种结构的有序度作出了评价,结果表明矩阵式组织结构具有更优的有序度。     

Knowledge representation for the selection of methods in analytical chemistry

Expert systems are gaining rapidly in importance in several areas of science, and in chemistry in particular. One of the most important factors that determines the success of an expert system is the representation of the knowledge. To understand better the suitability of the different knowledge representation techniques for the selection of methods in analytical chemistry, a test knowledge base was developed for the high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of pharmaceutical compounds. This knowledge base has been used to study which features of knowledge representation are necessary to describe analytical chemical knowledge in a natural and efficient way. It is concluded that no single representation method is optimal. A combination of production rules and frame structures seems to be much more suitable. The possibility of consulting external databases and programs is also a very important aspect.     

To What Extent do Sectors “Socialize” Innovation Differently? Mapping Cooperative Linkages in Knowledge‐Intensive Industries in the Ottawa Region

This paper investigates the relative significance of local vs. distant forms of cooperation and knowledge sourcing in different knowledge‐intensive sectors of the Ottawa region. Based on a recently completed survey of 172 firms, we address specifically the respective contribution of local, national and international cooperation in supplying firms with ideas, information and knowledge. Explanations for different collaborative patterns between high‐ and medium‐tech manufacturing firms and knowledge‐intensive business services are drawn out.     

Study on the Agile Virtual Enterprise′s Organizing Form and Running Environment

1　IntroductionInrecentyears ,themarketspresentcontinuallyunpredictablechanges ,andthespeedofproductsinnova tionandtechnologyinnovationismuchquicker.Greatchangeshavetakenplaceinpolitics ,economyandcultureofthewholesocietyduetothedevelopmentofinformationtechnology ,Internetandglobalcommu nicationinstallations,whichshowedthattheknowledgeeconomytimesbasedoninnovationandglobaliza tioniscoming .Inthistime ,knowledgeisthemostimportantresource ,andchangesarethemainmelodyoftheenterprises′runningenvir…     

传统审美观念对汉字图形的影响

汉字图形是中国传统审美观念视觉表现的一种特殊形式,涉及到美的客观性与社会性。从汉字结体形态,组织美学、市民美学思想以及吉祥内涵等方面阐述了审美观念对现代汉字图形设计的影响。     

Dynamizing Knowledge Processes Through Actional Intelligence in an Engineering Context

Abstract

Knowledge management and engineering management are closely related. However, the latter has focused primarily in the codification and systemization of knowledge. This article proposes a schema based on organizational learning and cultural values that enhance the latter and aims at explaining how knowledge can be actioned and deployed successfully in an organization. The construct was field tested among the technical staff of a large perfumes firm. This article parts from the influential concept of actionable knowledge introduced by Chris Argyris and his school and follows with subsequently-developed paradigms, such as the knowledge maturity model, organizational competencies, and Actional Intelligence. From a practical point of view, it proposes concrete recommendations for the utilization of knowledge management by engineering managers and fills the cultural and organizational gap of traditional knowledge engineering approaches. Additionally, it aims at contributing to a better understanding of knowledge management systemization and practice. It fills a particular research gap in the state of the art of knowledge management practice, while it suggests a more reasonable and comprehensible focus of knowledge management and a more precise and dynamic perspective to engineering management and knowledge engineering.     

A socio-technical analysis of work with ideas in NPD: an industrial case study

The work with ideas is perceived by both academics and industry to be an important element in new product development and has thus been the subject of investigation in many different research fields. In this paper, we investigate a specific case showing how a successful product was developed based on piecing together a number of ideas that were developed and disseminated in a large industrial company. We do this through an in-depth case study of the development of the energy-labeled circulation pump Alpha Pro, developed by one of the world’s leading pump manufacturers, Grundfos. Using a socio-technical approach, we focus especially on the actors involved and the contextual factors, and less on the detailed development of technical ideas. In our study, we observe that (1) ideas are pieced together from previous ideas and results; (2) ideas are implemented through continuous mobilization of support and development of legitimate arguments; and (3) idea work is also a socio-technical process, because contextual factors matter. We observe that idea work is an ongoing process undertaken across different projects, actors, departments, strategies, and visions within Grundfos, while also involving external actors outside Grundfos. Based on our socio-technical approach and observations, we begin to develop a broader understanding of idea work in new product development and sketch an analytical framework that can be used to make socio-technical analyses of product development projects in future research.     

Local Knowledge Spillovers and Development: An Exploration of the Software Cluster in Uruguay

The paper contributes to the understanding of the nature of local knowledge spillovers and their importance for innovation in clusters in developing countries. Using detailed primary data about a cluster of software firms in Montevideo, Uruguay, the paper finds plenty of evidence of the existence of pure unintentional knowledge spillovers. In addition, it supports previous theoretical studies that have contended that there are also many knowledge flows that are to some degree produced purposively by local parties—these flows can be placed somewhere in between pure spillovers and pure market transactions. While the respondents themselves place most value on knowledge flows that are more or less purposively co-produced with customer transactions, a more objective statistical analysis shows that good product/service-innovation performance is associated with intensive use of flows with more pronounced spillover characteristics. The respondents possibly underrate the latter because of their invisibility and spontaneous nature. Heavy use of knowledge flows lying close to the market-transaction side of the spectrum is found to be associated with relatively advanced organizational capability, but not with product innovation. Overall, the findings point towards the relevance of cluster-based policies to promote innovation in a less developed country context. Various policy measures to stimulate the local circulation of knowledge are suggested.     

Production control for new work structures

In designing new work structures for the industrial area, the main aim is to optimize the interaction of the technical, social and organizational system. Studies in some factories have shown that new work structures cause completely different requirements for the production control system in comparison with conventional working systems. These requirements are described using the examples of production cells and assembly groups. Two potential solutions for production control are illustrated. In the case of component manufacture in production cells, particular attention is given to short-term production control and the transfer of planning activities to the workers. In assembly the main emphasis is placed on medium-term planning and its link to the new work structures.     

A framework for the establishment of organizational risk indicators

Organizational risk indicators are proposed as a tool for risk control during operation of offshore installations, as a complement to QRA-based indicators. An organizational factor framework is developed based on a review of existing organizational factor frameworks, research on safety performance indicators, and previous work on QRA-based indicators. The results comprise a qualitative organizational model, proposed organizational risk indicators, and a quantification methodology for assessing the impact of the organization on risk. The risk indicators, when validated, will aid in a frequent control of the risk in the periods between the updating of the quantitative risk assessments.     

Reliability analysis for socio-technical system,case propene pumping

Reliability is not a specified study for each functional part of the industry, isolated one from other. The reliability of each part is interconnected with each other and their level of integration depends on the level of automation, type of process, management style, and organizational environment. By understanding on relations between the functions of these systems becomes possible to study the integrated reliability. This knowledge allows the formatting of factors that increase the performance of staff and of equipment leading to greater organizational efficiency. This work aims to clarify how the different reliabilities communicate with each other, and how to establish integrated programs without excessive resources for deployment and management of integrated reliability. A new management type and organizational environments are proposed to transform people and equipment even more reliable to the system. In this moment we are proposing new techniques to analyze the failure, the accident, the task, and the hazards. The task analysis allows the integration between the operation and the worker that, in consequence, becoming more reliable. The design of process control allows maintenance of process capability in response to operational actions. The reliability and the maintainability of equipment depend on the level of automation and confidence in the project work. A good tool to interface man–machine integrates the human and the equipment, increasing the reliability system. The skills to perform a well-designed task (operational reliability) keep the equipment under control. The knowledge of the operator ensures that processes are been controlled and are able to meet their goals. The success of integration of the reliabilities is ensured and achieved with the adoption of new organizational patterns and new management styles. Thus it becomes possible to transform policy into practice without having divergent values or reduce conflict between priorities in the areas of safety and production.     

一种基于知识地图集的知识管理系统模型框架

在分析知识管理、知识管理系统(KMS)的含义和知识地图集技术的特点的基础上，提出了一种基于知识地图集的KMS模型框架，并且分析了该模型框架中知识地图集的组成及功能，讨论了KMS中知识地图集和知识存储之间的关系。依据该模型框架，组织易于构建知识管理系统，实现知识资源的共享与充分运用。最后，通过一个实例分析进一步说明了该模型框架的应用。