Using crowdsourcing tools for implementing open strategy: A case study in education

Following critiques on the conventional methods of strategic planning, and the stream of research on the effect of more participation on the success of strategy process, the new concept of open strategy has been introduced to the literature. Based on the notion of open innovation, this new concept covers two principles of inclusiveness and transparency. The current study introduces an in-progress case study of using the crowdsourcing model to implement the open strategy concept in an Australian university. We use the principles of Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) for open strategic planning by using the crowdsourcing model and evaluate the method by comparing the quality of resultant plan in delivering its objective. This study explains our approach and a conceptual design for the proposed method as well as our plan for conducting future phases of the research. The introduced process can be used in similar practices of open strategic planning

Open Strategy Intermediaries? A Framework for Understanding the Role of Facilitators in Open Strategy-Making

Open strategy is an emerging phenomenon, and has received significant interest by researchers in both information systems (IS) and strategy fields. The term open strategy represents how strategy-making is becoming a more inclusive and transparent process in organizations, often enabled by information technology (IT). Despite the notable attention paid to the role of IT in the facilitation of open strategy, those practitioners who are also central in such socio-technical processes of change have received scant attention to date by scholars. This paper therefore seeks to examine the role of facilitators in IT-driven open strategy. We term these ‘open strategy intermediaries’. Using a strategy-as-practice lens and drawing on several empirical cases of IT-driven open ‘strategizing’, the article highlights six emerging practices by open strategy intermediaries which we call: (i) Initiation, (ii) Provision, (iii) Infrastructure and design, (iv) Promotion and communi-cation, (v) Mediation and moderation, and (vi) Strategy analysis and development. In concluding the paper, we detail how we intend to continue the research evident in this ongoing work

Design and Construction of a 2.45 GHz Microwave Electrothermal Thruster

A microwave electrothermal thruster (MET thruster) has been constructed, consisting of a microwave plasma chamber 12 cm long and 8 cm in inner diameter and a micronozzle 10 mm long with 1 mm in diameter. The microwave plasma is produced by 2.45 GHz microwave frequency at a power of 1 kW, and the feed gas is Ar at a pressure of 10^-3mTorr. Microwave energy is transmitted into the cavity and electrons sre connected to the wave's electric field. Thus, the electrons are accelerated by microwave electric fields. Microwave plasma discharge is formed based on the interaction of electrons with neutral gas particles. Then, the plasma acts as a resistive load and absorption of microwave energy, raises the temperature of the gas or plasma. Gas heating increases the gas pressure and is released through the nozzle. The plasma density and electron temperature are 2.35×〖10〗^17  m^(-3) and 1.2 eV, respectively. The thrust and specific impulse are 10 mN and 100

Modified reconstruction of neutron spectrum emitted in dense plasma focus devises by MCNP code and monte-carlo method.

In this study we present Monte Carlo method for obtaining the time-resolved energy spectra of neutrons emitted by D-D reaction in plasma focus devices. Angular positions of detectors obtained to maximum reconstruction of neutron spectrum. The detectors were arranged over a range of 0–22.5 m from the source and also at 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° with respect to the central axis. The results show that an arrangement with five detectors placed at 0, 2, 7.5, 15 and 22.5 m around the central electrode of plasma focus as an anisotropic neutron source is required. As it shown in reconstructed spectrum, the distance between the neutron source and detectors is reduced and also the final reconstructed signal obtained with a very fine accuracy

Ultrasonication effects on thermal and rheological properties of carbon nanotube suspensions

The preparation of nanofluids is very important to their thermophysical properties. Nanofluids with the same nanoparticles and base fluids can behave differently due to different nanofluid preparation methods. The agglomerate sizes in nanofluids can significantly impact the thermal conductivity and viscosity of nanofluids and lead to a different heat transfer performance. Ultrasonication is a common way to break up agglomerates and promote dispersion of nanoparticles into base fluids. However, research reports of sonication effects on nanofluid properties are limited in the open literature. In this work, sonication effects on thermal conductivity and viscosity of carbon nanotubes (0.5 wt%) in an ethylene glycol-based nanofluid are investigated. The corresponding effects on the agglomerate sizes and the carbon nanotube lengths are observed. It is found that with an increased sonication time/energy, the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids increases nonlinearly, with the maximum enhancement of 23% at sonication time of 1,355 min. However, the viscosity of nanofluids increases to the maximum at sonication time of 40 min, then decreases, finally approaching the viscosity of the pure base fluid at a sonication time of 1,355 min. It is also observed that the sonication process not only reduces the agglomerate sizes but also decreases the length of carbon nanotubes. Over the current experimental range, the reduction in agglomerate size is more significant than the reduction of the carbon nanotube length. Hence, the maximum thermal conductivity enhancement and minimum viscosity increase are obtained using a lengthy sonication, which may have implications on application

OSPM: A Design Methodology for Open Strategic Planning

Although numerous case studies and a body of theoretical work have addressed the open strategy topic (opening the strategy process to wider stakeholders groups) in the literature, approaches to implement open strategic planning has been less studied. In this study, the principles of design science research are employed, and pragmatic presuppositions from Habermas’ theory of discourse and the related literature are used to form a design methodology. The open strategic planning methodology contains a three-level architecture for a planning system, and a strategy process. The architecture component identifies three layers of the planning system. The planning process component explains a set of activities required to develop the strategic plan. The methodology is applied in two case studies and implementation challenges are discussed. This study contributes to the literature by introducing a comprehensive methodology of strategic planning and introduces new theoretical aspects to the field of open strategy.Griffith Sciences, School of Information and Communication TechnologyFull Tex