Special issue: Strategic issues in managing radical innovation in networks of high-tech strategic partners

International Journal of Technology Management 44(1/2) 2008

• The role of leader personality in new product development success: an examination of teams developing radical and incremental innovations
• Leveraging in-house R&D competencies for a new market: how Corning pioneered fibre optics
• Radical strategic and structural change: occurrence, antecedents and consequences
• The formation of subsequent inter-firm R&D partnerships between large pharmaceutical companies and small, entrepreneurial biotechnology firms – how important is inter-organisational trust?
• Community of self-organisation: supply chain perspective of Finnish electronic music
• Market performance and technological knowledge transfer of foreign subsidiaries' network embeddedness in Taiwan's electrical and electronic industry
• Allocating resources to disruptive innovation projects: challenging mental models and overcoming management resistance
• Failure sources in R&D consortia: the case of mobile service development
• Organisational approaches to building a radical innovation dynamic capability
• The role of techno-countervailing power in inducing the development and dissemination of new functionality – an analysis of Canon printers and Japan's personal computers
• Combining organisational and physical location to manage knowledge dissemination
• An empirical investigation on the appropriateness of flexibility approach to the product portfolio selection
• The role of communication and coordination between 'network lead companies' and their strategic partners in determining NPD project performance

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Organisational Design and Engineering

Organisational design and engineering (ODE) is defined as the application of social science and computer science research and practice to the study and implementation of new organisational designs, including the integrated structuring, modelling, development and deployment of systems and people. ODE does not emphasise either organisation theory or computer science, but is founded upon both on an equal basis.
International Journal of Organisational Design and Engineering - to begin publication in 2009 - intends to break down the "either-or" mindset which still constitutes a major obstacle to the development of strategic and operational thinking about organisations.

Call for papers: Business Environment and Emerging Markets

Call for papers: Business Environment and Emerging Markets

A special issue of International Journal of Business Environment

With a high growth rate and still significant untapped potential, emerging markets are the growth engines of the world economy. The term ‘emerging market’ was originally coined by IFC to describe a fairly narrow list of middle-to-higher income economies among the developing countries, with stock markets in which foreigners could buy securities. The term’s meaning has since been expanded to include more or less all developing countries. How to face the changing realities of globalisation requires substantial strategic thought, guidance and implementation. Contributions are invited on various aspects of globalisation and emerging markets.

A list of suggested topics includes but is not limited to the following:

• Business environment in emerging markets
• Liberalisation and privatisation in emerging markets
• Rise of stock markets and foreign capital inflows
• Pollution, environmental concerns and pressure groups
• Role of government
• Corporate governance issues
• Issues of corruption and ethics
• Conquering emerging markets
• Future of emerging markets

Important Date
Deadline for Submission of Papers: June 30, 2009

Call for papers: Fuzzy Neural Control for Mechatronic Systems

Call for papers: Fuzzy Neural Control for Mechatronic Systems

A special issue of International Journal of Advanced Mechatronic Systems

Both neural networks (NN) and fuzzy logic systems (FLS) are universal estimators. Resent results show that the fusion procedure of these two different technologies has significant advantages over standard feedback controllers for unknown nonlinear systems. Mostly, a neural network or a fuzzy logic system is used to approximate the nonlinearity of the system to be controlled and a controller is synthesised based on universal function approximators (indirect control), or a control law is directly designed using NN, or FLS based on stability theories. Another approach to feedback control design relies on using fuzzy neural networks to approximately solve various nonlinear controller design equations.

In addition to the classical feedback control theory, adaptive control and robust control are effective techniques to treat system uncertainties but generally suffer from the disadvantage of being able to achieve asymptotical convergence of the tracking error; in addition, the on-line computation load is usual heavy. In robust control designs, a fixed control law based on a priori information on the uncertainties (usually bounds on these uncertainties) is designed to compensate their effects, and exponential convergence of the tracking error to a (small) ball centered at the origin is obtained.

There is a gap between control system community and computational intelligence (e.g. neural networks and fuzzy systems) community. The purpose of this special issue is to bring together fuzzy neural networks and feedback control design techniques.

Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Feedback control using neural networks, fuzzy logic and fuzzy neural networks
• Robust neural (fuzzy) control
• Compensation of nonlinearities with (fuzzy) neural networks for mechatronic systems
• Identification and observers via (fuzzy) neural networks for mechatronic systems
• Applications of neural (fuzzy) control in mechatronic systems

Important Date
Submission deadline: 1 May, 2009

Special issue: Mobile learning: a catalyst for future eEducation

International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation 2(4) 2008
Papers from the Second International Conference on Interactive Mobile and Computer aided Learning (IMCL2007) held in Amman, Jordan, 18–20 April 2007.

• Feed-oriented awareness services for e-logbook mobile users
• Mobile technology in collaboration: evaluation of a web-based discussion board
• Video-based e-learning in groups: combining SIP and multicast in a mobile learning internet infrastructure
• A new Mobile Business Sales Transaction System
• Mobile e-learning course scenario model on PDA
• Collaborating and learning a second language in a Wireless Virtual Reality Environment

Special issue: Next generation learning environments: models, technologies and tools

International Journal of Knowledge and Learning 4(2/3) 2008

Section 1: eLearning: pedagogical approaches, learner models, environment and technologies

• Evaluating innovation in higher education teaching and learning to improve quality: an experience of blended learning at the Universita Roma Tre
• Teaching interpolation techniques with a numerical tool
• Solids by revolution: materialising an idea
• Protocols for building an organic chemical ontology
• A blended mobile learning experience: the Nomadis case
• Activity- and taxonomy-based knowledge representation framework
• Building the EnCOrE dictionary collaboratively: strategy and practice
• The different typologies of assessment for the VSE method's macro phases

Section 2: Grid technologies: applications and interfaces

• The ELeGI notification service: its implementation and a case study
• Authoring of GRID-based virtual scientific experiments
• ELeGI as enabling architecture for e-learning 2.0
• Satellite-enabled educational services specification and requirements analysis based on user feedback
• Large-scale deployment of distance education in computer science at the Hellenic Open University
• (Semantic web) services for e-learning

Special issue: Public decision making and uncertainty in environmental choices

International Journal of Environment and Health 2(2) 2008

• Analysis and selection of management technologies in the healthcare organisations: the Balanced Scorecard approach in the image diagnostics service
• Public health risk assessment: an Egyptian study of secondary lead smelting and associated risks
• Simulation of foundry environment for improving occupational exposure to heat stress conditions
• A multi-objective and multi-period location-allocation model for solid waste disposal facilities: a case study of Delhi, India
• Eco-efficiency analysis and pollutant emission quota allocation of Chinese paper mills
• From environment and health data to policy-making: the case of DDE in Belgium
• Simplified procedure to analyse work posture of foundry men through the rapid upper limb assessment
• Assessment of stakeholders' trust in governmental decisions-making regarding environmental problems
• Analysis of land application as a method of disposal for distillery effluent

Call for papers: Global Challenges for Hospitality, Travel and Tourism

Call for papers: Global Challenges for Hospitality, Travel and Tourism

A special issue of International Journal of Services, Economics and Management

Nothing in today’s chaotic tourism, travel and hospitality environment stays the same for long - achieving and sustaining success, either in the private or the public sector, is a major challenge for all relevant stakeholders. At the same time, the tourism, travel and hospitality industries have been fully globalised and are interdependent with any major and minor development on economics and management around the world.

The search for success through planning for the competitive and globalised future and learning from the past is always with us, and its impacts of are critical importance for tourism, travel and hospitality management. Any stakeholder in tourism, travel and hospitality, and any industry practitioner, educator or researcher, is facing vital questions such as:

• How to prepare for the future?
• How to manage change?
• How to survive in the future?
• How to sustain development and growth?
• How to research for the future?

This special issue aims to foster state-of-the-art research in the area of hospitality, travel and tourism and is expected to focus on multidisciplinary aspects of these significant service industries by presenting fresh approaches and solutions to various challenges facing these service sectors.

The special issue will additionally select high quality papers from the 4th International Scientific Conference on Tourism, Travel & Hospitality to be held in Rhodes island in Greece the 3-5 April 2009.

Examples of topics related to the overall theme include, but are not limited to:

• Challenges for education and tourism curriculum development issues
• Marketing and management approaches in tourism, travel and hospitality
• Human resources challenges for tourism enterprises
• Information and communication technology developments in the sector
• Tourism destination planning, development and management
• Finance and economics in tourism enterprises
• Service quality issues and visitor satisfaction
• Developments and approaches for hospitality operations management
• Travel and transportation in a globalised environment
• Challenges for management of alternative forms of tourism

Important Dates
Draft submission deadline: 20 April, 2009
Final paper submission deadline: 20 June, 2009

Special issue: Recent trends in global banking

International Journal of Banking, Accounting and Finance 1(2) 2008

• Efficiency and shareholder return in banking
• Financial disintermediation and the measurement of efficiency in banking: the case of Portuguese banks
• The impact of securitisation and structural changes of the Australian mortgage markets on bank pricing behaviour
• Efficiency across alternative financial structures, bank types and size classes: a comparison of the OECD countries
• The strategic paths and performances of Italian mutual banks: a nonparametric analysis

Special issue: The Beijing Olympic Games: the challenges and expectations for enterprises

International Journal of Enterprise Network Management 2(4) 2008

• Research on the Olympic sponsors' motivation for investment based on text mining
• Innovation paths management in collaborative enterprise clusters
• Olympics ranking and benchmarking based on cross efficiency evaluation method and cluster analysis: the case of Sydney 2000
• Load forecast of industries in Beijing based on system dynamics simulation method
• Challenges for Chinese enterprises on the basis of competition rules of the Olympic market
• Economic growth, productivity improvement and its essential factors: based on ZheJiang Province

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Tourism Anthropology

International Journal of Tourism Anthropology - to begin publication in 2009 - will especially encourage interrelated papers from various disciplines, including ethnography, ethnics, archaeology, economics, politics, psychology, sociology, management science, geography, ecology, history, philosophy, in order to publish original, high-quality and cutting-edge research on all aspects of tourism anthropology, and to offer a new integrated view of the field.

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Data Mining, Modelling and Management

Studies of the transformation process from data to information to knowledge in organisations usually deal with particular parts of the process or are from a particular viewpoint. There is a need for an integrated and systematic union of data mining, data modelling, and data management - what might be called data chain management.
International Journal of Data Mining, Modelling and Management - to begin publication in 2009 - will provide a professional forum for formulating, discussing and disseminating solutions which relate to the design, development, deployment, management, measurement, and adjustment of data warehousing, data mining, data modelling, data management, and other data analysis techniques.

Call for papers: Change in the World Auto Industry and Policy Responses

Call for papers: Change in the World Auto Industry and Policy Responses

A special issue of International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management

This special issue looks at how policy makers at local, national or regional levels have sought to work with the automotive industry to assist and adapt to the major global trends of the last two decades, at how policy makers respond to shocks or set-backs, and at the interactions more generally between state policies and firms in this strategically important global industry. Relevant issues include:

• increasing global competition and the impact of new players
• the changing political economy of the industry vis-a-vis plant location and sourcing decisions (driven by cost and other factors) and market entry decisions
• the 'move to the east' in Europe and 'to the south' in the US
• the impact of state support and policy environments and the interaction over time between policy formulation and firm responses
• the changing technological base of the industry and changing value chain with increased electrical and electronic vehicle content
• increasing concern for measures to ameliorate negative environmental impacts
• social concerns and the voices of consumers, small firms, and workers

The focus should be on some aspect of how policy, operating at different spatial scales, has impacted on the industry; on the processes by which policy is formulated, with due regard to institutions, stakeholders, and firm responses; or on the development of competencies and the acquisition of information required for effective policy formulation.

Policy actions might include:

• Those taken at national or supra-national level on regulation, for example on emissions, safety or competition, including the exit-entry decisions of firms
• Those taken at national or regional level to support indigenous companies or to attract new investment.

Measures might include:

• Support for innovation in product or production techniques, the organisation of labour, manufacturing logistics etc.
• Support for skills development
• Incentives to retain production in traditional automotive regions - or to create new capacity close to new markets or in low (wage) cost areas.
• Actions to address the concerns of governments and the general public about major issues e.g. reducing emissions, traffic management
• Actions to ameliorate the effects of plant closures or reductions in capacity and employment.

The policy environment has been characterised by a number of interesting initiatives. Global trade rules and the imperatives of Competition Policy mean much of this has been in the form of indirect actions at local or regional level. Often such actions do not support the car makers themselves, or major suppliers, but support upstream R&D or assist in raising general capability through supply chain actions such as process improvement. Policy types include cluster policy, innovation and innovation systems, the knowledge economy, support for re-structuring and training. Alternatively, policies may involve actions to address local affects of change such as re-training or area re-generation.

Processes of policy formulation and the acquisition of competencies for effective policy making are also important, and in ways liable to vary by country and area, for example, national versus supra-national policy making processes and their interaction in the EU or the North American free trade area, or the experiences of China, India or transition economies in formulating policy responses to their emerging role in the world auto industry. The role of institutions, of competition between states and regions via wider tax or regulatory regimes, of the degree to which citizens, consumers, small firms and workers have a voice in policy formulation, are also of substantial interest. Finally the processes by which information is acquired and meaningful policy consensus reached on areas where there is uncertainty – the future of the industry in the light of global warming and other environmental and resource concerns – is a major issue.

Papers are welcome which look at the experience of individual policy initiatives and policy responses and their effectiveness; where appropriate, comparative studies, across more than one location, would be welcome, as are papers exploring institutional processes. Studies adopting a case-study methodology or an historical perspective are equally welcome, as are contributions informed (for example) by game-theory, social cost-benefit analysis, engineering assessment of technological potentials and trends in resource use, industrial sociology, or political science. A multidisciplinary input is sought. Papers raising new questions/ speculations are similarly of value.

Papers to be included in this special issue should be focused on, but are not limited to, one or more of the following subjects:

• An overview of major global trends and issues and of policy roles
• An overview of local, national and supra-national policy processes and institutions
• Macro level tax and fiscal regimes and their effects (for example, are these connected with the changing political economy of the industry)
• Rules governing the entry and exit decision of firms (for example, requirements to inform states or workers about investment decisions affecting jobs)
• Rules governing foreign direct investment (for example, the policy attitudes in China or India towards inward and outward FDI, and the impact on their industries)
• Competition policy and its effects
• Corporate strategy vis-a-vis policy environments (how do firms respond to, and seek to actively influence or shape, the policy environment)
• Trade unions and the role of organized labour (how does this relate to policy formulation; the geography of the industry; corporate responses)
• Consumer groups and small business associations
• Environmental policy (how policy is evolving; what competencies are required; is there a need for transnational coordination of policy; how do firms respond)
• Technical possibilities and future resource constraints
• Disposal costs and social dumping
• Standards and liabilities
• What regional policies are adopted, and how effective are they?
• How is policy seen from the viewpoint of less developed regions?
• How has policy at national or supranational levels evolved to mediate or control competition for investment between less developed regions?
• What actions are taken at different spatial scales (for example, EU, member state, and region) to support technological development - for example to reduce emissions through vehicle or infrastructural technologies, etc.?
• What makes policy formulation efficient?
• How do (and should) policy makers respond to shocks (e.g. plant closures)
• Are there unintended consequences of policy?
• How do different policies interact? (e.g. rules on FDI/ macro-regulatory regimes)
• What are the issues of the future?

Important Dates
Deadline for (extended) abstract submission: 28 February, 2009
Response by guest editor: 31 March, 2009
Deadline for full paper submission: 30 June, 2009

Call for papers: Decision Support Systems for Unmanned Vehicles

Call for papers: Decision Support Systems for Unmanned Vehicles

A special issue of International Journal of Applied Decision Sciences

The growing use of autonomous air, surface, ground and underwater systems is continually demonstrating new military and commercial possibilities and applications. The technology for, and capabilities of, unmanned vehicles (UVs) have leapt dramatically ahead in the past two decades, going from concept to operational systems. However, relatively little progress has been seen in the development of decision support systems that help the operators prioritise, plan, schedule and adapt these vehicles for a wide variety of functions and environments.

Typical mission planning systems do little more than show data to us, as opposed to displaying the impact of that data on a proposed mission or further to provide a systematic framework for the exploration, creation and evaluation of potential mission plans that meet specified objectives. Unmanned vehicles, particularly those with high levels of autonomy inferring infrequent human control, are unique in that much more planning is needed ahead of time than for manned missions. These vehicles have neither the sensors nor the decision making sophistication required to assess the environment and its impact on the mission, so many of the eventualities must be planned for prior to a mission using the best knowledge available.

Today, this task is typically managed in an ad-hoc fashion with little support from computers tailored to provide analytical analysis, and often requires significant expertise and manpower to successfully field these systems. To make the deployment of UVs more manageable and less expensive, advances need to be made in decision support software systems that can provide a consistent and systematic approach to the analysis of the myriad of considerations for the generation of plans to meet stated objective and subjective mission goals.

The objective of this call for papers is to establish an initial baseline on the state of the art of decision support systems for unmanned vehicles that will allow the community to chart a clear course forward.

This special issue is a forum for exchange of research findings, analysis, information, and knowledge in areas which include but are not limited to:

• Analysis, design, development and implementation of decision support systems for UVs
• Fielded UV decision support systems
• Common UV command and control system design that will enable the application of generalised decision support systems
• Approaches to the reduction of the UV mission planning state space to a manageable size in which traditional path planning approaches can then be used to find 'optimal' solutions
• Dynamic mission planning and execution
• Mixed initiative methods and approaches in human-machine decision making

Important Dates
Deadline for paper submission: 29 May, 2009
Notification of acceptance: 25 September, 2009
Final version of paper: 15 January, 2010

Call for papers: Internationalisation of Small Firms and International Entrepreneurship Strategy

Call for papers: Internationalisation of Small Firms and International Entrepreneurship Strategy

A special issue of International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management

International entrepreneurship (IE) and the internationalisation of SMEs has grown phenomenally since the turn of the century, as governments and businesses continue to exploit the opportunities of globalisation and cooperation between businesses and nations. International activities of entrepreneurs contribute to the development of their home economies and the global economy as a whole, by facilitating innovation and technology transfer, supply of raw materials and parts to MNCs and overseas manufacturers, distribution of goods and services in international markets.

In order to stimulate the success of small businesses world-wide, there is need for a better understanding of entrepreneurial activities, innovation, mode of entry options open to SMEs in international markets. It is also critical to understand international market entry mode options available to small businesses in a global economy. This special issue will address these important areas.

Papers are invited from scholars dealing with the theme of the special issue. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Planning internationalisation and IE
• International markets and mode of entry
• International business partnerships and relationship management
• Power asymmetry and impact on international business relationships
• Women and minority groups in IE
• Impact of culture on internationalisation and IE
• Gender roles in management of IE and the internationalisation process
• Ethics in IE and ISME
• Managing international marketing channels
• Managing IE and the internationalisation process
• The role of globalisation in IE and the internationalisation of small firms.
• Globalisation and small suppliers
• The role of information and communication technology in internationalisation and IE
• SMEs and international industrial markets
• International market for innovation

Important Date
The deadline for submission is: July 31, 2009

Call for papers: Progress in Networked Control Systems

Call for papers: Progress in Networked Control Systems

A special issue of International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications

This special issue aims at disseminating the latest in interdisciplinary research on the theory and application of networked control systems (NCS). The increasing use of heterogeneous communication media as part of the control loop challenges conventional assumptions of perfect communication and instantaneous observation, and has given rise to a number of complementary efforts to devise analysis and design tools for NCS. The issue focuses on presenting, in a coherent context, research that attempts to address control and communication issues simultaneously. In particular, authors are encouraged to submit cross-disciplinary contributions, emphasising the importance of control, communication, networking, and sensor aspects of NCS.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Control and stability (e.g., control of networks, control over networks, hybrid, and distributed control)
• Networks (e.g., fieldbuses, wireless and sensor networks, scheduling, fault-tolerance, security)
• Architecture (e.g., integrated communication and control, multi-layering, cross-layering, QoS)
• Analysis (e.g., formal modelling, verification, evaluation, validation, simulation)
• Applications (e.g., robotics and multi-agent systems, embedded systems, factory and building automation, energy and environment, transportation).

Important Date
Submission Deadline: January 30, 2009

Special issue: Achievements in mechanical and materials engineering

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology 33(3) 2008

Papers from Achievements in Mechanical and Materials Engineering (AMME’2006) held in Wisła, Poland in May 2006 and Contemporary Achievements in Mechanics, Manufacturing and Materials Science (CAM3S’2006) held in Zakopane, Poland in November 2006.

• Surface integrity analysis in the super duplex stainless steel ASTM-A890 after machining
• The planning of the best production route in the assembly system
• PVD coatings deposited onto plasma nitrided X37CrMoV5-1 type steel
• Magnetic nanocomposite materials: structure and mechanical properties
• Microstructure and martensitic transformation in sintered NiTiCu alloys
• Workpiece structure deformation caused by high speed cutting
• Influence of cobalt portion on structure and properties of FGHM
• Brazing of 14-5 PH steel and Fe-TiC composite using AWS BNi2 filler metal
• Discontinuous transformation in the steel under hot deformation conditions
• Influence of magnetic field and inoculation on size reduction in pure aluminium structure

Special issue: Aquaculture, ecology and economics: towards a sustainable paradigm

International Journal of Environment and Pollution 33(4) 2008

Papers from a symposium held in Puerto Varas, Chile.

• Development of new methods to assess invertebrate immunology and immunotoxicology in aquaculture: oysters and lobsters as examples
• Use of molecular markers for early warning detection of harmful algal blooms
• Shellfish culture in Chile
• Seaweed future cultivation in Chile: perspectives and challenges
• Chile's National Aquaculture Policy: missing elements for the Sustainable Development of aquaculture
• Estimating preferences for non-market attributes of aquaculture and sustainable seafood production: methods and empirical applications
• Bioeconomic modelling and salmon aquaculture: an overview of the literature
• Sea Grant's role: sharing with the community the goal of fostering ecologically-sound, and economically-viable, aquaculture

Special issue: Advancing management and marketing in knowledge-based society

International Journal of Technology Management 43(4) 2008

• Exploring Knowledge Management (KM) issues and KM performance outcomes: empirical evidence from Malaysian Multimedia Super Corridor companies
• Analysis of efficiency of lean production implemented in multi-national optic enterprises
• A relational model of medical knowledge sharing and medical decision-making quality
• A strategic examination of Radio Frequency Identification in Supply Chain Management
• Competitive advantages of managing an effective social network structure to stimulate innovation from a knowledge management perspective
• eTOM and e-services based trouble-management operations: a large scale telecom case study
• The influences of leadership style and market orientation on export performance: an empirical study of small and medium enterprises in Taiwan

Special issue: Micro/nanoprecision abrasive machining

International Journal of Abrasive Technology 1(3/4) 2008

• Experimental study on the cooling effects of cryogenic pneumatic mist jet impinging cooling method
• A two-dimensional material removal model in magnetorheological finishing
• Study on mirror surface grinding of die steel by using ultrasonically assisted diamond tools
• Development of X-ray mirrors manufacturing process with ELID-grinding and polishing methods
• Simultaneous double side grinding of silicon wafers: a mathematical study on grinding marks
• A new float-polishing technique with large clearance utilising magnetic compound fluid
• Molecular dynamics simulation of effect of grinding wheel stiffness on nanogrinding process
• PCD pad conditioners for low pressure chemical mechanical planarisation of semiconductors
• Elastic deformations of grinding wheels by means of proposed grinding wheel model