Blockchain Papers

Wendy L. Currie

No abstract is available for this record.

Oded Goldreich, Hugo Krawczyk

The wide applicability of zero-knowledge interactive proofs comes from the possibility of using these proofs as subroutines in cryptographic protocols. A basic question concerning this use is whether the (sequential and/or parallel) composition of zero-knowledge protocols is zero-knowledge too. We demonstrate the limitations of the composition of zero-knowledge protocols by proving that the original definition of zero-knowledge is not closed under sequential composition; and that even the strong formulations of zero-knowledge (e.g., black-box simulation) are not closed under parallel execution. We present lower bounds on the round complexity of zero-knowledge proofs, with significant implications for the parallelization of zero-knowledge protocols. We prove that three-round interactive proofs and constant-round Arthur-Merlin proofs that are black-box simulation zero-knowledge exist only for languages in BPP. In particular, it follows that the “parallel versions” of the first interactive proofs systems presented for quadratic residuosity, graph isomorphism, and any language in NP, are not black-box simulation zero-knowledge, unless the corresponding languages are in BPP Whether these parallel versions constitute zero-knowledge proofs was an intriguing open questions arising from the early works on zero-knowledge. Other consequences are a proof of optimality for the round complexity of various known zero-knowledge protocols and the necessity of using secret coins in the design of “parallelizable” constant-round zero-knowledge proofs.

Ivan Damgård, Ronald Cramer

We present a zero-knowledge proof system [19] for any NP language L, which<br />allows showing that x in L with error probability less than 2^−k using communication<br />corresponding to O(|x|^c) + k bit commitments, where c is a constant depending only<br />on L. The proof can be based on any bit commitment scheme with a particular set<br />of properties. We suggest an efficient implementation based on factoring.<br />We also present a 4-move perfect zero-knowledge interactive argument for any NP-language<br />L. On input x in L, the communication complexity is O(|x|^c) max(k; l)<br />bits, where l is the security parameter for the prover. Again, the protocol can be<br />based on any bit commitment scheme with a particular set of properties. We suggest<br />efficient implementations based on discrete logarithms or factoring.<br />We present an application of our techniques to multiparty computations, allowing<br />for example t committed oblivious transfers with error probability 2^−k to be done<br />simultaneously using O(t+k) commitments. Results for general computations follow<br />from this.<br />As a function of the security parameters, our protocols have the smallest known<br />asymptotic communication complexity among general proofs or arguments for NP.<br />Moreover, the constants involved are small enough for the protocols to be practical in<br />a realistic situation: both protocols are based on a Boolean formula Phi containing and-<br />, or- and not-operators which verifies an NP-witness of membership in L. Let n be<br />the number of times this formula reads an input variable. Then the communication<br />complexity of the protocols when using our concrete commitment schemes can be<br />more precisely stated as at most 4n + k + 1 commitments for the interactive proof<br />and at most 5nl +5l bits for the argument (assuming k <= l). Thus, if we use k = n,<br />the number of commitments required for the proof is linear in n.<br />Both protocols are also proofs of knowledge of an NP-witness of membership in<br />the language involved.

Mihir Bellare, Moti Yung

No abstract is available for this record.

Sultan Gurban Niftaliyev

The price increase in the cryptocurrency market over the past 1 year has resulted in a further increase in the interest of ordinary citizens and amateur investors in digital assets. At the same time, the increase in prices has motivated people to invest in cryptocurrencies. At the moment, the main questions that interest investors are: how are the commissions charged during the purchase and cashing of cryptocurrencies and in what form is tax paid on cryptocurrency income. Considering these factors, the information contained in this article about the commissions charged during cryptocurrency trading and the mechanism of taxation of cryptocurrency income is quite relevant.

Rob Young

The profitability of foreign affairs starts with setting priorities amidst diminishing financial resources. This policy goes hand in hand with investment in the means of communication, delegating services to the private sector, decentralization, usage of local personnel and the quest for self-financing of consular activities. This effort towards improving profitability has already produced results.

Thomas Thierauf

We investigate the computational complexity of the isomorphism problem for one-timeonly branching programs (BP1-Iso): on input of two one-time-only branching programs B 0 and B 1 , decide whether there exists a permutation of the variables of B 1 such that it becomes equivalent to B 0 . Our main result is a two-round interactive proof for BP1-Iso, the complement of BP1-Iso. The protocol is based on the Schwartz-Zippel Theorem to probabilistically check polynomial idendities. As a consequence, BP1-Iso cannot be NP hard unless the polynomial hierarchy collapses. We extend the protocol to get an interactive proof to decide the non-isomorphism of multivariate polynomials over an arbitrary field. Finally, we show that BP1-Iso has a zero-knowledge interactive proof. 1 Introduction An interesting computational issue is to decide the equivalence of two given programs with respect to some computational model as, for example, Boolean circuits, branching programs, or Boolean formulas. A more ge...

Rza Hasanli, Mahir Dursun

Abstract — The volatile nature of cryptocurrency markets has spurred interest in predictive models to aid investment and trading strategies. This study extends previous works by incorporating all available technical indicators, leveraging the TA library, and evaluating multiple deep learning architectures for Bitcoin price prediction. Using daily OHLC data for Bitcoin (BTC) sourced from Yahoo Finance, we implement Transformer-based Multi-Head Attention with GRU and LSTM layers, along with standalone LSTM and GRU models. These architectures are compared in terms of predictive accuracy to identify the most effective approach for capturing market dynamics. Our results provide a comprehensive analysis of model performance, highlighting the potential of advanced neural network architectures and technical indicators for improving cryptocurrency price prediction.

Louis‐André Gérard‐Varet, Jacques Thisse

The special issue of Annales d'Economie et Statistique presented here comes out of an international conference which was held in Marseilles (GREQAM) in June 1994 in connection with a programme of Commissariat General au Plan and with the support of ADRES. Sixty scholars, specialists in economic geography and local public finance, have participated to the conference which was part of the programme of Commissariat General au Plan on Issues and mechanisms in decentralized public action. The objective was to discuss recent work in economics related to the geography of trade and power.

Rza Hasanli, Mahir Dursun

Abstract— Cryptocurrency markets have experienced rapid growth, attracting attention from investors, traders, and researchers. Accurate price prediction is critical for effective risk management and investment strategies. This paper proposes a hybrid deep learning model that combines Transformer Encoder and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) architectures with technical indicators to predict cryptocurrency prices. The model uses daily OHLC data and selected technical indicators, achieving strong predictive performance on BTC-USD, ETH-USD, and BNB-USD. The results demonstrate that the model accurately captures price trends with low prediction errors, achieving RMSE and MAPE values of 2607.32 and 3.70% for BTC-USD, 205.86 and 6.02% for ETH-USD, and 21.45 and 4.09% for BNB-USD, respectively. These findings highlight the model’s potential for developing adaptive trading strategies and advancing decision-making in cryptocurrency markets.

Daniel Szpiro, Tony Dimnik

This paper reports on a field study of capital budgeting and strategy in 23 firms. The objectives of the study were two‐fold: first to develop a classification scheme for overall capital budgeting processes and second to relate the different types of capital budgeting to extant models of strategy. Based on our findings, there are three different types of capital budgeting processes: centralized, decentralized and integrated. In centralized capital budgeting, top management make all important strategic capital budgeting decisions. Operating managers simply “bid” on implementing projects selected by top management. In decentralized capital budgeting operating managers identify and initiate projects that are approved by top management based upon projected financial performance. Integrated capital budgeting has elements of both decentralized and centralized capital budgeting. We found the three types of capital budgeting to have a contingent relationship with Bartlett's (1986) typology of multinational strategy: global, multinational and transnational . Global firms choose to respond to pressures for integration and co‐ordination. Typically these firms are highly centralized and have standardized products which can be sold in multiple markets and produced in large‐scale facilities to take full advantage of economies of scale. Multinational firms, in response to pressure to accommodate regional markets through product specialization, operate in a number of highly differentiated markets with significantly dissimilar requirements. In pursuing economies of scope, these firms operate in a decentralized manner with national or regional managers making key strategic decisions. Transnational firms employ a complex structure that addresses the needs for both product differentiation and global integration. In our study, we found that global firms were more likely to have centralized capital budgeting, multinational firms to have decentralised capital budgeting and transnational firms to have integrated capital budgeting. Capital budgeting is one of the most important of management functions. Through capital budgeting decisions management determines the structural cost drivers of the firm and enacts the strategies that define the way in which a firm competes. Although there is an obvious link between strategy and capital budgeting, that link has not been made in either research or practice (Pinches, 1982). The need to understand the link between capital budgeting and strategy is especially evident in manufacturing firms that must continually invest in new technologies. In a review of some 150 articles on capital budgeting for new manufacturing technologies, Dimnik and Kudar (1991) found frequent criticism of current capital budgeting practices for failing to incorporate strategic issues. The most commonly proposed solution to this problem was to modify project evaluation and selection techniques by using multi‐attribute decision‐making models to quantify strategic issues. This response is typical of much of the literature on capital budgeting, which has traditionally focused on the technical issues of project evaluation and selection (Pinches, 1982). A more complete understanding of the relationship between the capital budgeting process and firm strategy will allow specific suggestions for improvement to be implemented. This paper reports on a field study of capital budgeting and strategy in 23 firms involved in a wide range of manufacturing activities. The objectives of the study were two‐fold: to develop a classification scheme for overall capital budgeting processes, and to relate the different types of capital budgeting to extant models of strategy. We found it necessary to develop a new classification scheme for capital budgeting because the standard model of capital budgeting does not explain practice (Dimnik, 1991). The traditional model of capital budgeting assumes that projects bubble‐up from operating managers for approval by top management and emphasizes the use of discounted cash flow methods of selecting projects. The bubble‐up assumption of capital budgeting can be traced to Bower (1970) and the pre‐occupation with discounted cash flow techniques to Dean (1951). Bower held that: [A] company's top management approves or rejects projects but has little direct influence on how they get defined or on which ones are pushed through the firm's lower levels of decision‐making to become claimants for top‐executive approval…Top management cannot keep the character and composition of the projects that rise for their approval from being coloured by structural context. However, top management can influence that structural context by means of the organization chart…and the measurement and reward system it employs (Caves, 1980, p.76). This bubble‐up assumption is implicit in most capital budgeting research and is incorporated in leading accounting and finance text‐books. For, example, Haka (1987) described the impact of rewards on the path that a “proposal follows from its originator in operations to its approval by top corporate executives”. Principles of Corporate Finance , Brealey et.al ., stated that “most firms let project proposals bubble‐up from plants for review by division management, and from divisions for review by senior management”. Accounting: Text and Cases , Anthony and Reece stated that “as proposals for capital expenditures come up through the organization, they are screened at various levels. Only the sufficiently attractive ones flow up to the top and appear in the final capital expenditure budget”. Dean (1951) defined capital budgeting in economic terms and stressed that without systematic acceptance and rejection criteria, the capital budgeting decision has no solid foundation. He recognized that procedural and organizational issues were important in capital budgeting but defined the “problem” of capital budgeting as finding the answers to three questions: (1) How much money will be needed for the expenditures in the coming period? (2) How much money will be available? (3) How should the available money be doled out to candidate projects (p.555)? Dean emphasized discounted cash flow methods and this emphasis is adopted in leading accounting and finance text‐books and colours much of the academic research on capital budgeting (Pinches, 1982). It is especially evident in the many surveys of capital budgeting practices (Oblak and Helm, 1980; Bavishi, 1981; Stanley and Block, 1984; Woods et.al. , 1985; Hodder, 1986; Kim, 1986; McLean, 1986; Baker, 1987; Klammer et.al. , 1991). The bubble‐up, discounted cash flow model of capital budgeting is inadequate for explaining what is found in actual practice. For example, in a survey of 32 operating managers, Dimnik (1990) found that in some firms operating managers initiated capital budgeting proposals and were very conscious of financial criteria for project approval and aware of the impact of investment decisions on their measures of performance. In other firms, operating managers had little say in investment decisions and little knowledge of financial criteria applied to investment proposals. In these firms, analytical techniques such as discounted cash flow, when used at all, were used only by top management and their staff to justify their decisions. Based on these and other personal observations, we concluded that before we could offer insights into the relationship between capital budgeting and strategy, we had to first develop an understanding of capital budgeting that went beyond the traditional model. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. In the next section, we define capital budgeting and briefly discuss various frameworks for analyzing strategy. Then we describe our field research and provide a general description of our findings. This is followed by a discussion of a new classification scheme for capital budgeting and the suggestion that capital budgeting is related to a firm's strategy for global competition. The paper ends with a discussion of the shortcomings of the study, the implications of our findings and some suggestions for future research.

Thomas Lersch

Bekanntlich ist die Kulturpolitik in Deutschland, anders als in Frankreich und England, über weite Strecken föderalistisch organisiert. So existiert denn auch in der Bundesrepublik weder eine Nationalbibliothek noch eine nationale bzw. zentrale Kunstbibliothek. In Anbetracht dieser Situation haben sich 1964 die sechs großen (west) deutschen Kunstbibliotheken von überregionaler Bedeutung zu einer Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Kunstbibliotheken (AKB) zusammengeschlossen, die durch enge Kooperation ihrer Mitglieder eine optimale Literaturversorgung und -erschließung sicherstellen soil. Im Rahmen eines von der DFG gefÖrderten Programms, das 1972 angelaufen ist, wurden die Sammelschwerpunkte der teilnehmenden Bibliotheken aufeinander abgestimmt. Durch ihre kooperative Erwerbungspolitik erfüllen die (inzwischen sieben) Mitgliedsbibliotheken der AKB heute in gewisser Hinsicht die Funktion einer dezentralen Nationalbibliothek für Kunstgeschichte. Unlike France and the United Kingdom, the organization of cultural affairs in Germany is strongly determined by federalism. So there is no national library, nor is there a particular national art library. In 1964, the six bigger (West) German art libraries of supra-regional importance formed a loose association called Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Kunstbibliotheken (AKB). The purpose of the AKB is to foster co-operation on different levels (acquisition, cataloguing, etc). A co-operative acquisitions programme has been operated by the participating libraries since 1972; it is mainly financed by the German Research Society (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft). Thanks to this co-operation the member institutions of the AKB function in some way as a decentralized national art library.

Juliet Musso, John M. Quigley

No abstract is available for this record.

J.-Y. Reginster

No abstract is available for this record.

Robert F. Arnove, Alberto M. Torres‐Cantero, Stephen Franz, Kimberly J. Morse

In this article, we argue that a political sociology perspective facilitates analysis of the potential and limitations of education to contribute to national development in Latin America. Such a perspective enables policy makers, practitioners, and researchers to take into account historical forces, institutional contradictions, and contextual factors, both national and international, that shape the possibilities of educational and social change occurring - and whether such change benefits the least privileged members of a society. We take the position that a political sociology of education in Latin America must begin with an examination of the role of the state in determining what type of development will take place and who will benefit from social policy. There is a need to consider what type of state and political regime supports which kind of education, for whom, and for what purposes (La Belle, 1986). After defining the state and its relationship to education, we make the case that the state in Latin America is further conditioned by the neoliberal economic and social policies being followed by countries in the region in order to gain access to international capital and markets. We examine how the structural adjustment policies recommended by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and national technical assistance agencies like USAID have affected the governance, financing, and provision of education to various populations. We argue that gains made in extending education to previously neglected populations during the period from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s have been substantially eroded by the introduction of market-based policies designed to decentralize and privatize education. We illustrate how these policies have affected equality of educational opportunity in several countries, notably Nicaragua, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. At the same time, we provide examples of grassroots movements that counter education policies that serve elite interests. Such programs provide an alternative to externally imposed and top-down reforms, while equipping individuals and their collectivities with the means to articulate their interests and gain access to needed resources and services. Defining the State and Its Relationship to Education Generally, we view the state as a pact of domination, as an arena of conflict, and a purposeful actor that must select among competing political projects. We agree with Cardoso (1979:38) that the state should be considered the basic pact of domination that exists among social classes or factions of dominant classes and the norms which guarantee their dominance over subordinate strata. As an arena of confrontation, the state displays the tensions and contradictions of competing political projects as well as the political agreements of civil society. Moreover, social class, racial, ethnic, gender, geographical, ethical-moral and religious factors influence the actions of the state in legislating and executing social policies. According to Offe (1984, 1985), one of the central issues confronting the state is the contradiction between the state's need for capitalist accumulation and the need to legitimate the capitalist system itself. For Offe, the state also is a mediator in the central crisis of capitalism, which is the contradiction between the socialization of production and the private appropriation of surplus value. In order to mitigate these fundamental contradictions, the state is forced to increase its institutional functions (also Carnoy, 1984; and Torres, 1989). Although the state in a capitalist society, by its very nature, favors policies that are directed toward the constitution and reproduction of the capitalist system (Offe, 1975 and 1984), it also is the representative of the nation as a whole and, in liberal democratic societies, is a proponent of the extension of personal rights and greater mass participation in the determination of public policy (Carnoy and Levin, 1985; and Bowles and Gintis, 1986). …

Philippe Chartier

Session headings and selected papers: primary production of biomass - research towards renewable raw materialsm, A. Moreale biomass production - key issues, bottlenecks and perspectives at local scale, G. Gosse a scheme on comprehensive utilizations of energy sources for future countryside in Xingjiang, China, Z. Hua the European bioenergy policy in forestry, D. Asplund 10 years of research on poplar biomass production, L. Kuiper short rotation forestry productivity using sewage sludge as a nutrient source, C. Rowlands and A. Snelson provision and production of solid biomass fuels - overview of the development in the provision and production of solid biomass fuels, J. Mattsson evaluation of short rotation forestry harvesters in Europe, P. Mitchell economics and logistics for upgraded biofuels with experience from the Swedish market, J. Vinterback crop residues as a source for decentralized heat and power production in rural areas the case study of Thrace, S. Kyritsis processes for large power plants - large scale power production from biomass and waste, G. Ferrero general overview of recent results and plans concerning co-combustion of biomass and coal, I. Rasmussen and P. Overgaard safe handling of biomass fuels in IGCC power production, C. Wilen and A. Rautalin ash deposition formation in biomass boilers, L. Baxter et al processes for decentralized heat and power production decentralized biomass combustion - state-of-the-art and future development, I. Obernberger experiences from 61 straw-fired district heating systems in Denmark, A. Evald gasification technologies for heat and power from biomass, A. Beenackers combined heat and power production based on gasification of straw and woodchips, O. Kristensen processes for production of transportation fuels - the status of biomass pyrolysis for fuels, electricity and chemicals, A. Bridgwater new developments of the biodiesel project in Europe and North America, W. Korbitz state-of-the-art in science and technology of pre-treatment and hydrolysis for ethanol production, J. Saddler and D.J. Gregg progress on ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass, C. Wyman market, economic and environmental aspects of bioenergy - overall balance of biofuels under different environmental aspects, G. Reinhardt sustainability of production and use of biomass for European energy supply, G. van der Bijl methodologies for environmental, micro- and macro-economic evaluation of bioenergy systems, R. van den Broek and A. van Wijk financing of bioenergy projects, L. Baadstorp potential impact of bioenergy activity on employment, G. Grassi policy measures to overcome non-technical barriers - an initial market for electricity from biomass, R. Kettle Bavarian programme for using renewable energies (biomass network) - Bavarian proposals for changing the political conditions, T. Weber policy measures to overcome barriers of bioenergy use in Poland, G. Wisniewski and M. Rogulska.

Susan M. Kenyon

Book Reviews 131 for her long dead father rather than address the business of government. The closest she came to making a political decision was to approve the demand to make Teferi Negus of Ethiopia. Even then, her choice of the date of coronation was overruled by Teferi's supporters who insisted on having the Ras crowned right away. Despite the restrictive environment in which it was written, the chronicle is a useful, contemporary reflection on a significant period of Ethiopian politics. The book is rich in insights and unbiased in its treatment of Iyasu. In many respects, it complements such sources as Zikre Neger (1962 Eth. C), Ya Tarik Mastawesha (1962 Eth. C) and the Autobiography of Emperor Haile Sellassie I (1976). The translation is done meticulously, although the English rendition is dense, repetitious and, at times, inaccurate. Molvaer goes to great lengths to try and explain the meaning of some Amharic parables, metaphors and common usages that really do not make for accurate and fluent English. In the process, he sacrifices readability for the sake of literal translation. On balance, though, Molvaer deserves to be congratulated not only for translating an important historical source but also for making available a beautifully calligraphed Amharic text. Ezekiel Gebissa Michigan State University The Sufi Brotherhoods in the Sudan Ali Salih Karrar Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 1992. Pp. 234. This book is an important contribution to our understanding of Sufism in the Sudan and indeed to the history of Islam in Africa. Ali Salih Karrar has worked for many years in the National Records Office in Khartoum. He is also from the Shayqiyya people, "one of the most prominent riverain ethnic groups of the northern Sudan" (4). Each of these qualifications gives him unparalleled access to some of the most important documentation in the history of the Sufi orders, and also to major religious families in the Sudan. Based on both archival work and field research conducted in the Shayqiyya region in 1982, Karrar's account draws on interviews he made with some of the senior representatives of these families and their followers, on visits to major historical and religious villages and towns of 132 Book Reviews the region, as well as on a wide range of documentary material which includes published and unpublished, Arabic and non-Arabic sources (1901 ). Originally written as the author's Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Bergen, it has been revised and shortened for this edition. As Karrar notes at the outset, "Sufism was the most fundamental characteristic of Islam in the Sudan" (1). His aim in this study is . . . "to trace the historical developments and the impact of the Sufi brotherhoods on the Sudan until the end of the 19th century, with special reference to the Shayqiyya region" (xi), and particularly to the period of colonial rule (1820-1881), a time when the arrival of a new style of Sufi organization was to have profound impact on most Sudanese Muslims. After briefly summarizing the activities of the individual holy men {fuqara) who brought Islam to the Sudan, Karrar turns to the coming of the tariqas (sic) into the Shayqiyya region, describing "a gradual transition from what may be described as a 'Sudanic belt' pattern of individualfuqara to a Middle Eastern and North African one with organized Sufi brotherhoods" (20). He traces first the evolution of the "ancient," decentralized brotherhoods into "autonomous branches, each with its independent shaykh and its particular chain of spiritual authority, silsila"(20). In his discussion of the two brotherhoods which were important in the Shayqiyya homeland, the Qadiriyya and the Shadhiliyya, he provides rich detail on some of the major figures in the movements, past and present. In addition he discusses the ideas and doctrines governing the movements, as well as detailing their growth and decline "within the context of the political and economic conditions of the region" (40). Karrar then turns to the second stage in the coming of the tariqas: that of the centralized "reformist" brotherhoods. These were far more important in the Shaygiyya region than the ancient brotherhoods, attracting increasingly large numbers of recruits, especially during the colonial period (1820-1881). He looks particularly at the...

Xiaoming Li, Yue Ma

No abstract is available for this record.

Allison Rowland, Peter Gordon

This book chapter is a case study of population growth spatial distribution economic conditions and government management in Mexico City Mexico. As of 1990 it appears that people are no longer migrating to Mexico City. Mexico City is similar to other large Latin American cities in being a magnet for jobs. During 1950-90 the proportion of total population living in Mexico City increased from 12.3% to 18.5%. In 1970 42.1% of all persons employed in manufacturing lived in Mexico City. During the 1960s and 1970s public investment in services was directed to urban areas particularly Mexico City. The debt crisis of 1982 ended the import-substitution model of industrialization. Structural adjustment policies resulted in severe recession. The new export-driven economic models are redistributing industrial activity away from Mexico City. Mexico City will remain a national center for finance and capital depending upon the impact of economic liberalization policies and politics. Population growth during 1970-90 declined and the pace of decentralization of population toward other urbanized areas accelerated. The second and third rings around Mexico City grew the fastest. The Central City continues to decline. Industrial employment peaked around 1980 and then declined to the present. Employment is growing in the third ring at the expense of the first and second rings. The second ring lost manufacturing but gained services and commerce. The doomsday scenarios must be changed to accommodate the rapid decentralization that is occurring. Mexican finances are based on the principles of fiscal federalism. Transfers to local areas are not smooth. Mexico City needs a single metropolitan authority. Over 50% of housing consists of self-help structures. The rights of land ownership are problematic. Future projections are difficult to make. It is hoped that the effects of the integration into the world economic system will be beneficial.

Osvaldo Larrañaga

This article describes and evaluates the financing aspects of the social sectors decentralization process in Chile. The article reviews the analytics of the optimal financial mix of decentralized social services; assesses the municipal income distribution

Gary Herrigel

This paper discusses the current crisis in the German industrial district of Baden Württemberg. Considered to be a flagship example of flexibility and international competitiveness for European manufacturing during the 1980s, producers in the district - both large and small - have fallen upon hard times in the 1990s. This paper suggests that the explanation for the crisis can not be traced either to high wages or low levels of productivity in the region. Rather, the problem con fronting the producers in Baden Württemberg- and by extension in German industry as a whole - is that they are being challenged by an alternative system of flexible manufacturing that is superior to their own. Rigidity in the system of production in Germany can be traced to institutional arrangements that were previously thought to be a source of strength: broad yet nonetheless specific skill categories and distinct, functional divisions within management. Successful adjustment in Germany today will have to involve profound self-reflection on and debate about the reform of some of the most taken-for-granted dimen sions of German industrial order.

Toshio Fukuda, Go Iritani, Fumihito Arai, Koji Yamada

In this research, we address the organization of group behavior on decentralized autonomous robotic systems. Collective group behavior is exhibited in the natural world, such as by ants and fish, in teamwork in sports and by the human society. Therefore, research on group behavior of decentralized autonomous robotic systems can be regarded as one the research fields of Artificial Life. Decentralized autonomous robotic systems refer to multiple robotic systems including many autonomous robots, such as the Cellular Robotic System (CEBOT). The CEBOT, which has been studied by the authors, consists of a number of robotic units called cells. In research on the CEBOT, it is necessary to evolve a cooperative group behavior effectively in the system, since a well-organized group behavior is required to carry out given tasks efficiently and influences its performance ability. In order to organize the behavior in a dynamic environment, we proposed a concept of the self-recognition for the decision making of the behavior in a robotic group. In addition to the proposed concept, this paper will show a construction mechanism of group behavior using the character of the attractor. Based on this idea, we present the behavioral evolution of a group robotic system.

Mike Burmester, Yvo Desmedt, Toshiya Itoh, Kouichi Sakurai · 6 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Jim Forward, Christina Fulop

Although franchising is traditionally associated with newly emerging businesses which need to finance growth, this marketing technique is being increasingly utilized by large established firms as a method of business development. This article analyses the business objectives which led a sample of such firms in the UK to introduce franchising as a means of channel management. The modes of franchising-including the master franchise-selected by these firms as well as their operational and organizational experiences are investigated. In particular, there is an examination of the major managerial/cultural issues which these firms encountered in trying to reconcile the decentralized organization and operating methods implicit in the franchising concept with the centralized decision making and organization of a corporate concern. The implications for management of this dichotomy are explored.