Applying stage-gate processes to technology development—Experience from six hardware-oriented companies

The stage gate model has been proposed for application to uncertain technology development. Reports on industrial experience from such implementations are quite limited, however. This led us to explore in six companies what adaptations have been made to facilitate the model's usefulness for technology development and the companies’ experiences from their practical application of the model. Our results indicate that aspects proven important for the operational success, or failure, of the model include the level of adaptation to the characteristics of technology development and a more flexible use than that normally found in product development.     

Determinants of Perceived Interfirm Dependence in Industrial Supplier Relations

Studies of industrial buyer-supplier relations mostly focus on structural characteristics of the transactions between parties, and assume a direct relation between these factors and characteristics of the relationships. This paper focuses on the psychological dimension of transaction relations, reflected in perceptions of dependence, from the perspective of an industrial supplier. In the first step of the analysis, three groups of structural determinants of perceived supplier dependence are explored: factors related to goal mediation, factors related to relation-specific assets, and factors related to network embeddedness. After that, the influence of these structural factors and of perceived supplier dependence on the ordering of buyer-supplier relations is investigated. Data come from a study of the micro-electronics assembly industry in the Netherlands. The findings show that sales to a particular buyer as a percentage of the total sales of the supplier and the growth of sales to a particular buyer (two forms of goal mediation) are important determinants of perceived supplier dependence. Human asset specificity is also related to perceived supplier dependence. Network embeddedness variables play only a minor role in explaining perceived supplier and buyer dependence in this study. The data further show that perceived dependence has an effect on the degree of ordering in the relationship, next to structural factors like the extendedness of the relationship beyond the focal transaction and physical asset specificity. The effects of human asset specificity and dedicated assets on ordering are contrary to what was expected on the basis of the literature.     

具体人性——人权与宽容的新维度

简要列出宽容概念的种类,并概述人权与实际(或具体)人性之间的关联以及实质性的相互关系,基于针对人权的进一步区别、历史修正以及人权阐释的发展的评论,勾勒出人权从保护性人权向供人分享和有积极创造性的人权的发展历程,并提出与标准的法定人权相比,供人分享和有积极创造性的人权是对伦理上的真正尊严的主张,是一种道德人的准权利。因此,用“具体人性”和对具体人性的实际描述真正代替仅仅沉湎于人性和人道的相当抽象的观念,这在所有的人权教育中都是最重要的。     

论1807年的现象学的逻辑

在研究黑格尔《精神现象学》的内容时,应该同时研究其体系学的形式。1807年的现象学是建立在诸逻辑基本环节的某种序列的基础上的,而这种序列与黑格尔当时的逻辑学构想是相一致的,并且在现象学内具有一种统一的功能。要弄清这些基本规定之进程,有着诸多困难。在现象学的布局中的修改并没有走到损害现象学之逻辑根基的地步。本文第一章表明,从一开始,黑格尔就提出了这一要求:在非实在的意识的方式与逻辑的环节之间要有一种严格的对应。第二章讨论这些逻辑的环节作为什么进入意识的经验当中,以及它们如何组织意识的经验。第三章具体说明这些逻辑的基本环节的序列及其同意识的诸阶段的对应。文章最后还把一种有关现象学的方法和有关耶拿逻辑学的发展的见解,提出来进行了讨论。     

Pitfalls in multi-national long-range planning

The authors of this article argue that too many companies are not getting the benefits which should be produced by their long-range planning systems. Of the many possible explanations for this, the authors concentrate on the major pitfalls which should be avoided in order to ensure good results. The article is based upon the results of a survey of planning pitfalls among corporations in six industrialized countries.     

Information, information systems, information society: interpretations and implications

The term “information” has become a universal and omnipresent keyword in almost all areas of our modern world—be it in science or society in general. This is not only obvious from the naming of whole scientific branches like Information Theory, Information Science or Informatics but even more from common speaking—characterising our present time and society as information age viz. information society. However, what “information” might mean, is by no means clear and there is a wide range of interpretations covering, among others, its technical, communicational, educational, mental, and scientific aspects. But is the use of the same term justified when adopted in Biology, Physics, Archaeology, Law, Communication Technology, and Informatics (to list just a few of the involved scientific branches) or do its different uses at least have some common characteristics—some sort of common denominator? Is information natural, e.g. manifesting itself as a material phenomenon residing in organisms, stars, atoms, or genes, or is it just a cultural product of human communication, thinking, and interpretation? In this article, we try to clarify some of the most important interpretations, discuss and contrast them with the Informatics point of view. Interpretations range from taking information as material, transferable signals (following Shannon’s Information Theory or the genetic approaches), treating it as a sign (following a semiotic approach), as a commercial product (now common in Web-based Information Business) to considering it a pure mental phenomenon bound to humans or human-like individuals or even to groups and societies. Based on these interpretations, we shall throw a critical glance on current trends in human science and society—focusing on the now popular concept of “information society”—and then derive some theses and guidelines for further research escorting the growth and dispersal of information technology. As it will turn out, an information society which defines itself through the number of computers, internet connections and network links is based on a very narrow, techno-centric concept of information. However, a reflection on the educational and cultural aspects of information might lead to a better-qualified society consisting of responsible and critical citizens.     

论科学与工程的结构性差异

工程最初被理解为自然科学的应用,然而科学与工程之间的区别是需要进一步澄清的。二者间最简单的区别表现在自然物的科学同人造物的科学之间的区别,而创造性并不能作为科学同工程之间的根本区别。工程师寻找实现目标的手段,手段则是由规则给出的,而且是在技术可能性上有效的。为了更好地理解工程,需要引入技术解释学,并且把工程科学的哲学溶入技术的形而上学之中。     

Alliances Across Ideologies: Networking with NGOs in a Tourism Dispute in Northern Bali

This paper explores how local actors form alliances and join networks with (inter-)national NGOs working on religious, political and environmental issues in a dispute over tourism development in northern Bali. All of these actors construct a particular concept of landscape which serves their respective goals to contest or defend the planned large-scale tourism projects. Three of these conceptual framings are identified as playing a major role in the conflict: (1) a spiritual Hindu-Balinese perspective mobilised by tourism protesters and NGOs; in alliance with (2) views on landscape based on sustainability and conservation powerfully represented by international NGOs; clashing with (3) a material and economic view of landscape by international investors, who consider land primarily as a commodity generating economic value. These three contrasting views and resulting networks provide an instrument of moral and political pressure for the contending parties in this conflict over natural resources and tourism development.