Suchergebnisse

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the United States' principal foreign intelligence and spy organization, chartered the first government-sponsored venture capital firm, dubbed In-Q-Tel, in February 1999. In-Q-Tel represents the twenty-first century fusion of U.S. spy efforts with the venture capital industry. Envisioned as a platform to expand the research and development (R&D) efforts of the CIA into the private sector, In-Q-Tel uses CIA-supplied funds to make strategic investments in startup companies developing commercially focused technologies that are of interest to the CIA and greater intelligence community. This Comment contends that, although R&D collaboration between the public and private sectors is vital and should be encouraged, such collaboration should not be in the form of a venture capital firm chartered and sponsored by the CIA. The CIA is not equipped to succeed in the notoriously perilous business of venture capital, and heightened ethical concerns surround the making of government-sponsored equity investments in private companies. Indeed, In-Q-Tel often invests in companies with international operations, vicariously and unnecessarily exposing the CIA and larger U.S. government to foreign entanglements. This Comment begins by tracing relevant developments in the funding of U.S. spy efforts in Part II. Next, Part III explores the venture capital industry, paying particular attention to the interplay between venture capital and R&D. Part IV then analyzes the relationship between the CIA and In-Q-Tel. Finally, Part V: (1) contends the risks of In-Q-Tel currently outweigh its benefits; (2) suggests the current In-Q-Tel model inappropriately exposes the CIA and larger U.S. government to disputes arising from private international law; and (3) proposes alternative courses of action by which the CIA may tap into the R&D efforts of the private sector. Part VI concludes this Comment.

The evolution of information technology (IT) has outpaced the federal acquisition system's ability to keep up. And as the United States security strategy increasingly demands information superiority to defeat its enemies, national security institutions cannot afford to lag behind the advancements in IT. The CIA addressed their inability to procure the cutting-edge technologies needed to meet their mission requirements and adopted an innovative acquisition strategy to bridge the gap. They engaged the IT sector through In-Q-Tel, a venture capital firm that invests Agency money in companies that could produce commercially viable technologies to fill the Intelligence Community's (IC) pressing IT shortfalls. This thesis explores two aspects of the In-Q-Tel model, whether In-Q-Tel creates relationships between the IC and promising technology companies that would not have occurred otherwise, and the contributions In-Q-Tel makes to its portfolio companies that contribute to their success. The results of this study suggest that In-Q-Tel has promoted new relationships between the IC and technology firms that were not actively seeking the government market as well as bringing the IC together with technology companies that had viable technology solutions but for various reasons could not connect with the right users within the IC. Findings also show that In-Q-Tel's technical validation of its portfolio companies' products, its established network of investors and technology users within the IC, and the capital provided to fund product development and/or operating expenses are highly valued by its portfolio companies and directly contributed to the companies' success.

El presente estudio de caso de tipo exploratorio analiza cuál ha sido el aprendizaje organizacional y cuáles han sido las percepciones de los agentes públicos acerca de la implementación de herramientas digitales para el trabajo a distancia, en el marco del aislamiento social, preventivo y obligatorio dispuesto ante la emergencia sanitaria por COVID-19. Para ello se llevó adelante un estudio cualitativo a partir de un cuestionario semiestructurado administrado a 49 informantes clave que permitió detectar los primeros efectos organizacionales de ese proceso de aprendizaje: los agentes tienen una percepción positiva de los primeros efectos del teletrabajo, pero ello tiene muchos matices, y no es incondicional.

"Massenmediale Darstellungskompetenz und professionelles Image-Management zählen zu unverzichtbaren Ressourcen erfolgreicher politischer Führung und öffentlicher Anerkennung. Der vorliegende Beitrag versucht, einen Überblick über den politik- und kommunikationswissenschaftlichen Forschungsstand zum Thema 'Massenmedien und politische Führung' zu bieten. Ausgehend vom Konzept der 'Tele-Demokratie' werden zunächst einige charakteristische Veränderungen im massenmedialen Präsentationsstil politischer Führer untersucht. Im zweiten Teil werden empirische Ergebnisse zur Situation in Österreich präsentiert. Im dritten Abschnitt werden aus einer Makroperspektive Konsequenzen für die Logik und Praxis demokratischer Führung abgeleitet." (Autorenreferat)