Making for humanity

Criminalizing Humanitarian Relief: Are US Material Support for Terrorism Laws Compatible with International Humanitarian Law?

The hybrid gathering of maker communities in Taipei makerspaces: An alternative worlding practice

Business modeling tools are crucial for designing and implementing successful business models. However, there exist instances—which we refer to as the design of ecosystemic business models—in which developing a business model requires simultaneous consideration of both one’s own business model and that of ecosystem partners. In these instances, standard business modeling tools focusing on representing business models in isolation may be inadequate. Based on a real-world example of a business ecosystem from the maritime logistics industry, we highlight five significant design challenges for ecosystemic business models. We then reflect on and discuss the extended role of the business model as an instrument for inter-organizational alignment, and draw out three implications for business modeling tools. The objective of this paper is to deduce implications and functional design requirements for business modeling tools from a conceptual perspective.

Business model tools are commonly used to describe and communicate business model ideas. However, studies do not sufficiently address whether and how business model tools support the early, exploratory phase in which new business models are initiated, conceptualized, assessed and planned. In this exploratory phase, offerings and addressable markets are highly uncertain, which requires extensive idea generation, reframing, comparison and evaluation. This paper examines whether and how business model tools facilitate the process of business model exploration. Through action research, we find three ways in which business model tools can better facilitate the process of exploring, reframing and comparing alternative business models. The paper contributes to business model literature and managerial practice by providing empirical evidence on how tooling facilitates business model exploration.

The Maker Movement has raised great expectations towards its potential for tackling social inequalities by mediating technology-related skills to everybody. Are maker spaces new players for social inclusion in digital societies? How can this potential impact be framed? While scientific discourse has so far identified broad value and impact dimensions of the Maker Movement, this article adds empirical insight into the potential for tackling social inequalities. The study is based on 39 interviews with makers and managers of maker initiatives and ten self-reporting surveys filled in by maker initiative managers throughout Europe, which have been analyzed qualitatively. We found four main domains in which makers address social inclusion: First, by mediating skills and competences not only in the field of digital technologies but in the broader sense of empowering people to “make” solutions for encountered problems. Second, we found that makers actively strive to provide democratized access to digital fabrication and the knowledge on how to use them. Third and fourth, we found different ambitions articulated by makers to change society and social practices towards a society providing better opportunities for individuals. As an entry point for further research and actions, we derived a maker typology that reflects the diverse and various types of relationships to be found in the maker community. This typology could be used for exploring further collaborations between social actors and the Maker Movement. We conclude with an outlook on potential trajectories of the Maker Movement and specify which could influence the inclusion of marginalized persons.

Business modelling is recognized as an important concept to make company strategies more explicit and to compare alternatives combined with their translation to the operational layer. Typically, busi-ness modelling is performed by a group of experts building on established frameworks like the Busi-ness Model Canvas. In a subsequent step, different stakeholders in a company should build upon and work with the defined business models, thus, comprehension is critical. However, this is challenging from a practical point of view and existing research has not addressed the issue of business model comprehension. In order to close this research gap and to increase users’ business model comprehen-sion, we propose an advanced business model tool and an experimental design in this research-in-progress paper. Following the design science approach, we derive a first set of meta-requirements and design principles and present an advanced business model tool instantiation. The presented tool should contribute to an increased business model comprehension by providing semantic relationships and extended business performance indicators. Finally, we present a set of testable hypotheses and the research design for an experimental tool evaluation. With this research we intend to provide a solu-tion to the problem of business model comprehension and contribute to the design knowledge base of business model tools.

Processing, Arduino, and the growth of the associated communities of practice, also called maker communities, has motivated a broader participation of non-technical users in the engineering of interactive systems. Besides online sharing, maker communities meet regularly and share knowledge for various purposes (e.g., creative hacking, social networking, lifelong learning). In the context of maker communities, the understanding of engineering interactive systems (e.g., motivations, objectives, collaboration, process, reports) and the design of the respective tools (e.g., end-user programming for artists, or children) are not well documented. As a remedy, we present a coherent overview of related work, as well as our own experiences in the organization and running of maker workshops. The tutorial format (lecture and hands-on workshop) benefits both practitioners and researchers with an understanding of creative software tools and practices. Moreover, participants become familiar with the organization of maker workshops as 1) a research method for understanding users, 2) an engineering process for interactive computer systems, and 3) a practice for teaching and learning.

The Maker Movement has taken the educational field by storm due to its perceived potential as a driver of creativity, excitement, and innovation (Honey & Kanter, 2013; Martinez & Stager, 2013). Making is promoted as advancing entrepreneurship, developing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, and supporting compelling inquiry-based learning experiences for young people. In this paper, we focus on making as an educative inquiry-based practice, and specifically tinkering as a branch of making that emphasizes creative, improvisational problem solving. STEM-rich tinkering activities are designed to support interdisciplinary investigations and creativity using a STEM-rich palette of tools, concepts, and phenomena. To date, the majority of research on making has focused on analysis of makerspaces, maker communities, and design and implementation of maker activities. In this paper, we describe a study that documented dimensions of learning in tinkering programs designed for museum visitors. The study, which was jointly negotiated among a team of researchers and practitioners, led to the development of a Tinkering Learning Dimensions Framework and a publicly available video library of tinkering exemplars, both of which are being actively used by tinkering practitioners in their direct service to the public and professional development work for the field.

The study aimed to discuss the relationship of participation motivation, degree of involvement and benefit in leisure of the participants in Director Cup Slow Softball Game in Miaoli County in 2015. The study adopted the way of questionnaire survey and took structural equation modeling as the tool to analyze data of the relationship between fitness of research framework and each factor path. The study took the players of Director Cup Slow Softball Game in Miaoli County in 2015 as the study object. In the baseball and softball court of Houlong River floodplain, I adopted convenience sampling to distribute 400 questionnaires, in which there were 364 valid recycling questionnaires. And the valid recovery rate was 91 %. The questionnaires included four parts: basic data, participation motivation, degree of involvement and benefit in leisure respectively. The study indicated that the majority of study samples were 30 - 39 ages, the married and college degree holders. The analysis results of structural equation modeling showed that participation motivation had significant positive influence on degree of involvement, and the path-value came to 0.87; the degree of involvement had significant positive influence on benefit in leisure, and the path-value came to 0.50; the participation motivation had significant positive influence on benefit in leisure, and the path-value came to 0.49. After analysis, the fitness of the model displayed good, so this study model had validity. The researcher had put forward four suggestions on enhancing slow softball game players’ participation motivation and I hoped the study could supply reference for future competition organizers, players those who participate sports and follow-up researchers in practice and research.

The frequency and severity of crises and disasters in recent years has highlighted the need and urgency of studying ways to mitigate the impact of these phenomena. These have been overwhelming for businesses with very large impacts on the economies of the countries. It is a complex phenomenon, widely confirmed in the literature, where a variety of studies point to strategic capacity and business model design as key factors for business resilience. The ability to design products or services and deliver them competitively in the market requires a clear strategic definition, as well as the design, implementation, and management of new business models.
 The wine sector also suffered major impacts during the pandemic crisis, especially in 2020, however its recovery shows the resilience of this entrepreneurial sector. During this crisis, many business models proved to be obsolete, but others have shown great resilience, proving that it is possible to resist and even thrive in a crisis context. On the other hand, in a globalized market, intense competition in the wine sector leads to critical management issues for wine producers. Due to the unique characteristics of the product, entrepreneurs, and managers, in this sector, need to critically review their business models, establish strategies, and measure their performance.
 Considering the crisis on business wine sector caused by pandemic situation, this study aims to answer the questions “What strategies have been implemented in the wine sector of Setúbal Peninsula that have contributed to the survival and prosperity of the sector?”; Is there an ideal business model for this sector on the Setúbal Peninsula?”
 The aim of this study is to identify successful strategies of wine sector in a context of crise as well as propose a robust business model for wine sector in Setúbal Peninsula. Both quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative methods (focus group) were used.
 As result of the research, we highlight the identification of some competitive behaviors that may contribute to suggest possible critical success factors in the business models of the Portuguese wine sector.
 

Imagine a New Venture Creation class full of enthusiastic young students. Soon, you will divide them into groups and set them the task of coming up with innovative business ideas and models, which they will later need to implement in practice. How can you help your students to explore and learn about their intrinsic, subconsciously generated motivation, aspirations, persistence, intuition, drive, desire, and passion? What tools and frameworks should you use to facilitate your students in their pursuit of creating new ventures? Many entrepreneurship educators turn to all-inclusive business modeling tools (e.g., the Business Model Canvas) to help their students in the process of New Venture Creation. The results of our case study, however, indicate the difficulties faced by entrepreneurship students in learning and developing “soft” skills when they rely on such tools. This is indicative of the instrumental focus in modern entrepreneurship education, highlighting a need to identify tools and techniques to f...

In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing business paradigms, this study delves into the intricacies of AI-driven business models, offering a nuanced understanding of their emergence, evolution, and impact on traditional business strategies. This scholarly inquiry aims to dissect the role of AI in reshaping business models, highlighting the interplay between technological innovation and business strategy. The study meticulously examines the integration of AI into various business facets by employing a systematic and thematic analysis of a diverse range of literature, including academic journals, industry reports, and case studies. This methodological approach facilitates a comprehensive understanding of AI's role in business innovation, addressing both the opportunities and challenges it presents. The findings reveal that AI-driven business models are characterized by enhanced operational efficiency, data-driven decision-making, and customer-centric approaches. These models signify a transformative shift from conventional business strategies, demanding a reevaluation of leadership roles and ethical considerations in the digital age. The study identifies key challenges in AI implementation, such as technical complexities and ethical dilemmas, while uncovering AI's vast opportunities for business growth and competitive advantage. Conclusively, the study recommends a balanced approach to AI integration, emphasizing the need for ethical AI practices, continuous adaptation, and a synergy between AI capabilities and human insights. It advocates for business leaders to embrace AI not just as a technological tool, but as a catalyst for sustainable and innovative business growth. This scholarly work contributes significantly to the discourse on AI in business, providing a foundational framework for future research and practical application in AI-driven business innovation. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Business Models, Digital Transformation, AI Integration, Leadership in AI, Ethical AI Practices.

Community building and community development, i.e., community management are a key success factor in the digital economy. They differentiate business models in the digital economy from traditional ones. These communities may be constituted as Internet shops, portal sites, groupware systems, electronic auctions, billboards, enterprises or organizations. Product-centered communities as well as communities of interest are relevant for electronic marketing, as for example the reader communities at Amazon.com, The Well, or Dreamworks. Another example are communities that form value chains, such as single product manufacturing consortia or flexible consumer-driven organization of global supply chains. Further examples are topic and technology oriented communities such as Open-EDI trading communities, Open Trading on the Internet (OTP), or EDI/XML, in addition to the community-oriented programming of Linux. Communities of practice or learning communities are pivotal for knowledge management.As the mentioned examples show, online communities differ in their orientation. The features that all types of communities share are common interests, practices, languages and ontologies with common semantics as well as normative issues. The platform plays a special role for those communities. Thus, the relation, interplay or symbiosis between communities and platforms is of particular interest.This minitrack comprises a series of papers that address communities, their platforms and community-related business models as critical success factors in the digital economy. It covers a variety of novel concepts, models and platforms for communities. This minitrack deals with: Community-related business models, best practices and lessons learned. Case studies and topologies of Online Communities. Conceptual frameworks, formal and semi-formal models of communities, the behavior of agents and the platforms. Design principles for interaction and community platforms: Coordination, trust, normative values, design patterns and methods, implementations, architectures and components.The first session of this minitrack comprises three papers on communities in general. Katarina Stanoevska and Beat F. Schmid present a typology of communities and community supporting platforms. Yao Hua Tan and Cristiano Castelfranchi discuss with trust and deception two of the most crucial issues in Electronic Commerce. The third paper of the first session, written by Bernd Simon, Susanne Guth and Gustaf Neumann presents a general framework for Learning Media.The second session comprises three case studies of communities in the digital economy. Dorine Andrews and Jennifer Preece present an analysis of communities that are resistant to Online Interaction. The second paper by Alexander Hars and Shaosong Ou is an empirical study on the motivation for participation in communities arising around open source projects. Ulrike Lechner and Beat Schmid analyze in a series of case studies the relation of business models and system architectures in communities.The third session presents two papers that deal with application specific issues in communities. Steven O. Kimbrough, D.J. Wu and Fang Zhong present a simulation framework for software agents in supply chain management. The second paper of this section authored by Sue Newell and Jacky Swan deals with communities in innovation and knowledge management.The paper of Dorine Andrews and Jennifer Preece entitled ?A Conceptual Framework for Communities Resistant to Online Interaction? was nominated for the best paper award of this minitrack.

Every organization needs a viable business model. Strikingly, most of current literature is focused on business model design, whereas there is almost no attention for business model validation and implementation and related business model experimentation. The goal of the research as described in this paper is to develop a business model engineering tool for supporting business model management as a continuous design, validation and implementation cycle. The tool is applied to an online investment research startup in roll out and market phase. This paper describes the research as performed in a case study setting by focusing on the design, implementation and evaluation of the business model engineering tool. We also analyze the actual implementation and usage of the business model tool by the online investment research startup by focusing on the most critical actions related to actual business model implementation – i.e. actions with so-called ‘Lollapalooza tendencies’.

Modeling the values of private sector agents in multi-echelon humanitarian supply chains