Information Driven Self-Organization of Agents and Agent Collectives

From a visual standpoint it is often easy to point out whether a system is considered to be self-organizing or not, though a quantitative approach would be more helpful. Information theory, as introduced by Shannon, provides the right tools not only quantify self-organization, but also to investigate it in relation to the information processing performed by individual agents within a collective. This thesis sets out to introduce methods to quantify spatial self-organization in collective systems in the continuous domain as a means to investigate morphogenetic processes. In biology, morphogenesis denotes the development of shapes and form, for example embryos, organs or limbs. Here, I will introduce methods to quantitatively investigate shape formation in stochastic particle systems. In living organisms, self-organization, like the development of an embryo, is a guided process, predetermined by the genetic code, but executed in an autonomous decentralized fashion. Information is processed by the individual agents (e.g. cells) engaged in this process. Hence, information theory can be deployed to study such processes and connect self-organization and information processing. The existing concepts of observer based self-organization and relevant information will be used to devise a framework for the investigation of guided spatial self-organization. Furthermore, local information transfer plays an important role for processes of self-organization. In this context, the concept of synergy has been getting a lot attention lately. Synergy is a formalization of the idea that for some systems the whole is more than the sum of its parts and it is assumed that it plays an important role in self-organization, learning and decision making processes. In this thesis, a novel measure of synergy will be introduced, that addresses some of the theoretical problems that earlier approaches posed

A Case-base Approach to Workforces’ Satisfaction Assessment

It is well known that human resources play a valuable role in a sustainable organizational development. Indeed, this work will focus on the development of a decision support system to assess workers’ satisfaction based on factors related to human resources management practices. The framework is built on top of a Logic Programming approach to Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, complemented with a Case Based approach to computing. The proposed solution is unique in itself, once it caters for the explicit treatment of incomplete, unknown, or even self-contradictory information, either in terms of a qualitative or quantitative setting. Furthermore, clustering methods based on similarity analysis among cases were used to distinguish and aggregate collections of historical data or knowledge in order to reduce the search space, therefore enhancing the cases retrieval and the overall computational process

A neurobiological perspective on social influence: Serotonin and social adaptation

Humans are inherently social beings. Being suggestible to each other's expectations enables pro-social skills that are crucial for social learning and adaptation. Despite their high relevance for psychiatry, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social adaptation are still not well understood. This review, therefore, provides a conceptual framework covering various distinct mechanisms underlying social adaptation and explores the neuropharmacology — in particular the role of the serotonin (5-HT) system — in modulating these mechanisms. This article reviews empirical results on social influence processing and reconciles them with recent findings from psychedelic research on social processing to elucidate neurobiological and neuropharmacological underpinnings of social adaptation. Various computational, neurobiological, and neurochemical processes are involved in distinct mechanisms underlying social adaptation such as the multisensory process of social information integration that is crucial for the forming of self-representation and representations of social norms. This is again associated with self- and other-perception during social interactions as well as value-based decision-making that guides our behavior in daily interactions. We highlight the critical role of 5-HT in these processes and suggest that 5-HT can facilitate social learning and may represent an important target for treating psychiatric disorders characterized by impairments in social functioning. This framework also has important implications for psychedelic-assisted therapy as well as for the development of novel treatment approaches and future research directions

Systemic indicators for agricultural and rural communities in developing countries

Community indicators have been of special interest of international scholars. They are vital for community development as their role in monitoring of community development, and managing and preserving a community’s wellbeing. Community indicators provide information that reflects what the community cares most about - its values. Thus, each community needs to ‘own’ its indicators to orientate it towards what is of most value, and to help it on the way to achieving sustainable outcomes. There have been a great deal of work on community indicators for urban areas in developed countries, but there have been relatively few studies in relation to rural communities, particularly in developing economies. Life in rural communities in developing countries reflects many special challenges that characterise the complexity of rural systems. The communities need their own indicators to reflect their reality, and these community indicators require a holistic and integrated approach that can capture community wellbeing comprehensively. This thesis presents and explores the development of a participatory systems-based framework for identifying community indicators in rural areas in developing countries and principles for applying this framework effectively in these areas. The framework is developed by using the abductive and participatory action research process, underpinned by the principles of complexity, complex living systems and sustainability, and informed by Wells and Mclean’s One Way Forward model (2013) and Meadows’s levels of system Leverage Points (1999). This approach aims to address the difficulties that have challenged scholars in developing appropriate indicators for these communities, and then explore practical facilitation of the choosing and effective use of the indicators. The participatory systems-based framework for identifying community indicators is an iterative sharing, co-learning and refining engagement cycle. It enables the communities to appreciate and adapt to the emergent properties of complex community system, which simply reflect the way our world functions. This is a practical, systemic framework to help communities to identify influential, lead indicators that assist the communities to track what is unfolding in the process of development, and make sound decisions - seen as experiments- directed towards sustainability. Moreover, it enables the active and effective engagement of all community members, regardless of status and level of wealth, to share, collaborate and co-learn from ‘experiments’ that build a culture of ownership, self-management and self-development. On the basis of the findings in relation to this framework’s application in two rural communities in Vietnam (research sites), it might also provide support for sustainable development in organisations and urban communities.Thesis (Ph.D.) (Research by Publication) -- University of Adelaide, Business School, 201

A framework for the integration of skilled / professional self-initiated expatrites into Qatari organisations

The main research problem in this study was to identify a framework that can be utilised for the integration of skilled/professional self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) into Qatari organisations. The main research problem gave rise to six sub-problems that were addressed through the following actions: A literature study was conducted to explore what the existing literature revealed about facilitating successful expatriate integration. In particular, the theoretical guidelines for expatriate recruitment and selection, orientation and cross-cultural integration were presented and discussed. Special attention was given to community embeddedness. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten members from the sample group. These were undertaken to obtain their views on the expectations that their organisations had of them upon their arrival in Qatar, as well as on what they felt made it easy or difficult for them to adjust. Subsequently, a structured survey questionnaire was developed using the theoretical guidelines from the literature review and the insights gained from the semi-structured interviews. The survey was conducted in Qatar and administered to 102 skilled/professional self-initiated expatriates from diverse backgrounds and three work sectors, namely: healthcare, education and aviation. The final sample size was 94 due to eight questionnaires not being completed properly. The results from the empirical study revealed a gap between theoretical guidelines/ best practices and the recruitment and selection, orientation and cross-cultural integration practices at the respondents’ organisations. The knowledge gained from the existing literature and from the quantitative and qualitative results of the empirical study were combined and developed into a framework for the integration of skilled/professional self-initiated expatriates into Qatari organisations (refer to Table 5.35). Areas that were identified for improvement related to issues such as the need for Qatari organisations to: provide SIEs with more comprehensive information regarding the role that they will play as knowledge workers with regard to the development/training of Qatari nationals; implement a more comprehensive recruitment, selection and orientation process, and implement a more robust set of strategies to enhance the cross-cultural integration of their expatriate workers. Globalisation has fuelled organisations and countries towards building and/or strengthening knowledge-based economies. However in order to build competitive, knowledge-based economies, organisations and countries require skilled/professional workers. Skilled/professional self-initiated expatriates can provide Qatar with a pipeline of knowledge workers to support the growth of their emerging knowledge-based economy. As such, a framework that will enhance the integration of self-initiated expatriates into Qatari organisations is of paramount importance, specifically with regard to fostering performance excellence, satisfaction and community embeddedness within the Qatari work and cultural system

Elementary School Administrators’ Perspectives of Expanded School Mental Health Systems and Implications for Further Training

School administrators play a crucial role in the development and implementation of mental health systems that allow all students access to universal, preventative interventions and services. Understanding their perspectives about the fundamental features of effective Expanded School Mental Health systems is critical to understanding the research to practice gap as it relates to the successful implementation of school-based mental health services. Furthermore, it is necessary to understand administrators’ perspectives about the training and supports teachers need to increase knowledge, confidence, and self-efficacy in the delivery of effective school mental health services. The purpose of this pragmatic qualitative research study was to explore elementary school administrators’ perspectives of the essential elements that lead to successful development, implementation, and sustainability of effective Expanded School Mental Health programs and services. For the purpose of this study, five elementary school administrators in an urban Midwestern school district were chosen to participate in semi-structured interviews to 1) gain their perspectives about the most concerning behavioral, emotional, and mental health issues observed in students in the school environment, 2) obtain an understanding of administrators’ beliefs about what constitutes and defines an effective Expanded School Mental Health system, and 3) acquire information about the training administrators believe are necessary for school personnel to better support students within these systems. The findings from this study revealed that when elementary administrators were asked to identify the most concerning mental health issues seen in schools, the common themes centered around physical aggression, the inability to use coping strategies to self-regulate emotions, and self-harm. Second, the participants in this study described many of the common core features of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) as being necessary for the effective development, implementation, and sustainability of Expanded School Mental school-based mental health systems and services. Finally, professional development in the areas of mental health literacy (e.g., identifying the characteristics of mental health conditions, strategies to intervene with students, and ways to support students in gaining access to mental health services) were identified as critical training areas for teachers. Additionally, administrators specifically mentioned the use of ongoing coaching as being the most beneficial methodology for effective teacher training

Re-thinking technology and its growing role in enabling patient empowerment

© The Author(s) 2018. The presence and increase of challenges to eHealth in today’s society have begun to generate doubts about the capability of technology in patient empowerment, especially within the frameworks supporting empowerment. Through the review of existing frameworks and articulation of patient demands, weaknesses in the current application of technology to support empowerment are explored, and key constituents of a technology-driven framework for patient empowerment are determined. This article argues that existing usage of technology in the design, development and implementation of patient empowerment in the healthcare system, although well intentioned, is insufficiently constituted, primarily as a result of fragmentation. Systems theory concepts such as holism and iteration are considered vital in improving the role of technology in enabling patient empowerment