nep-ppm New Economics Papers
on Project, Program and Portfolio Management
Issue of 2008‒03‒01
four papers chosen by
Arvi Kuura
Parnu College - Tartu University

  1. Choosing and Sharing By Jérémy Laurent-Lucchetti; Justin Leroux
  2. Firms' Rationales for Interaction with Research Universities By Broström, Anders
  3. How to Proceed with the Thorium Nuclear Technology: a Real Options Analysis By Siddiqui, Afzal; Fleten, Stein-Erik
  4. Virtual Mentorship as an Advanced Method of Knowledge and Experience Sharing and Network Building By Mislav Ante Omazić; Dario Blažeković

  1. By: Jérémy Laurent-Lucchetti; Justin Leroux (IEA, HEC Montréal)
    Abstract: Choosing a project for which benefits accrue to all involved agents but brings major costs or additional benefits to only one agent is often problematic. Siting a nationwide nuclear waste disposal or hosting a major sporting event are examples of such a problem: costs or benefits are tied to the identity of the host of the project. Our goals are twofold: to choose the efficient site (the host with the lowest cost or the highest localized surplus) and to share the cost, or surplus, in a predetermined way so as to achieve redistributive goals. We propose a simple mechanism to implement both objectives. The unique subgame-perfect Nash equilibrium of our mechanism coincides with truthtelling, is efficient, budget-balanced and immune to coalitional deviations.
    Date: 2007–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iea:carech:0713&r=ppm
  2. By: Broström, Anders (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology)
    Abstract: R&D managers at 50 firms randomly selected from all firms who have formal relations with two research universities in Stockholm are being interviewed about their rationales for collaboration. Drawing on this material, a distinctive typology of rationales and the therewith associated effects from cooperative relations is presented. As expected, rationales related to innovation, in terms of invented or improved products or processes, are found to be the main drivers for interaction. As regards the nature of the innovation process leading to innovation, most respondents indicate that “indirect” relationships between collaboration outcomes and successful innovation dominate over “direct” appropriation of results. Contrasting open ended search rationales with pursuit of defined objectives, we find that both types are strongly represented among the studied collaborative linkages. We also find that interaction rationales often go beyond the pursuit of innovation per se; firms also work with university researchers to access academic networks, to develop its human capital and to realise direct business opportunities. The consequences of these findings for policy measures steered towards the strengthening of collaborative university-industry linkages are discussed.
    Keywords: R&D collaboration; technology transfer; university-industry linkages; innovation collaboration
    JEL: O32 O33 O38
    Date: 2008–02–26
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:cesisp:0115&r=ppm
  3. By: Siddiqui, Afzal; Fleten, Stein-Erik
    Abstract: The advantage of thorium-fuelled nuclear power is that it limits the potential for spreading weapons-grade material and produces less long-lived nuclear waste than existing uranium-fuelled plants. However, there are a number of technical challenges that need to be overcome, and the current costs of initiating a thorium fuel cycle would be very high. We analyse how a government may proceed with a staged development of meeting electricity demand as fossil fuel sources are being phased out. The thorium technology is one possibility, where one would start a major research and development program as an intermediate step. Alternatively, the government could choose to deploy an existing renewable energy technology, and using the real options framework, we compare the two projects to provide policy implications on how one might proceed.
    Keywords: Real options; Renewable electricity technologies; Electricity markets; Stochastic price; R&D
    JEL: Q42 Q2 G13
    Date: 2008–02–28
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7355&r=ppm
  4. By: Mislav Ante Omazić (Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb); Dario Blažeković
    Abstract: Access to advanced ideas, specific information, advanced expertise, accumulated experience and applicable knowledge are key competitive determinants of those that want to prosper in knowledge based society. In other words human capital is principal competitive advantage of knowledge based economies. Trends in today’s world are making us rethink the methods of delivering knowledge. In order to answer to those trends and as a proactive effort to foster their global competitiveness top students from two most influenced graduate schools (Faculty of Economics and Business and Faculty Electrical Engineering and Computing both within University of Zagreb) in Croatia gathered within eSTUDENT initiative and they have started project “Virtual Mentorship”. Its primary goal is to initialize and organize cooperation between senior undergraduate students from Croatian universities and acknowledged members of academic society and business world who live abroad but do have originated from Croatia. Purpose of the project is to establish mentor-protégé relationship between these two parties that will enable students to learn and improve their knowledge as well as gain new skills through quality virtual communication with respectable scientists and professionals. This project has a great potential and significance for development of Croatian system of education as well as for improvement of Croatian labor competitiveness in general. Its significance lies primarily on impacts that Virtual Mentorship has on educational system.
    Keywords: mentorship, virtual, knowledge sharing, networking, distance learning
    Date: 2008–01–21
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zag:wpaper:0801&r=ppm

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