Necessity spin-offs are organized by employees of incumbent firms to escape deteriorating job conditions. This paper proposes a conceptual model of the spin-off process. Necessity spin-offs are distinguished from opportunity spin-offs on the basis of their triggering events. An empirical analysis of German laser spin-offs traces differences in the performance and determinants of the two types o...

Despite the variety of potential benefits to society, organizations, and individuals, telework growth has been moderate. We posit that the materialization of telework potential is viable when management recognizes its innovative value and accordingly changes the implementation paradigm from selection to adaptation and from ad hoc based temporary solution of an individual problem to the strategi...

This paper presents an architecture for managing database evolution when all the components of the database (conceptual schema, logical schema and extension) are available. The strategy of evolution in which our architecture is based is that of ‘forward database maintenance’, that is, changes are applied to the conceptual schema and propagated automatically down to the logical schema and to the...

This study explores the differences between conceptual data models designed by expert and novice data modelling practitioners. The data models are evaluated using a number of quality factors synthesised from previous empirical studies and frameworks for quality in conceptual modelling. This study extends previous studies by using practitioners as participants and using a number of different qua...

The focus of this paper is database design in the context of converting a conceptual data model into an internal representation. For a given conceptual data model, an access pro-le speciies statistical information about (retrieval and update) requests to be performed, while a data proole speciies a statistical characterization of the database contents. The corresponding time/space trade-oo and ...

Conceptual change is a popular, contemporary conception of meaningful learning. Conceptual change describes changes in conceptual frameworks (mental models or personal theories) that learners construct to comprehend phenomena. Different theories of conceptual change describe the reorganization of conceptual frameworks that results from different forms of activity. We argue that learners’ concep...

This conceptual paper is triggered by the backdrop that graduates emerging from developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan African region seem not to be strong enough their personal capacity, resolve and drive becoming independent entrepreneurs, perhaps as a result of fear, inertia, unwillingness take-risk. These drawbacks somewhat suggest prevailing innovative entrepreneurship educ...

Among a number of innovative approaches that have modernized cell biology, modeling has a prominent yet unusual place. One popular view is that we progress linearly, from conceptual to ever more detailed models. We review recent discoveries of cell polarity mechanisms, in which modeling played an important role, to demonstrate that the experiment-theory feedback loop requires diverse models cha...

Increasingly, small firms with a history tied to a specific geographic location are having their survival threatened by new and innovative web-based entrants. This paper considers the plight of such firms and proposes an alternative means to reflect on how they may or may not learn about such threats or opportunities. Adopting an evolutionary perspective, the construct absorptive capacity is us...

In recent years, logistics outsourcing has shown a strong development. However, despite the benefits associated with logistics outsourcing, there are many relationships that do not last as long as they were initially planned. In this chapter the authors tried to sketch a conceptual model of Risk Management applied to logistics outsourcing and supported by a case study within aerospace industry....