Category: Innovation

Introduction

Family firms are generally perceived to be small to medium-sized companies, sharing many drawbacks and problems with each other. While such a judgment may be accurate, family businesses do play a significant role in the global economy. There are also huge companies that are operated by family members, such as Walmart and Samsung. It is believed that family-owned enterprises differ from ordinary public companies in their long-term focus, and this particular ownership structure explains this difference in company goals. However, there is no consistent evidence about the extent to which families influence innovation outputs.

A systematic literature review conducted by Calabrò et al. (2019) attempted to provide a thorough picture of the current understanding of family firm innovation. Its introductory portion provides a concise description of the problem and the reasons why it has both educational and scientific significance. The study goals set by the researchers are feasible because it is essentially a synthesis of available knowledge. The researchers aim to build a comprehensive framework for studying family firm innovation.

Literature Review

Small and medium-sized enterprises play a vital role in the microeconomy of any country because these companies provide job opportunities and drive innovation on a local level. However, there is a certain amount of controversy when it comes to companies owned by families because there is no consistent evidence on whether this ownership scheme aids innovation or restrains it. Family firms generally have more opportunities for innovation, but paradoxically, they express surprisingly low amounts of willingness to use these possibilities.

Because the study is itself a literature review, related works and their significance were covered in the introductory part of the research. The review is comprehensive and all cited references, which are mostly comprised of primary resources, are relevant to the problem under investigation. The researchers provided not merely a series of abstracts and annotations, but a discussion that features comparison and differentiation of the available literature. The last paragraph of the introductory part is not a brief summary of the literature, but the researchers’ proposals and explanation of how these ideas had emerged. The authors did not provide any specific hypotheses, but instead, provided specific goals they want to accomplish and particular benefits of this review.

Methods

The data from previous research on family firm innovation is controversial and poses a hindrance to future studies. To eliminate these gaps, Calabrò et al. (2019) conducted a systematic review of the literature on innovation in family businesses. The study excluded books and only considered peer-review journal articles because researchers attempted to use “a structured, transparent, and reproducible method of selecting and assessing” the scientific works (Calabrò et al., 2019). The time frame of 1961 to 2017 was used in the research because the first work concerning family firm innovation was published in 1961 (Calabrò et al., 2019). The sample is subject to cultural bias because they were only comprised of the works in English.

The researchers used a 4-step review procedure, starting with a keyword search in four databases – Econlit, Web of Science, ABI Inform, and Elsevier Science Direct. Duplicate articles, non-relevant works according to their abstracts, and non-relevant articles according to their content were excluded from the review after the manual article assessment process (Calabrò et al., 2019). This design is appropriate for a comprehensive literature review.

The final sample was analyzed using an excel data extraction sheet, and the researchers synthesized the final set of data yielding a complete picture of current literature on family firm innovation. Transparency and reproducibility support the validity of the used methods. However, there are no reliability coefficients that could support the usage of the given methods.

Preliminary Data

There are significant findings made by the researchers in their literature review. Statistics are provided as part of the descriptive results presented by the researchers. Despite the first article dating back to 1961, the topic of family firm innovations is relatively new, as the distribution of works per year suggests (Calabrò et al., 2019). The researchers grouped the publications into three distinct sets – theoretical, empirical qualitative, and quantitative (Calabrò et al., 2019). This approach is relevant because it may help identify the source of heterogeneity in current evidence. Each finding was viewed from the perspective of the set goals and discussed in the context of comparison with other results.

Theoretical research was based on various frameworks such as Social Capital theory, and Contingency theory. While there are different propositions because of this variety in frameworks used, the general idea is that family firms have a high potential for innovation because of social capital (Calabrò et al., 2019). However, conflict management processes within these companies must be robust in order to avoid the detrimental effect that may come from family social capital (Calabrò et al., 2019).

Empirical studies suggest that families generally choose long-term strategies and implement both incremental innovation and radical change. The prosperity of the family business heavily depends on the relationships between family members and their shared values. Quantitative evidence proposes that family firms are not able to demonstrate innovative intensity because of family conflicts (Calabrò et al., 2019). However, CEO duality and non-family directors can handle these adverse effects of family disagreements.

Study Limitations

This literature review was adequately conducted by a team of knowledgeable researchers. Only credible sources of data were used, and the researchers only considered peer-reviewed journal articles to eliminate bias as much as possible (Calabrò et al., 2019). Each source was manually assessed before being accepted for review (Calabrò et al., 2019). The limited number of databases and the fact that articles written exclusively in English were considered for this study are the only limitations of this research. For a more thorough picture of the current state of the literature on the topic of family firm innovation, studies in different languages should also be reviewed. At present, this literature review is subject to cultural bias and not generalizable to all markets of the world. This report sets a direction for further research in this field.

Conclusion

The literature review by Calabrò et al. (2019) is a vital contribution to the scientific community. Not only it synthesizes the diverse range of information available on the topic, but it also provides a framework for dealing with the heterogeneity of the conflicting data and inconsistent evidence. The researchers carefully chose the articles to include in the review by incorporating a systematic four-step process.

They also identified the common topics within this field of research and grouped the articles according to their research nature. The study features only a few limitations, and generalizability is constrained only by a cultural bias. Despite these limitations, the literature review is an essential step for systematizing the knowledge of family firms and their innovative capacity.

References

Calabrò, A., Vecchiarini, M., Gast, J., Campopiano, G., De Massis, A., & Kraus, S. (2019). Innovation in family firms: A systematic literature review and guidance for future research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 21(3), 317-355.

Innovation is increasingly becoming a fundamental aspect in the development of the modern world. Apart from development of services and products for purposes of improving quality, innovation also involves new business systems, processes and methods of management, all of which present a very significant impact on business productivity and development.

As it would be observed, innovation is arguably the most powerful force for transformations and developments in almost every sector of the global economy. For this reason, many developed and developing countries have started to embrace the insurmountable opportunities presented by this upcoming trend to increase and sustain their economies.

Today, every organization in the world is experiencing the impact of current global issues such as globalization, technological revolutions, and uncertain weather patterns, among other turbulences. There is no better way we can address these challenges, but through the considerable effort of innovation. This assignment examines the case of Brazil as a country seeking to bring out significant changes in its growing society, through a greater focus on innovation in its organizations and institutions.

Brazil is ranked the fifth-largest country globally, with a population rate of about 185 million people. Attempts to foster innovation have been among the major challenges the country continues to face, as a nation striving to get recognition in the global economy (Sennes 46). This dream, however, seems to come true following the country’s recent plans to adopt policies that would boost innovation as a key driving force for regional integration and economical developments.

This intervention would see Brazil adopt a number of effective laws and policies targeted on innovation, over the years, as one way of addressing the many challenges facing the global population today. These laws are intended to promote the country’s social and economical developments, through a strategic plan that will take place within a system of innovation. Following is a summary showing the Brazilian laws on innovations and how they affect business development for both local and foreign organizations in the country.

The Intellectual Property Law was enacted in the year 1996 to protect the right of original work in the country. This regulation would contribute to increased number of patent in the following years, owing to the regulation of intangible right about ideas. More importantly, this law has continued to play a key role in encouraging innovative practices in the country.

In the year 1999, the Brazilian government would introduce ‘the Sectoral Funds for Science & Technology’ to ensure stable financial support and resources to projects stimulating knowledge, as one way of encouraging innovation. Brazil closed the millennium with a proposal of two government entities which placed a strong emphasis on actions directed towards the country’s industrial innovation and development.

Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development, founded in the year 2004, was the first entity, intended to promote technological and industrial advancement by increasing innovation and competitiveness (Vargas 15). The second entity was the ‘Center for Management & Strategic Studies’ which directly promoted study and research in science and technology for more innovative outcomes.

The year 2004 would see Brazil make a significant move in its attempts to embrace the power of change, by being the first Latin American country to adopt the law of innovation fully. The agenda behind this law was to promote, to encourage and to support every innovative effort in the country. The law would bring together business organizations and research institutions with the main of encouraging sharing of research findings for effective innovations.

Law 11.487, which authorizes the free use of fiscal benefits for firms having an investment in R&D, is the most recent law governing innovation in Brazil. Apart from encouraging domestic development, these laws give foreign corporations a chance to develop their businesses in the country through the spirit of innovation.

All these regulations provide excellent opportunities for all the driving forces required to generate future innovations, while opening new understanding in the meaning this would have on the social and economic development in the country and the rest of the world, where the power of innovation is yet to be realized.

Works Cited

Sennes, Ricardo. Innovation in Brazil: public policies and business strategies, Washington: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2010. Print.

Vargas, Marco. “Local Systems of Innovation in Developing Countries: a study of technological learning in local productive arrangements in Brazil.” Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro 193. 21 (2011): 1-29. Print.

Abstract

Innovation plays a critical role in ensuring that officers managing the borders of the country can deliver expected results when undertaking this sensitive responsibility. The research focused on determining how to enhance border security using innovation. The study relied on both primary and secondary data sources. It is evident that with the emerging challenges that border control officers face, innovation and emerging technologies are critical in ensuring that they secure the country’s borders.

Introduction

Background

The United Arab Emirates is one of the fastest developing countries in the world and the government has committed a lot of resources to diversify the economy as a way of over-relying on oil and gas exports. The city of Dubai has become a leading global tourist destination and business hub. Abu Dhabi is also a major trading city (Nemeth 2013). One of the major issues that the government faces as the economy continues to develop is the growing insecurity in the region.

Violent extremism that is caused by communitarianism in some parts of the MENA region is causing a major security concern. The war going on in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq has caused security concerns in the region. In the spirit of internationalism, the government of EAE has committed itself to take some of the refugees fleeing their country because of the insecurity. However, Springer (2013) says that some of the people getting into the country are radicalized and there is always the fear that they may become a security threat in the country. Then some infiltrate our border and get into the country illegally. They may be individuals looking for jobs within the country or people trading in contraband goods.

These people are increasingly becoming sophisticated. They continue to use unique ways of getting into the country. Their activities inside the country may have economic or negative social impacts. It is the responsibility of the border protection unit to ensure that the borders are protected from illegal immigrants and criminals.

Innovation offers the best solution to the problem that the border protection unit often faces in its normal operations. Criminals and illegal immigrants are becoming very creative when trying to find their way into the country. Criminals dealing in hard drugs and related products have become sophisticated. Hahn (2012) says that some of these contraband goods pass through the airports and seaports without being detected because of the sophistication that they always use.

It has become difficult for the customs officers to detect these illegal goods when doing checkups using the conventional method. That is who it is becoming important for the border protection unit and the customs officers to use innovative ways when doing their work. They must use sophisticated means of checking the borders and inspecting goods and people who get into the country. The officers must be capable of using emerging technologies to make their work more efficient and less physically demanding than it was the case before. The airports and the seaports need new means of inspection.

At the country’s borders, it is necessary to have constant monitoring of any movement of people into and away from the country. New technologies have emerged that make it possible to conduct such inspections. It is only through technology-based innovative approaches that the country can be protected from potential attacks posed by criminal gangs and extremists whose presence in the country may spell threat to people and property.

Research Objectives

This study focuses on enhancing border security using innovation based on emerging technologies. According to Hahn (2012), the issue of security is one of the major concerns of the government and other stakeholders in the country as the economy continues to grow. As such, this study that focuses on enhancing security may be considered very important by the government and various other stakeholders. It is for that reason that the researcher finds it important to come up with specific objectives that the study should achieve. The following are the objectives of this research:

• To identify major weaknesses in the current methods used in border control;
• To determine the impact that the weaknesses in border control have had on the country’s security;
• To identify how innovation and emerging technologies can be used to address the weaknesses and improve border patrol.

Research Questions

The above research objectives set out what the researcher must focus on when collecting data from the field. The researcher will need questions, based o the above research objectives, to help in collecting relevant data from the sources that will be used in the study. The research questions are critical because they help in ensuring that irrelevant information is not collected from the field. The following are the specific research questions that the data had to respond to directly:

1. What are the major weaknesses in the current methods used in border control?
2. What is the impact of the current weaknesses in border control on the country’s security?
3. How can innovation and emerging technologies be used to address the weaknesses and improve borders control?

To respond to the above questions, the researcher relied on both primary data collected from the respondents and secondary data collected from books, journal articles, and other reliable online sources.

Theory and Hypotheses

Literature Review

According to Nemeth (2013), the pressure that the governments around the world have on the need to have secured borders is increasing as time goes by because of the dynamics in the environment. On one hand, countries all over the world, both developed and developing, are keen on attracting tourists and foreign investors from all over the world as a way of strengthening their economy. On the other hand, there is a need to ensure that criminals and terror suspects from other countries do not find their way into the country. It has become very important for the stakeholders in the border control industry to find ways of monitoring the borders and ports to ensure that unwanted individuals do not find their way to the country.

The real challenge stakeholders in the border control industry face, according to Hahn (2012), are the sophistication of the methods criminals and terror suspects use to gain entry into their target countries. Some of these undesirable elements would pose as refugees, especially because of the massive emigration of people from war-torn countries such as Syria, Yemen, and Iran among others.

It may not be practically impossible to know who is genuinely a refugee and who is a radicalized individual or a criminal having personal heinous interest when crossing the border. However, it is still the responsibility of the government and other stakeholders in this industry to ensure that the safety and security of people and property are assured. According to Malaket (2014), individuals trading in narcotics and other contraband goods are also becoming sophisticated in terms of the means through which smuggle their products through the borders. The emerging changes force the stakeholders in this industry to come up with innovative ways of solving the problem. The industry needs to embrace innovation, especially in the following areas to ensure that the borders remain secure.

Detection, Identification, and Authentication

According to Bossong and Carrapiço (2016), the increasingly globalized world has seen the number of people traveling from one part of the world to the other increase considerably. A city such as Dubai is receiving a massive number of visitors regularly coming as tourists or for business reasons. The work of customs officers is becoming more complex and demanding as they have to process the ever-increasing number of people and goods.

It is the responsibility of these officers to detect individuals who may pose a security threat to the country. Whenever a threat is detected at the customs, the officers have to find ways of dealing with it in an effective and timely manner. The authenticity of people coming into the country as refugees must be determined before giving them asylum status in the country. A greater challenge is often faced by officers who are responsible for the border patrols.

When a country has a porous border, it becomes easy for criminals, extremists, and contraband goods to cross the border into the country. For a country with a long coastal border, the problem becomes even greater as the security apparatus must have sophisticated marine instruments to enhance border control. Innovative ideas are needed in the process of detecting, identifying, and authenticating goods and people coming into the country. Nemeth (2013) says that customs officers need innovative ways of detecting contraband goods such as drugs and firearms. The border patrol officers need creative ways of ensuring that they are always capable of having surveillance at the borderline.

Communication, Data Sharing, and Interoperability

The border control industry needs highly innovative ways of collecting and sharing data to combat insecurity and illegal trade associated with the country’s porous border. According to Malaket (2014), one of the innovative ways of collecting data on border security is by using real-time video surveillance using satellites. ViaSat is one such innovative tool that allows an officer at the control tower to monitor a huge border stretch without necessarily being physically present at the borders.

This innovative way of monitoring border activities and collecting data has been viewed as an effective way of protecting the border with minimal requirement of human labor. Once the information is collected via the satellite, it is shared with the relevant authorities so that necessary actions can be taken. The approach also eliminates cases where border patrol officers are ambushed by criminal gangs along the border.

Once the criminals are detected at the border, their movements can be tracked as the border patrol and other security apparatus plan on their arrest. It reduces cases where officers are exposed to unnecessary harm (Bossong and Carrapiço 2016). The technology also enhances the interoperability of different security agents responsible for managing border security. They can easily share information and ensure that they have a coordinated approach when undertaking their operations. Hahn (2012) says that integrating emerging technologies in border control is critical in enhancing precision and speed both at the ports and in border management.

Engaging Institutions of Higher Learning

According to Zhao, Ordóñez, and Tennyson (2015), as the border management become more demanding and sometimes very dangerous to the security agents than ever before, it has become necessary to find innovative ways of handling the emerging threats. The industry is under immense pressure to find innovative ways of undertaking its duties more efficiently but in a less risky manner. It has become necessary for the border control industry to engage institutions of higher learning to come up with effective ways of solving this problem.

In a report by Springer, (2013), the United States has been actively engaging its institutions of higher learning to solve the problem of porous borders and how to protect it. The report clearly shows that learners are often creative and when offered a perfect environment and motivation, they can use the knowledge gained in class to find lasting solutions to the security threats at the border. Nemeth (2013) says that students working closely with their professors can be presented with the real-life problems that the officers in the border patrol unit face.

They can then come up with a possible solution based on emerging technologies. Regular training of the border control and customs officers in the local universities may be necessary. These officers understand the kind of challenges they often face in their workplace. They have the best capacity to come up with innovative solutions to these problems when they are offered an environment where they can test their creative ideas and engage peers in developing such ideas.

Theoretical Perspectives

In the modern competitive and globalized society, people often tend to find innovative ways of solving current and emerging problems in better ways. Bossong and Carrapiço (2016) say that humankind is always in constant competition. People try to outsmart one another in terms of wealth, good life, better security, better healthcare, and many other such related areas.

Although the positive competition towards a better lifestyle has helped in transforming the society to be a better place, criminals have also been taking advantage of emerging technologies to make their operations more sophisticated than before to ensure that they can achieve their selfish interests. Scholars have come up with several theories to explain the innovative phenomenon and how entities can take advantage of it to ensure that they achieve their desired goals.

In this paper, the researcher will look at the Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Kurt Lewin Model of Change. These theories explain how an entity can change from one system to another. The following figure shows the Diffusion of Innovation Theory.

As shown in the model above, innovation starts with knowledge acquisition. In this case, the stakeholders in the border control industry must be keen on gathering knowledge about the emerging innovative ways of undertaking their duties. It may be the emergence of software, a tool, or a new approach of undertaking their duties at the borders of the country. The responsible stakeholders must clearly understand the new methods to be early adopters without facing any negative consequences.

Malaket (2014) says that in most cases it is the responsibility of the management to gather the initial knowledge about a new idea and how it is relevant in an organizational setting. The next step is persuasion. The management will have to convince the stakeholders that the new methods and tools will make the work of border control easier and less costly compared with the current methods.

The government must be convinced about the effectiveness of the new methods to convince them to invest in the new methods and to authorize the shift from using the current strategies to the new methods. On the other hand, the management will also need to convince the employees to be ready to embrace the new methods. Baldwinson (2012) says that to persuade these stakeholders, the management team must be equipped with the right knowledge about the proposed systems and structures so that they can answer any question that may be posed by their audience.

The next step is the decision-making stage. The stakeholders, after being briefed about the intended new methods and technologies, will make an important decision of either embracing or rejecting the new methods. The government will need a cost-benefit analysis of the new project. It must be assured that the project is worth the investment and that it will not only improve security at the borders but also cut down the costs in the long run.

On the other hand, the officers will want systems and methods that will make their work more efficient and less dangerous. When all the relevant stakeholders are convinced of the system and are ready to embrace it, the next step is the implementation. The proposed methods or the new inventions will be put to practice. For instance, if it is the adoption of ViaSat to enhance border surveillance, then at this stage the stakeholders will purchase and install both the hardware and software, train the personnel on how to use the new technology, and initiate the process of using it to enhance border security.

The last stage is the evaluation and confirmation (Bossong & Carrapiço 2016). The stakeholders in the border control industry will evaluate the impact of the new methods to determine if the desired and promised goals have been achieved. If the new methods deliver the expected returns, then it will be adopted. In case its performance is below the expectations, then it will be terminated so that a better alternative can be adopted.

The management must create an environment where change can be initiated without any resistance. As Malaket (2014) says, creating a culture where stakeholders appreciate the need for change and are ready to embrace it helps in ensuring that new methods can be introduced without resistance. The following Kurt model of change can be used to introduce the needed innovative changes in the border security industry.

Innovation in the border control industry involves changing from one system to another regularly when undertaking various activities in border management. As Baldwinson (2012) notes, people often fear change. There is always the fear of the unknown that may make stakeholders resist change. The employees may fear losing their jobs or being forced to embrace methods that require skills and knowledge that they lack. The financiers may fear that the new project may require massive investment but may not give equal returns.

The management may also fear embracing new methods and systems that cannot give the desired value. However, Springer (2013) says that change is a force that cannot be ignored and stakeholders must find a way of introducing it in the best way possible as to avoid any form of resistance. As shown in the model above, the first step should always be to unfreeze. This is a stage where the management prepares everyone for the expected change.

The management will have to explain to the stakeholders why the change is necessary and how it will affect them in various ways. The primary goal at this stage is to eliminate any fear that they may have and to prepare them fully for the intended change. Sometimes it may be necessary to take employees through some basic training to ensure that they are properly equipped to handle the new systems that are to be introduced.

When everyone is fully prepared, the next step will be to introduce the change. It may be the new innovative ways of border patrols using the satellite or any other invention. According to Baldwinson (2012), during this stage, the management will ensure that employees can work under the new methods and the expected goals can be achieved as promised. The last stage is to refreeze. Refreezing in this context means ensuring that the introduced changes become permanent. The new methods become the standard practice within the firm. The model helps in making the entire process of introducing change less stressful both to the management that champions for the change and the employees who have to embrace it.

Hypotheses

The above review of literature offers insight into what other scholars have found out about this topic. Based on the above information, it is possible to come up with hypotheses that will be confirmed or rejected based on the primary data analysis. The following are the hypotheses that were developed based on the information collected from secondary data sources:

• H1o. Innovation does not offer effective ways of addressing emerging challenges in border security management in the United Arab Emirates;
• H1o. Innovation offers critical ways of addressing emerging challenges in border security management in the United Arab Emirates.

Research Method

Innovation in the border control industry is a sensitive topic, especially at this time when the government of the United Arab Emirates is keen on securing its borders due to the emergence of violent extremism fuelled by communitarianism in the region. The report may be useful for various stakeholders and may inform the decisions that policymakers may embrace when trying to enhance border security. As such, it is important to define the methods that were used to collect and analyze data.

Data Sources

The information used in this research was collected from primary and secondary data sources. Secondary data was collected from books, journal articles, and reliable online sources (Pruzan 2016). The information collected from secondary data sources is presented in the literature review above. Primary data sources were obtained from participants who were sampled as discussed in the section below. The findings made from the primary data are presented in the analysis section of this paper. The researcher then integrated the primary and secondary data in the discussion section of the paper.

Sample

The information needed in this study can be collected from border patrol officers, security experts, and government officials working in the border and customs unit. It was possible to collect data from numerous people, but the limited time available for the study forces the researcher to collect data from only a small population that was manageable. As such, sampling was important to identify participants who can take part in the study. The researcher chose simple random sampling in each of the three groups of people named above. Through simple random sampling, the researcher identified five security experts, ten border patrol officers, and five customs management officers. A sample of 20 participants was thus collected.

Research Paradigm

It is necessary to talk briefly about the research paradigm that was considered appropriate for the research. The researcher chose pragmatism as the most appropriate research paradigm for the study. The philosophy holds that reality is constantly renegotiated, often debated, and interpreted; therefore, the most appropriate approach to use is that which solves the problem (Kuada 2012). The issue of border security keeps on changing as the global environment experiences changes in various facets. The concepts such as violent extremism, radicalization, and cyber threat are some of the most common problems that government agencies around the world are battling.

However, they are emerging realities that the society had not perceived five decades ago. It means that the reality in border management keeps changing as new threats emerge, and it is the responsibility of the stakeholders to renegotiate constantly the solutions used in solving the emerging threats. Innovation offers new ways of solving emerging threats and those responsible within this industry must be ready to engage in discussions with the view of finding the most appropriate solution.

Research Approach

The research approach defines the nature of data that will be collected from the participants and the analysis appropriate for the study. In this paper, the researcher seeks to determine how innovation and emerging technologies can be used to improve border security in the United Arab Emirates. The mixed-method approach was considered appropriate. Qualitative research makes it possible to explain the phenomena that the security agents faced in the past and how innovation, or lack of it, impact on the way it was solved (Kuada 2012). The approach makes it possible to offer explanative data that can help in coming up with possible recommendations on how to solve future problems. On the other hand, the quantitative approach helps in determining the magnitude of the issue at hand. It makes it easy to quantify the impact of innovation on border patrol and control.

Procedure

Primary data was collected from the sampled population. The researcher contacted the administrators of the relevant institutions to get permission to interview their employees. The identified employees were contacted through the phone to inform them about the study and the need for them to be part. Those who accepted to be part of the study immediately received the questionnaires that they filled in their own free time within four days. They e-mailed back the filled questionnaires for analysis.

Measure

In this study, the independent variable was innovation while the dependent variable was border control activities. The independent variable (innovation) has a relationship with the dependent variable (border control activities). The study seeks to determine the nature of this relationship. The control variable is the need to have a secure border. Whether or not the border control industry uses innovation, they must ensure that the border remains secure.

Analysis and Results

Descriptive Statistics

The primary data collected from the participants was analyzed statistically to get the response for the research questions above. The first question focused on identifying the weaknesses of the current methods and systems used in border control. The following was the question proposed to the participants and their response is shown in the graph that follows.

• What are the major weaknesses in the current methods used in border control?

As shown in the graph above, one of the greatest weaknesses of the current border patrol strategies is the outdated nature of some of the instrument approaches used by the officers. In a world where developed countries such as the United States rely on satellites to monitor their borders, the United Arab Emirates still heavily rely on officers who patrol the marine and land borders physically to deter people from crossing into the country or arrest those who manage to cross.

Limited coordination among the departments involved in border security was another major issue raised by the respondents. For instance, the customs officers and border patrol officers have no platforms where they can directly communicate with ease in case they must share the knowledge that can help make the borders secure. The respondents also felt that the level of creativity and innovativeness among the stakeholders in this industry is below expectations.

Most of the stakeholders are also not very receptive to change, as one of the participants noted. Strict government budget and a limited number of officers were also mentioned as the minor issues that affect efficiency in border control within the country. The next question focused on how the identified weaknesses above in border control affect the country’s security. The following was the question that was posed to the participants. The graph that follows shows the analysis of their response.

• What is the impact of the current weaknesses in border control on the country’s security?

As shown in the graph above, 18 out of the 20 participants reported that weaknesses in border control have a significant impact on the country’s security. One participant stated that he was not sure about the issue while the other stated that it is somehow important. None of the participants registered a contrary opinion.

They explained that when the border patrol units are not effective enough in preventing criminals and violent extremists from getting into the country, it becomes difficult to assure the people of this country of their security and security of their properties. Once inside the country, these criminals may pose serious harm to the peace of the country. As such, this issue must be addressed with the seriousness it deserves. The question below focused on determining how innovation can be used to address the challenges and to improve border security within the country. The graph that follows shows the response obtained from the respondents.

As shown in the figure above, the majority of the respondents, 95% noted that indeed innovation can be the key to solving the current problems faced in the border control industry within the country. The respondents noted that a time has come when the stakeholders must embrace the emerging technologies and be creative enough to come up with new methods of managing the current problems. One of the respondents stated that he was not sure about the relevance of innovation in border security management.

Other Analytical Approaches

It was also important to use qualitative data analysis to help explain some of the issues brought out in the study. The following question was very important and the researcher wanted the respondents to provide an answer based using their own words. It was necessary to capture their views on this issue.

How can innovation and emerging technologies be used to address the weaknesses and improve borders control?

The participants provided varied answers based on their understanding of the issue and their area of experience. One of the respondents stated, “I believe the government should embrace innovations in the area of the satellite to help improve border security.” This participant explained that the current methods used in border patrol are old fashioned and less effective when it comes to combating the current sophisticated criminals.

Another participant said, “We need innovative ways through which various border control officers can communicate and share important information that can enhance their ability to deliver the best services to the country.” Some of the respondents stated that through innovation, the government will reduce its reliance on patrol officers physically monitoring the borders. The response to any threat can also be more efficient when the stakeholders embrace innovative solutions. The respondents also explained that emerging threats such as cyber-attacks and radicalization cannot be encountered using traditional methods.

Discussion

Border security is an issue that the stakeholders can no longer ignore as the country becomes a major tourist destination and a global business hub. The analysis of primary data and review of existing literature shows that the threat posed by violent extremists, radicalized individuals, cybercriminals, and traders in contraband goods is getting more serious than it was in the past. As such, pressure is piling on the stakeholders to be innovative enough to find ways of dealing with these emerging challenges.

According to Baldwinson (2012), using new inventions such as ViaSat to enhance surveillance of the borders can help enhance security within the country. The officers themselves should be motivated to embrace creativity in their work.

They must be committed to finding unique ways of solving the problems they face. They must understand that being innovative does not mean one must use emerging technologies. It may also involve using the existing technologies but in a new way. It may also involve coming up with strategies that can help the stakeholders to coordinate their activities by sharing relevant information. The customs officers should be made to appreciate the fact that as the individuals directly involved with the management of the borders, they should always be committed to sharing ideas and coming up with ideas that can make their work easier than it currently is.

Theoretical Implications

This research will have a significant implication on the existing bodies of knowledge, especially when it comes to enhancing border security in the United Arab Emirates. Scholars interested in conducting similar or related research will find this document very valuable. The research has also applied several theories, especially the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, in explaining how the stakeholders can create an innovative environment in the border control industry. Such applications make it easy for one to understand and appreciate the relevance of these theories in solving real-life problems in practical contexts.

Managerial Implications

The department of immigration and border security control play a significant role in ensuring that the United Arab Emirates’ borders are not infiltrated by illegal immigrants. They also have to ensure that the borders are not used by criminals who are engaged in illegal businesses such as trade-in contraband goods. The paper points out the fact that most of the criminals who engage in illegal activities are becoming sophisticated with emerging technologies.

Others are using cyber technologies to outsmart customs and border officials. As such, the management units of bodies at the customs department and those at the border patrol must embrace innovation as a way of combating the emerging problem.

The management must realize that change is a force that one cannot avoid. Using innovation, these departments must ensure that they are always keen on understanding and embracing emerging technologies as a way of aligning their capabilities with the changing expectations. According to Oke, Walumbwa, and Myers (2013), managers should not only create an innovative environment but also directly motivate their employees to be creative at work. Rewards can be given to those who demonstrate their capabilities in coming up with creative ideas of solving organizational challenges.

Limitations

When conducting the research project, several challenges were encountered that should be highlighted at this stage of the report. The biggest limitation was time. The researcher had to review relevant literature, identify participants, seek their permission, and collect data from them, analyze the data, and compile a report within a very short time. It forced the researcher to use only twenty respondents in the study. The researcher also had to avoid time-consuming face-to-face interviews. Primary data collection was limited to the city of Dubai.

Future Research

Future scholars in this field should focus on how the government can support innovation in the local border control industry by injecting more resources and helping the players to understand best practices around the world. The studies should focus on how the government can organize for exchange programs with other countries so that the local officers can understand what is expected of them.

Conclusion

The border control industry plays a critical role in the country and as the stakeholders work very hard to diversify the economy this industry must ensure that the borders remain safe. Radicalized individuals and criminals with personal selfish interests will always try to infiltrate the borders of the country. The officers at the customs and the border patrol units must ensure that efforts of such undesirable elements to get into the country are thwarted.

As the criminals continue to use sophisticated ways of infiltrating the borders, a time has come when the industry must embrace creativity and innovation. The officers must use new innovative methods of addressing emerging problems. The stakeholders must always remain positive to change that can help them achieve the desired success in their work.

Reference List

Baldwinson, T 2012, Innovation with Manchester to Paris night trains using existing rail resources: outline business case, Wiley, Hoboken.

Bossong, R & Carrapiço, H 2016, EU borders and shifting internal security: technology, externalization and accountability, Cengage, New York.

Hahn, N 2012, Gun digest book of the Remington 870, Gun Digest Books, Iola.

Kuada, J 2012, Research methodology: a project guide for university students, Samfundslitteratur, Frederiksberg.

Malaket, A 2014, Financing trade and international supply chains: commerce across borders, finance across frontiers, Springer, London.

Nemeth, C 2013, Homeland security: an introduction to principles and practice, CRC Press, London.

Oke, A, Walumbwa, F & Myers, A 2013, Innovation strategy, human resource policy, and firms’ revenue growth: the roles of environmental uncertainty and innovation performance, Journal of the Decision Sciences Institute, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 273-302.

Pruzan, P 2016, Research methodology: the aims, practices and ethics of science, Cengage, New York.

Springer, P 2013, Military robots and drones: a reference handbook, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara.

Zhao, J, Ordóñez, P & Tennyson, R 2015, Organizational innovation and IT governance in emerging economies, McMillan, London.

Introduction

The United States government plays a key role in the development of the technological innovation in the private and public sector. Due to the government, many projects, such as IPHONE, Internet and GPS, were researched on and developed by the US military and defense departments, and later on commercialized.

According to Wendy Schacht (2010), the US government supports, promotes and accelerates technological innovations by funding high risk, and high reward research projects that are crucial to the national requirements. The government has adopted a diversified approach to technological advancement and stimulation which includes development and adoption of innovation support programs, legislation and policies, incentives, such as experimental tax credit, modification of antitrust laws to encourage collaboration, revision of patent laws, promotion of technology transfer and fostering university – industry interactions.

Funding programs

The government has various bodies that support innovations; these include an advanced technology program (ATP) and Technology Innovation Program (TIP), both funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Advanced Technology Program (ATP)

This program was established under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act, title five. The program was intended to serve as a focal point for development of industry technology by public and private sector. ATP provided seed funding for business, government laboratories and universities to develop competitive technologies that would have a far reaching implication in the industry.

By 2007, a total of 824 projects had been funded by ATP. $1.6 billion for development of these programs was provided by the government, while $1.5 billion came from the private sectors. 28% of the projects were joint venture while 68% of the awarded projects were from large firms (Schacht, 2010).

Among the technologies funded by ATP, there were manufacturing, biotechnology, bioinformatics, aircraft industry, advance materials, computer hardware, energy, computer aided design, environmental technologies, material science, nanotechnology, etc.

Technology Innovation Program (TIP)

The technology innovation program (TIP) was formed to replace the advanced technology program. TIP rules and policies were published in June, 2008. TIP provides opportunities for small and medium sized firms. Through this program, these companies directly benefit from funding provided by the government, thus they are the principle beneficiaries of the funds. The major projects funded by this program include:

• projects that have the ability to yield transformation results with far reaching implications;
• researches that address critical national needs;
• innovative studies that are connected with wide disciplines.

There are many projects funded by the government due to this program. The field of the researches ranges from manufacturing, civil infrastructure, energy, healthcare, sustainability, complex systems and networks to water supply.

In 2009, TIP funded 20 new projects with a total sum of $ 71 million, with the private sector contributing $74.6 million. The program holds competitions every year and the study which wins is awarded funds. Through TIP, the state can support projects from any organization (Schacht, 2010). The main funding available includes:

• Individual projects for small and medium sized organizations. They can be given up to $3 million for 3 years
• Collaborative projects as firms can be awarded $9 million for 5 years.

Effects of non-government support

For innovation to take place, there must be requisite capital, time and other resources. Most of the projects require huge amount of money for the research and development (R&D) phase. This puts a company in high risk venture which they certainly can predict with the probable return on investment. When the government invests in these innovations, it enables the companies to develop and maintain a pipeline of new products.

Research requires a lot of time, capital and expertise. Small companies may not be able to hire experts on full time basis. However, through collaborations with universities, fostered by TIP and ATP, the private sector and universities can team up and develop new products (Atkinson, 2010).

The US is also keen on formulation policies that favor innovations. This comes in form of tax credits, welcoming new foreign engineers and scientists and improving patent laws. The US policy on new products is “light regulatory” allowing novelties to be brought into the market. This is better as compared to the European “precautionary principle” which limits innovation until all the consequences are known (Atkinson, 2010).

However, with no funding, several factors may propel the growth of innovation, they include:

• adequate financial system (the US financial system allows the small firms to enter to agreement, acquisition and mergers with large companies which can provide funds for innovation);
• competition (the global and domestic market requires the firms to be innovate and develop new products in order to remain competitive);
• need to lower production costs (reduction in production cost necessitates innovation despite the outcomes);
• large market (the large and constantly growing domestic market in the US can also drive innovation as large companies in the US enjoy economies of scale and have large capital base which propel innovation (Atkinson, 2010)).

In conclusion, innovation is a continuous process. It develops with or without government intervention. The US government has been active in supporting and encouraging new developments. This has motivated firms to change, resulted in cost sharing in R&D and created a link between the private, public and education sectors.

References

Atkinson, R.D. (2010). Role the U.S. Government Can Play in Restoring U.S Innovation

Leadership. In Information Technology and Innovation Foundation: Proceeding of a conference held 24 March 2010.. Web.

Schacht, W.H. (2010). The Technology Innovation Program. (CRS Report for Congress, RS22815). Web.

Canada has faced with the burning issue of incorporating innovation in their economic development process. One of the reasons for a dire need for innovation in Canada was the high productivity rate in the country, which ultimately was stalling growth. The need to speed up the process of the country’s transition into a knowledge-based economy in order to facilitate innovation has become important part of policy making. For this purpose, the policy makers have undertaken extensive planning to develop the innovation strategy in the country.

This section of the paper aims to provide contextual information, validating facts with documents such as appropriate primary and secondary sources. The main aim is to tell the story of how this policy has been developing over the past few years. In order to do this, first the relevant documents in the process has been located. The paper also traces the sources of the documents such as who created it and why was it initiated. Further, the outcome and the present state of the mandate are also traced in this section.

The first step initiating the innovation strategy in Canada started with increased investment on research and development by the Liberal Government since 1993. The initial policy outline was presented with the original Red Book named Creating Opportunity: The Liberal Plan for Canada (Liberal Party of Canada, 1993), which highlights the importance of support given by the federal government to the innovation and development initiatives within the economy.

The first step was to show that the new economy that was forming with the change in the global equations, required greater capacity to innovate and must make the way for private as well as public institutions to become learning originations. The requirement was to stress on the dynamic role of the government to revitalize the manufacturing and the services sector through a process of active learning. The emphasis was on the development of an idea-based economy where innovation becomes paramount and supports the communities who become the root of these developmental processes. Thus, the emphasis was on practical utilization of the research conducted in the laboratory.

The initial stress was on identifying the developmental areas and start creating jobs in those sectors. In pursuing this line of action, the government released a series of policy in 1994 initiating the agenda of creating jobs and enabling growth. The main aim of the policy makers was to create innovation policy to enhance the economic agenda of the government:

Since productivity growth depends on working smarter – for example, mastering the economics of ‘ideas’ – Canada must position itself to be at the forefront of innovation in the products and services we create; in the ways, we organize economic and social activity; and in the ways we govern ourselves. (Government of Canada, 1994, p. 30)

The policy initiative started by the Canadian government was done with the aim of pursuing four areas of development viz. trade, technology, infrastructure development, and business market. Infrastructure spending was important for Canadian government and hence, stress was put on innovation spending. The aim of the program was to increase spending on information highway resulting in the better education system, development in science and technology innovation efforts, and technology diffusion in industries.

The Red Book’s raised expectations were shattered in 1995 and the development process took a dithering path. There were major cuts done by the government on the development activities of the economy. However, three internal committees simultaneously provided their reports suggesting that the government still intended to move ahead in the developmental path adopted in 1993:

… to create in Canada world centres of excellence in scientific discovery; to build a broad base of scientific enquiry; to foster Canadian participation in all major fields of science and technology; and to ensure that new knowledge can be acquired and disseminated widely, from Canadian sources and from around the world. (Paquet & Roy, 1995, p. 141)

The main aim of the science and technology related activity of the Federal government was to fund the research activities of federal agencies, provide support for research activities at high education institutions, supporting research and development in private sector, and propagation of knowledge based activities (Paquet & Roy, 1995).

The next step taken by the Federal government was in 1997. The policy was formulated based on the guidelines provided by OECD, which endorsed the rapid changing of developing economies into knowledge-based economy. The OECD reports stated “more science-intensive… more technology-intensive … as well as more skills-intensive in terms of managing the increasingly complex knowledge base related to productive activities” was being adopted by developing countries (OECD, 1999, p. 15). This report initiated a change in the viewpoint of the policymakers who promptly shifted the issue to the Policy Research Committee (PRC). The PRC conducted a feasibility study in 1997 that emphasized on the importance of knowledge based growth and stresses on innovation and skill recruitment.

Even though there were many activities in relation to innovation in development of the economy, little was actually done in relation to the matter. Mostly, the governments satiated themselves with policy formulations and little attention was paid to practical application.

In 1998, a budget documents was formulated named, The Canadian Opportunity Strategy, that spelled out the commitments and the funding that can be done by the federal government to initiate the innovation strategy (Government of Canada, 1998). The budget document of 1998 promised a sum of $400 million to the developmental activities by 2000-01 (Government of Canada, 1998; Whelan, 2001). In 1999, the budget further increased the allotted spending by $200 million in order to facilitate innovation. Since then, all budgets have shown subsequent increase in spending on innovation and technology. In 2004-05 the investment allotment increased to $1 billion (Côté & Miller, 2012).

Overall, many have raised the question whether Canada was pursuing the right direction to adopt the strategy of innovation (Whelan, 2001). However, mostly it ahs been stated that the innovation strategy undertaken by the Federal government of Canada has not been wholly successful in steering the innovation policy (Côté & Miller, 2012). Rather, the private companies shave stimulated the process of innovation through private decision-making. The next section will discuss the various stakeholders in the innovation policy formulated by the government of Canada.

Stakeholder Profiles

This section aims at locating stakeholders for the innovation development policy adopted by the Canadian government. For this purpose, the paper will utilize information from appropriate policy documents, news databases, and web sites, locate as many stakeholders or interest groups as possible. Then these stakeholders will be grouped into four categories: government, industry, NGOs, and other (if necessary). The paper will describe who are the beneficiaries of the government and if there is a unanimity or split within each group. For each of the stakeholders, the paper will analyse the individual benefits and setbacks they will face if the policy facilitates or impedes their operations.

Government

Education and innovation in science and technology is an area where the other group of stakeholders of the innovation policy are. The government stakeholders are the education department (both primary, secondary, and higher education) and development of science and technology innovation in the country.

In order to develop the innovation in science and technology, the government through its national Science Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) sponsored “a series of consultations in spring 2002 with more than 300 stakeholders, including students, university and college professors and administrators, industry leaders, and public servants from provincial and federal departments and agencies.” (NSERC, 2010).

The stakeholders in the education sector are the students, educators, education institutions, and association of colleges, schools, universities, and community educational institutions. The education related stakeholders have the aim of enhancing the education policy in the country through boosting of innovation and research in the field of education. Innovation and research in the field of education will not only help the direct stakeholders but also the community as a whole as this will help develop the future generation.

The aim of the council was to increase the participation of students and children in the innovation process. Thus, they promoted science fairs and Olympiads to enhance the interest of children in these areas. They initiated the PromoScience program that created chair for development of scientific research (NSERC, 2010). Further, the program also increased the award programs for undergraduate students. They provided postgraduate scholarships for various fields and especially doctoral candidates. Further, they also started Industrial Postgraduate Scholarship (NSERC, 2010). NSERC aims at enhancing the opportunity of Canadian student aspiring to study abroad. In order to do so NSERC has implemented the following policies:

Implement agreements with Japan and Taiwan for summer research experiences and promote Canadian participation in the new Marie Curie International Fellowships under the European Union’s Sixth Framework Program, by raising awareness of the program. Promote awareness of existing agreements with Japan and the United Kingdom among Canadian students to increase their participation in competitions. Increase NSERC’s knowledge of facilities and expertise abroad, and determine methods and incentives to encourage more Canadians to become research students in excellent laboratories abroad. (NSERC, 2010, para 11)

In a separate document, named Canada’s International Education Strategy, Federal Government of Canada presents the policy outlines for enhancing higher studies in foreign land. The reason provided for enhancing international educational collaboration in Canada is believed to be required to enhance the competitiveness of the educational environment of the country. The Economic Action Plan of 2011 thus states,

The Government of Canada is committed to working with its key stakeholders in the international education sector to advance shared goals. Currently, the National Education Marketing Roundtable, which includes some of the sector’s most important stakeholders, gauges ongoing client satisfaction and solicits constructive advice on matters related to international education. (Canadian Bureau for International Education, 2014, para 51)

This policy will definitely enhance the benefits reaped by the students of Canada. The policies if implemented will enhance and facilitate development of young talent who would dedicate their mind in the research projects. Pecuniary and financial aid will help the students access their abilities without facing the problem of financing the project. However, if the project failed, it would create a direct setback on the research in academia where new and bright students may fail to make contribution to the field of science and technology due to lack of opportunity.

NGO

The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are dedicated towards establishing innovation policy. One of the efforts that have been directly related to establish innovation is in the food processing industry where NGOs like Canadian Agricultural Policy Institution (CAPI) has (CAPI, 2014). Their aim is to analyse the deficit of skilled labour in the food processing institutes and ensure that the food processing industries recruit skilled employees who would enhance innovation within the company. Thus, NGOs have been instrumental in driving innovation in establishing the innovation policy in Canada’s largest industrial sector. Due to enhance NGO rallying these companies has increased their investment in the research and development.

Industry

Many Canadian companies have increased their investments in order to become competitive and sustain their business due to the rising global demand for innovation and the federal government’s initiative to boost innovation and research in the country. If these stakeholders do not adopt the policy of innovation, then they will perish in complacency while the global market demands for new and advanced products.

Other

The stakeholders who are included in the others section is Health and medical facilities. The health and medical are one of the primary stakeholders for the innovation policy of the Federal government. The stakeholders may be the health care facilitators as well as heath care consumers. They will be highly benefited with an increase in the federal spending in innovation. A policy of innovation will help the healthcare sector to boost their reach and allow them to provide highly advanced facility to the people.

The Federal government has formed an advisory committee on Healthcare Innovation in 2014. If the proposition is passed, this will immensely facilitate healthcare provided to cancer and other fatally ailing patients. The health care providers will also have greater amenities and facilities at hand, which would be a direct effect on increased innovation in the field. If the policies suggested by the council if formulated will immensely help in creating a sustaining healthcare system and provide better treatment to the patients in Canada.

Primary care in Canada has been an area of myriad policies and government interventions (Hutchison, Abelson, & Lavis, 2001). However, it is believed that once the innovation polices are implemented, they will follow the path dependence model and create institutes that will support the policy. The innovation in primary care was first introduced in 1970s in Canada however, the policy was stalled, and the innovation process was ended in 1973.

However, in the 1980s a new policy was formed intended to broaden the range of primary care providers (Hutchison, Abelson, & Lavis, 2001). The nurses and other medical practitioners were not developed thus indicating a lack of human resource development. The approach of “big bang” policy thrust in the primary care system is Canada is not possible. Thus, it is believed that a more prudent approach would to begin two parallel system of innovation development.

The advisory panel formed in 2014 has promised to boost the physician-research capacities provided to specialist healthcare facilities (Eggertson, 2014). The need for innovation is healthcare is essential for Canada because it faces the problem of an aging population. The Health Minister Rona Ambrose who initiated the council said, “I am committed to finding ways to harness the tremendous potential of innovation in health care, to make better use of our existing resources, and to achieve an efficient, more responsive and financially sustainable health system for the long term.” (Eggertson, 2014) An innovation process in the healthcare sector will help in reducing healthcare spending to a great extent.

Private players who have put forth a positive step towards enhancing innovation in the healthcare sector are Mackenzie Health (Hill, 2014). The innovation policies adopted by the company was to provide greater patient safety and care in order to improve patient experience when hospitalized. The CEO of the company thus states,

Mackenzie Health has embarked on an Innovation Journey where collaboration, partnerships and evidence-based practice set the stage to provide the best patient-cantered care. At Mackenzie Health, we view innovation as a key factor for our organization going forward and strongly believe that pioneering projects such as the Innovation Unit will help us achieve our vision to create a world-class health experience for our community. (Hill, 2014, para 9)

International Comparison

This section presents a comparison of the innovation policy document to similar documents in other countries like the EU, UK, and/or US. The documents will be compared with one another and a brief account is provided to show why these documents have been produced.

The UK has a similar document named A Science and Innovation Policy for 21^st Century published in 2002 which establishes similar guiltiness and presents the need for developing a learning nation (UK Government, 2002). The paper identifies the need to innovate in science and technology in the twenty first century and the need to create a widened choice for all stakeholders. The paper delineates the importance of science and shows how it is essential to increase research in various fields to build a knowledge capacity for the country. The paper like the Canadian paper identifies the importance of research on science that would enhance global competitiveness:

Innovation is the key to the knowledge-driven economy, turning ideas and knowledge into products and services. Innovation gathers momentum as it moves in a cycle, as entrepreneurs and businesses take up ideas, backed by investment and management, and turned into products and services that consumers want. (UK Government, 2002, para 3)

The paper also presents an investment plan as has been done by the Canadian document. The paper presents that government will undertake invest in research in order to boost development. Further, the paper also identifies other stakeholders who may benefit from the research initiative of the government. Like the Canadian document, it has identified Higher Education as one of the key beneficiaries of the innovation drive.

An innovation related document was published by the EU Commission but for a more specific section – healthcare. The document published by European Commission (EC) that lays down the innovation strategy of the EC for healthcare facilities (EC, 2012). The aim of the commission was to provide “This means providing smarter, safer and patient-centred health services” (EC, 2012). The document presents a roadmap for the establishment of the better innovation in healthcare:

The European Commission’s eHealth Action Plan 2012 – 2020 provides a roadmap to empower patients and healthcare workers, link up devices and technologies, and invest in research towards the personalised medicine of the future. (EC, 2012, para 1)

The EU innovation document is different from that of the Canadian innovation policy statement as the former concentrates on providing the guidelines only for the healthcare sector. On the other hand, the UK government’s documents presents a comprehensive strategy account of what will be done in the UK regarding the innovation and research in the country in the twenty first century.

Documentary Policy Discourse Analysis

This section identifies the problem the document seeks to address. The document’s problem is identified and shown how it is framed. Then a solution is brought forth in this paper.

The premise on which the document is based on is the axiom that innovation in the field of science and development is the key to economic growth in the twentieth century (Whelan, 2001). The document defines innovation through a narrow definition based on enhancement of products and services. The innovation that is predominantly on the mind of the writer was improvement of production techniques rather than creating a new field of innovation.

The definition of innovation has been similarly used in the innovation documents of the UK. The definition follows: “Innovation is more simply defined as the process of developing and introducing new and improved products, services and production techniques into the marketplace, whereby these new production techniques may amount to a novel processing, assembly, inventory, distribution, managerial and/or organizational method” (Whelan, 2001, p. 3).

However, the area where the Canadian document differs from that of the UK is in its emphasis on building of a knowledge economy. For the UK, innovation in science and technology is solely dedicated to initiating and developing techniques of innovation that enhances productivity of the economy, however, Canada ingrains in its policy of developing knowledge based economy. The document points out that “a knowledge-based economy demands that Canada’s innovation system must not only get larger than it is at present, it must operate better and more effectively” thus creating the importance of making the economy a leaning economy (Whelan, 2001, p. 6).

The report is a detailed analysis separated into two parts. Part 1 has four chapters dealing with the innovation system to be laid in Canada and the systems and policies to be laid in the knowledge-based system. Part 2 consists of seven chapters dealing with the science and technology policy instruments that are used to drive the process of innovation in the country.

The document clearly points out that the need for innovation for a country is to gather more knowledge than other countries: “Canada’s recent record in acquiring knowledge relative to other OECD countries has been impressive” (Whelan, 2001, p. 109). Canada has faired better than other OECD countries in creating a knowledge base, improving their investment in education, and developing their research and development activity. Canadian expenditure on innovation activities is lower than other G-7 countries (except Italy) and most of the Western European countries (Whelan, 2001, p. 109).

However, it is surprising to note that the country’s productivity is high compared to its low expenditure on research and development. The document points out that Canada has a satisfactory pool of good and experienced scientists but makes little use of their talent to garner the country’s research. The research and development activity is found to be too narrow based on the requirements that are required by firms. Thus, there lacks a broad based innovation strategy that would go beyond the market forces. It is pointed out in the document that:

… Canada relies heavily on FDI and that R&D tends to be a centralized activity of firms. This results in innovation being too narrowly diffused about the country; essentially, it flows strictly from U.S. parents to their Canadian subsidiaries, leaving those Canadian domestic SMEs, particularly those without a global mandate to strategically seek foreign markets, too technologically far behind their rivals. (Whelan, 2001, p. 109)

Thus, the document points out the drawback of the innovation strategy adopted in Canada. Though the Federal government has introduced many policies to boost innovation and research in the country, the attention is much less than that in other developed countries like the UK. The problem lies in Canada’s inability to develop suitable network of tis businesses and sectors that creates a great impediment to amalgamating the innovation effort.

Thus, an innovation gap is created in the procedure, resulting in inefficient research processes. This is the reason behind low productivity in Canada. The earlier strategy of Canada had been to rely on its natural resources and foreign capital to boost its productivity. However, this strategy has to be changed. The present time requires a lot of innovation to gain competitive advantage over other countries. Canada must look forward to change their erstwhile strategy of relying on natural resources and foreign capital to boost their industrial production and therefore boost growth. This strategy has become redundant in the twentieth century. Thus, the aim of the country should be to invest more on R&D-intensive production and create a knowledge-based economy.

References

CAPI. (2014). Talent, Skills and People: Enabling Innovation in Food Processing. Web.

Canadian Bureau for International Education. (2014). Canada’s International Education Strategy. Web.

Côté, M., & Miller, R. (2012). Stimulating Innovation: Is Canada Pursuing the Right Policies?. International Productivity Monitor , 3-17. Web.

EC. (2012). Innovative healthcare in the 21st century. Web.

Eggertson, L. (2014). Federal Panel Aims to Improve Healthcare. Web.

Government of Canada. (1994). A New Framework for Economic Policy. Web.

Government of Canada. (1998). Canadian Opportunities Strategy. Web.

Hill, R. (2014). Mackenzie Health Officially Launches Innovation Unit: First-in-Canada Project Transforms the Delivery of Care. Web.

Hutchison, B., Abelson, J., & Lavis, J. (2001). Primary Care In Canada: So Much Innovation, So Little Change. Health Affairs , 20 (3), 116-131. Web.

Liberal Party of Canada. (1993). The Liberal Party of Canada Red Book. Web.

NSERC. (2010). Investing in People – An Action plan. Web.

OECD. (1999). Managing National Innovation Systems. Paris: OECD Publishing. Web.

Paquet, G., & Roy, J. (1995). Prosperity Through Networks: The Bottom-Up Strategy That Might Have Been,. In S. D. Phillips, How Ottawa Spends 1995-96: Mid-Life Crises (pp. 138-159). Ottawa: Carleton University Press. Web.

UK Government. (2002). A Science and Innovation Policy for the 21st century. Web.

Whelan, S. (2001). The Canadian Innovation Agenda for Twenty-first Century. Web.

In 2014, the current Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates launched a strategy within the frames. It was expected to introduce the country as one of the world’s most innovative in the next seven years (Arabian Business.com 2014). Several steps were taken to approach the goal. Each month, different innovative companies offered their ideas and improvements. However, one of the most impressive, creative ideas was provided at the end of 2016, when community envelopment was provided to the UAE’s citizens. It is based on creating a particular website approved by the ministry where the public can easily submit different ideas and explain how challenges may be solved (Dajani 2016).

The peculiar feature of this innovation is the possibility to involve as many ordinary people as possible. A person should not be a technician or a medical worker to introduce an idea. It is enough to be a citizen of the UAE and have a need. Besides, it is expected to develop a specific background and a plan with the help of which the idea may be elaborated. Today, it is possible to find millions of innovative ideas from different companies and millionaires who want to invest their money and become famous. However, not every country is ready to consider the needs of ordinary people. The UAE takes the step that unites the government of the country with its people.

It is not enough for the ministry to impose ideas. The governmental representative, Ms. Suhail, wants to think out loud and involve all community sections in the development of an innovative process (Dajani 2016). This idea is simple still covers millions of needs. The only step that has to be taken is to visit a website and make a contribution.

Reference List

Arabian Business.com 2014, ‘UAE launches plan to be ‘among the most innovative nations in the world’ within 7yrs’, Web.

Dajani, H 2016, ‘Ministry seeks innovative ideas to ease UAE life,’The National UAE, Web.

Overview of Project

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a leading country in the Gulf region in terms of technological development and innovation (Pathrose 2016). Many different spheres have already been improved. However, not much attention has been paid to comparing these changes at the macro level, including national and societal issues. A comparison of the latest innovative achievements in the UAE transportation, education, and healthcare sectors is important because it enables a broader evaluation of the whole Gulf region, promotes the work of the government in these areas, and influences personal attitudes. The most crucial investments for a competitive advantage are technological innovations (Maceda 2016). They have to be discussed in the contexts of various fields in order to clarify their effectiveness for people in these particular spheres rather than only for the country in general.

Theory and Hypotheses

Innovations in education, transportation, and health care will be discussed in a macro level comparison. An investigation of recent changes in the chosen fields will lead to a comparison of the results in regards to social benefits and opportunities. A review of journal articles and secondary literature and a survey of the opinions of UAE citizens will show that education, transportation, and healthcare innovations are not at the same level of development.

Research Methodology

In addition to a literature review, an interview (qualitative) and a questionnaire (qualitative) will be developed for use with randomly selected citizens of the UAE. For this study, communication with 30 people aged 22-45 years is foreseen in order to ask them questions about the quality of education, transportation, and health care in their region.

Analysis of Results and Limitations

A content analysis and descriptive statistics will be used to discuss the topic. The results will be introduced in specially developed graphs and tables. A small sample size may be the main limitation.

Contributions and Outlets

Scholars and policy makers may be interested in this project so that they can share the results during different managerial meetings devoted to the further development of the region.

Citations/References and Exhibits

Journal articles.

Anticipated Challenges

The main challenge is to gather enough material for the analysis and convince ordinary people to participate in research. Clear research purposes and explanations should be developed to provide potential participants with an assurance of privacy and as much information as possible.

Reference List

Maceda, C 2016, ‘UAE mega projects among world’s most innovative, least wasteful’, Web.

Pathrose, EP 2016, ‘UAE’s innovation strategies are game changers’, EIBFS, Web.

China is the second largest country in the world. It is found in Eastern side of Asia and it is the most populated country in the world with over 1.3 billion people. As a single party state, the Communist Party of China rules the country (Sayre, 2012). The economy of China is performing very well, with a Gross Domestic Product of $5.88 trillion and a per capita income of $ 7,600, which is well above most countries (Broudy, 1979). The high GDP is attributed to the scientific developments and inventions that have taken place in the country since time immemorial. As a result, products from China dominate the world market and the demand for its goods is very high (Cohen, 2004).

As a civilization, China has existed for more than six millennia and is growing at an alarming rate. It is important to note that the growth experienced in China results from the technological advances it has made in the area of science and technology (Needham, 2004). Indeed, scientific inventions and technological developments are considered very vital for the achievement of both political and economic objectives of the country (Sayre, 2012). Since it is ahead of other countries in the area of science, the country is highly respected in the world. These technological and scientific advances in China can be traced back to the ancient Chinese, which invented a number of things that have shaped the economy of the country and the world in general. These inventions were made in different sectors of the economy and include compass, rudder, deep drilling for gas, gunpowder, parachute, paper, silk, the decimal system, paper money, and wheelbarrows (Cohen, 2004).

There are four of the inventions that are considered very ingenious. These four are the invention of gunpowder, compass, papermaking, and silk. Paper invention was innovative in that it enabled books to be made cheaply and hence cheaper cost (Pelt & Mathews, 2009). It should be noted that before the invention of paper, books were made of very expensive silk (Sayre, 2012) and were very scarce and expensive (Goswami, 2007). The discovery of paper thus promoted education in China and reduced the cost of keeping government records. The overall expenditure for the government was also reduced thereby reducing the tax burden on the citizens. The invention and use of paper have facilitated transfer of information from one generation to another. Cultures have also developed and advanced because of use of papers (Broudy, 1979).

The second invention that was very innovative is gunpowder. It was intended to provide solution to the immortality of human beings. It enabled the Chinese to use it as signal flares and for fireworks (Deng, 2011). However, it was later used by the military to defend the country against invasion. In the military, it was used in making fire arrows and rockets used when fighting war.

The compass is the third invention that is very innovative. It is known as a directional device that is widely used in the world today to indicate direction. It was originally intended to be used for forecasting (Broudy, 1979). This great invention has enhanced exploration of the world. It makes it easy to determine the directions, destinations and positions thus facilitating transport (Sayre, 2012). Before the invention of the compass, direction was determined using landmarks, which were not very effective during cloudy days. Therefore, the discovery of compass enhanced navigation far from the land. Sea transport and trade therefore improved greatly leading to more discoveries being made.

The forth-innovative invention in China was that of silk. It should be noted that silk is naturally created but is not naturally harvested and used (Pelt & Mathews, 2009). The Chinese thus discovered how it is harvested and used in making clothes and paper (Goswami, 2007). The invention of its method of extraction increased the production of silk. Because of surplus production, it became a major export commodity for China. This earned the country foreign exchange and connected it to many parts of the world. It was also used in making very beautiful clothes that were sold within and outside the country (Deng, 2011).

The many inventions of the ancient Chinese are very important to varied degrees to individuals and the country. However, the most important one that one cannot do without is paper. Paper is very important for further development of civilization (Needham, 2004). This explains why China was able to create and develop its civilization ahead of other countries in the world. Everyone in the world uses paper in one or the other way. All books we read are made of paper. The money used to acquire goods and services is (Sayre, 2012) made of paper. Share certificates, title deeds, tissue papers, boxes, polythene bags and other documents we use in our daily lives are all made of paper (Needham, 2004).

In conclusion, Chinese ancient inventions are very important for development of an economy. They have earned the country foreign exchange, which is invested in other sectors to facilitate economic development. In addition, the country is also self-sufficient enabling to build its foreign exchange reserves and concentrating in development. As a result, the country is bound to attain the position of the world’s superpower.

References

Broudy, E. (1979). The Book of Looms: A History of Handlooms from Ancient Times to the Present. Hanover: University Press of New England.

Cohen, S. R. (2004). Chinese Studies on the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. New York: Springer.

Deng, Y. (2011). Ancient China Inventions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Goswami, R. (2007). Wondering Man, Money & Go (I)D. London: Best Global Publishing.

Needham, J. (2004). Science and Civilization in China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Pelt, V. T. & Mathews, R. (2009). Ancient Chinese Civilization. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

Sayre, H. M. (2012). The Humanities: Culture, continuity and change. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Innovations in the public sector can have a significant role in the life of society. The public sector includes all public corporations and general government at central, state, and local levels (“Public sector innovation”, n.d.). Such transformations imply significant improvements in public administration or services. In other words, innovation in the public sector can also be defined as the introduction of new, better processes and methods in organizations that can positively impact their activities.

Changes in the public sector have a significant important contribution to this area. They imply a significant improvement in the services that the government is obliged to provide. Another positive aspect of making transformations in the public sector is improving accessibility. An example would be the introduction of online technologies in operation to provide access to public services. Users are also attracted to the development and formation of services, which helps to increase loyalty (Farrell & Goodman, 2013). More accurate targeting of user needs is also becoming a significant contribution to innovation in the public sector.

The introduction of new processes and models may also entail some difficulties. One of them is the constant search for creative ways, which require constant updating and improving knowledge. Despite this, three main issues may arise when implementing changes in the public sector. The first is to carry out the processes of change and analysis. For the best efficiency, appropriate tools are needed to measure innovation. To improve results, it is necessary to focus on monitoring productivity and costs and providing a wide range of indicators for analysis. The second problem is the emergence of structural barriers, such as complicated organizational structures, regulation, and formal processes, and limited investment in innovation. It is essential to understand how all these processes should be adapted to reduce them. The last are cultural barriers. To limit them, it is necessary to develop approaches to risk management.

References

Farrell, S. & Goodman, A. (2013). Government by design: Four principles for a better public sector. Mc Kinsey & Company. Web.

Public sector innovation. (n.d.). The Innovation Policy Platform. Web.

Analysis

A “smart city” is an excellent type of city to support innovation because it is organized around the idea to be self-sustainable with the use of information and communication technologies and multiple other innovative means to stimulate advancement and quality of life (Manville et al. 2014). A “smart city” is intended to promote the efficiency of urban operation and meet the needs of its inhabitants (ITU 2014a). The organization of this type of populated locality allows providing the necessary facilities for economic and social activity, and together with this, it supports the exalted standards of the environmental protection (ITU 2014a).

A “smart city” is, first of all, the living area where the latest information and communication technologies have come in use (ITU 2014b). Innovation is also inevitably connected with the latest information and communication technologies. Therefore, a “smart city” is the place where the essential components of innovation implement to optimize people’s daily life. So, the citizens of “smart cities” get the necessary tools into their hands to make their labour highly more effective and their social life more fulfilling.

As a result, the new generations of intelligent and efficient people are able to progress to the horizons of the never yet seen innovation. To illustrate, the real life example from Barcelona, Spain can be considered. Being the ancient city, Barcelona has faced a number of complex developmental problems due to the poor conformability of its infrastructure to the requirements of the new era of technological progress. However, today the city has been able to achieve the unprecedented innovation success due to the total redevelopment of the city information and communication technologies.

Further, one of the major characteristics of “smart cities” is ‘smart governance (Manville et al. 2014). Smart governance is also the key variable of any innovation project because no achievement is possible without an effective manager. Therefore, the smart governance available in smart cities is the great contributor to innovation. Without the smart governance, “smart cities” will meet regulation difficulties at the very beginning of their development because their formation requires the smart horizontal actions such as standards and common measurement frameworks. Smart people, which is another characteristic of “smart cities” according to Manville et al. (2014), have their supporting role in promoting innovation together with the smart governors.

These are the people who utilize their potential including their intelligence, physical power, and creativity to keep on moving to the further levels of advancement. Manville et al. (2014) provided another significant detail in connection with the smart governance and smart people in “smart cities”, which is the private-public partnerships. The private-public partnerships are a very promising form of governance and people co-operation due to the fact that they contribute to the development of expertise, technology capabilities building, the formation of financial capital, and greater involvement of common citizens into the process of innovative change (ITU 2014a).

Next, since innovation is impossible without an effective distribution of resources, “smart cities” with their effective systems of resource management provide the ground for the innovation stimulation. According to Manville et al. (2014), “smart cities” have the necessary communications for timely delivery of the major resources needed for people’s economic and social activity including the water, energy, raw materials, transportation, and public spaces. It is impossible also to forget about the smart mobility when the theme of “smart cities” is addressed. Interestingly, innovation is also unattainable without the smart mobility since innovation occurs only under the condition of timely delivery of resources to their destinations including people, energy, water, raw materials, public facilities, and many more.

When addressing the theme of innovation, it is no way one can forget about the economy because it is an essential component for any type of progress. Without smart economy people will simply have no resources to allocate for their innovative projects. Thus, smart economy as the key component of “smart cities” sustainability is also the factor contributing to innovation. “Smart cities” economy incorporates such significant factors for the innovation success as productivity, employment, gross domestic product, market dominance, viability, investment, value chain, and compensation (ITU 2014b). Besides, smart economy incorporates “local and global interconnectedness and international embeddedness with physical and virtual flows of goods, services and knowledge” (Manville et al. 2014, p. 28). This aspect of smart economy also has the key significance for the innovation advancement.

Thinking about innovation, some representatives of the wide public may leave smart environment behind. However, it is the mistake because the unwise environmental policy leads to the climate and living conditions catastrophe. As a result, the population suffers. First of all, people begin to experience the physical and mental health problems. With such state of health, people can no longer be effective, and thus, one of the key variables of innovation becomes inactive.

The result is not difficult to predict, it is the innovative slow-down or complete innovation arrest, and the most complicated state of such a process can be the innovation regress. From the real life examples that the wide public can observe in some of the Chinese cities, it is clear that the smart environment cannot be avoided when developing “smart cities”. Otherwise, the project can attain nothing else than an innovative regress. Smart environment also includes provisions for the demographic positive change and improvement; food security; sustainable agriculture, climate action; and bio-based economy.

Summing up, it is important to note that innovation and “smart cities” appear to come hand in hand with each other due to the fact that they are inevitably connected through the complex networks of contributing factors including smart governance, smart people, smart economy, smart mobility, and smart environment to name just a few. Innovation is impossible without people who will provide their intelligence, physical power, and creativity resources for its facilitation and thus, these people also need the conditions for the optimization of their inner resources, their timely delivery, and development and sustainability. The overall goal of “smart cities” is to provide smart people with the best conditions for the non-stop innovative advancement.

Key Learning Points

My best example of a “smart city” in the word in 2016 is:

The city of Vienna, Austria

• In 2016, Vienna has become the top-performer “smart city” in all major categories that characterize this type of city. By winning leadership from the point of view of a combination of factors, Vienna is considerably ahead of its closest competitors including Toronto, Paris, and New York. The three cities perform outstandingly in their strong areas but none of them is capable to even come close to the performance indicators demonstrated by Vienna. Below are some of Vienna’s best “smart” indicators:
  • Vienna has performed as the number 1 city with the highest quality of life.
  • Vienna has performed as the number 4 regional green city.
  • Vienna has performed as the number 5 innovation city.
  • Vienna has performed as the number 8 digital governance city.
• Vienna governors continue to put into practice their “smart city” initiatives with an objective to make it the number 1 European “smart city with the environmental protection, mobility efficiency, and land-use planning characteristics.
• Vienna authorities have already accomplished an unexampled progress at the world’s arena in the field of carbon reduction and transportation concepts optimization.
• Vienna has become the best walkable city in the world with the absolute availability of its major facilities and institutions for both pedestrians and bike riders.

Practical Implications

My 10 innovative ideas that are specific to a “smart city” environment are as follows:

References

ITU 2014a, An overview of smart sustainable cities and the role of information and communication technologies. ITU-T Focus Group on Smart Sustainable Cities. Web.

ITU 2014b, Smart sustainable cities: An analysis of definitions. ITU-T Focus Group on Smart Sustainable Cities. Web.

Manville, C, Cochrane, G, Cave, J, Millard, J, Pederson, J, Thaarup, R… & Kotterink, B 2014, Mapping smart cities in the EU. Web.