Local Networks to Compete in the Global Era. The Italian SMEs Experience

This study is concerned with the factors that influence the cooperation among cluster-based firms. Theorists have consistently demonstrated the role and importance of economic externalities, such as knowledge spillovers, within industrial clusters. Less attention has been paid to the investigation of social based externalities, though it has been suggested that these may also accrue from geographical agglomeration. This study explores the development of cooperation between firms operating in a single industry sector and in close proximity. The results suggest that social networking has a greater influence than geographic proximity in facilitating inter-firm co-operation. A semi-structured questionnaire has been developed and the answers were analysed with a stepwise regression model.Networks, Inter-Firm Cooperation, SMEs

Understanding of Social Capital in Gender-based Participatory JFM Programme: An Evidence from West Bengal

This paper presents an empirical investigation to measure the level of social capital in a gender sensitive planning on joint forest management programme in West Bengal. The study suggests that the pre-existing traditional characteristics of community solidarity, mutual trust and coordinated action are the inner dynamic for the development of social capital in JFM villages compared with non-JFM villages. Within JFM villages such a dynamics of social capital is more pronounced in female FPC-villages in general and among very poor (landless) category of households in particular, and the food livelihood insecurity cannot destroy such institution of social capital.Joint forest management programme, forest protection committee villages, social capital, productivity, equity, sustainability.

The value of theoretical multiplicity for steering transitions towards sustainability

Transition management, as a theory of directing structural societal changes towards sustainable system innovations, has become a major topic in scientific research over the last years. In this paper we focus on the question how transitions towards sustainability can be steered, governed or managed, in particular by governmental actors. We suggest an approach of theoretical multiplicity, arguing that multiple theories will be needed simultaneously for dealing with the complex societal sustainability issues. Therefore, we address the steering question by theoretically comparing transition management theory to a number of related theories on societal change and intervention, such as multi-actor collaboration, network governance, configuration management, policy agenda setting, and adaptive management. We conclude that these related theories put the managerial assumptions of transition management into perspective, by adding other steering roles and leadership mechanisms to the picture. Finally we argue that new modes of steering inevitable have consequences for the actual governance institutions. New ways of governing change ask for change within governance systems itself and vice versa. Our argument for theoretical multiplicity implicates the development of multiple, potentially conflicting, governance capacitie

The Exploration of Machiavellianism

Dyads, whether in an academic or practical setting, are commonplace. Workforces and academic settings alike are often comprised of groups of two or more individuals working together towards a common goal. As these interactions continue to be prevalent and important in the various settings, the context in which these interactions takes place and the people involved, influence the efficiency of these pairings. More specifically, the realm of business harbors more individuals considered high in a personality trait referred to as Machiavellianism (i.e., Mach) than other common professions. To better understand how Machiavellianism influences commonplace dyads in settings applicable to everyday situations commonly found in a practical and academic setting, a more thorough understanding must be developed regarding the relationship between high and low Machs. This thesis has several objectives. First, previous findings in the literature will try to be replicated regarding the Big Five Personality traits and Emotional Intelligence (EI) as they relate to varying levels of Machiavellianism. Secondly, the impact of high-high, high-low, and low-low Mach pairings have regarding team cohesion, benevolence, trust, integrity, participation, team cohesion, team work preferences is explored. The completion of both objectives will help clarify the role of Machiavellianism in interpersonal relationships in the context of competition in both high and low task interdependency settings. To investigate the research questions regarding the relationship of Machiavellianism in dyadic settings under the context of competition, data were gathered from upper-level undergraduate students from a large regional university in the Midwest United States. Following a discussion of the results, strengths and limitations are explored, both academic and practitioner implications are formulated, and future research directions are proposed

The Last Planner System Style of Planning: Its Basis in Learning Theory

The objective of this article is to contribute to creating a better understanding of the Last Planner System (LPS) – which is associated with Lean Construction – in the light of the learning processes at the basis of knowledge development, and of change and innovation. Founded on a theoretical discussion, three research questions are asked, namely: In what ways can the LPS be expected to alter the learning arenas compared to conventional project management in construction; according to learning theory, what are the main challenges associated with implementing the LPS; and, finally, what kind of learning can be linked to an implemented LPS that functions as intended? The implementation of the LPS is shown to require substantial changes to the technical-organisational learning arena. In order for the implementation to be successful, the work identity has to alter on the individual level so that an overlap occurs with the new work practices prescribed by the LPS. The LPS has an inbuilt experiential learning cycle, and provides a good starting point for single-loop learning, as well as for simple forms of double-loop learning (“routinized learning capability”). However, it is argued that the LPS understood as experiential learning has clear limitations with regard to “evolutionary learning capability”. This is amplified by the context project organisation provides. In terms of theoretical implications, this article promotes an understanding of the planning process informed by the theory describing it as an experiential learning cycle. The conceptualisation which separates the LPS from conventional production control theory is critiqued. Finally, it is argued that an understanding of the LPS grounded in learning theory will improve the possibilities for successful implementation and maximise the learning effects

Interdependency : conceptual, empirical, & practical issues

Cover title. "June 1997."Includes bibliographical references (p. 52-58).Nancy A. Staudenmayer

Dynamic fluctuations coincide with periods of high and low modularity in resting-state functional brain networks

We investigate the relationship of resting-state fMRI functional connectivity estimated over long periods of time with time-varying functional connectivity estimated over shorter time intervals. We show that using Pearson's correlation to estimate functional connectivity implies that the range of fluctuations of functional connections over short time scales is subject to statistical constraints imposed by their connectivity strength over longer scales. We present a method for estimating time-varying functional connectivity that is designed to mitigate this issue and allows us to identify episodes where functional connections are unexpectedly strong or weak. We apply this method to data recorded from $N=80$ participants, and show that the number of unexpectedly strong/weak connections fluctuates over time, and that these variations coincide with intermittent periods of high and low modularity in time-varying functional connectivity. We also find that during periods of relative quiescence regions associated with default mode network tend to join communities with attentional, control, and primary sensory systems. In contrast, during periods where many connections are unexpectedly strong/weak, default mode regions dissociate and form distinct modules. Finally, we go on to show that, while all functional connections can at times manifest stronger (more positively correlated) or weaker (more negatively correlated) than expected, a small number of connections, mostly within the visual and somatomotor networks, do so a disproportional number of times. Our statistical approach allows the detection of functional connections that fluctuate more or less than expected based on their long-time averages and may be of use in future studies characterizing the spatio-temporal patterns of time-varying functional connectivityComment: 47 Pages, 8 Figures, 4 Supplementary Figure

Conflict, Trust, and Effectiveness in Teams Performing Complex Tasks: A Study of Temporal Patterns

In this study we analyze the evolution of intra-team conflict and trust in teams that perform complex tasks. Using a longitudinal research design with six time intervals over a period of ten months, we collected data on 41 teams. Our findings suggest the existence of two distinct temporal patterns. One pattern develops in a stable manner and is characterized by high levels of trust and relatively low levels of task and relationship conflict. The other pattern is unstable with low, deteriorating levels of trust and high, amplifying levels of task and relationship conflict. These patterns are associated with significant differences in team effectiveness. On a self-perception as well as a stakeholder measure of team effectiveness, teams with stable patterns outperformed teams with unstable patterns.management and organization theory ;