Supporting the complexity of managing information technology projects : application of living systems theory

University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.The main objective of this research is motivated by the challenge of IT project failure in terms of cost overrun and time delays which is a common practice and is being investigated for years now. Increasing complexity of projects or an underestimation of the project complexity is one of the reasons for project failure, which is the main focus of this study. For this reason, the present work seeks to understand how to apply living systems theory as new lens to investigate and support the complexity of managing IT projects; where management is about “preparation and facilitation” of the project tasks. To achieve research objectives, this study defined management framework based on interpretation of the literature and elicitation of expert opinions through online questionnaire. This framework provide guidelines for project managers to map and study project management processes to identify important issues that leads project to complexity and failure. It also provides suggestion on how to deal with these issues. Through presentation of the framework and supporting guidelines during semi-structured interview with experts, this research investigates the applicability and appropriateness of the proposed approach. The outcomes of this research help project managers to identify important issues that might arise in the project and assist them on how to facilitate and prepare management processes. Academia’s can use the result of the project to develop tools to measure complexity in projects. With this measurement, they will be able to estimate project timelines and costs more precisely

Wireless industrial monitoring and control networks: the journey so far and the road ahead

While traditional wired communication technologies have played a crucial role in industrial monitoring and control networks over the past few decades, they are increasingly proving to be inadequate to meet the highly dynamic and stringent demands of today’s industrial applications, primarily due to the very rigid nature of wired infrastructures. Wireless technology, however, through its increased pervasiveness, has the potential to revolutionize the industry, not only by mitigating the problems faced by wired solutions, but also by introducing a completely new class of applications. While present day wireless technologies made some preliminary inroads in the monitoring domain, they still have severe limitations especially when real-time, reliable distributed control operations are concerned. This article provides the reader with an overview of existing wireless technologies commonly used in the monitoring and control industry. It highlights the pros and cons of each technology and assesses the degree to which each technology is able to meet the stringent demands of industrial monitoring and control networks. Additionally, it summarizes mechanisms proposed by academia, especially serving critical applications by addressing the real-time and reliability requirements of industrial process automation. The article also describes certain key research problems from the physical layer communication for sensor networks and the wireless networking perspective that have yet to be addressed to allow the successful use of wireless technologies in industrial monitoring and control networks

Narrative and clinical change in Cognitive Behavior Therapy: a comparison of two recovered cases

Psychotherapy research suggests that therapeutic change is associated with the emergence and development of innovative moments (IMs)—that is, exceptions to the problematic self-narrative that brought the client to therapy. This study compares two recovered cases of major depression, according to symptom measures, that presented contrasting profiles of evolution of IMs: one typical of successful therapy (Barbara), and another typical of unsuccessful therapy (Claudia). The core conflictual relationship theme (CCRT) was used to study narrative change independently of the innovative moments coding system (IMCS). The results suggest a high congruence between the IMCS and the CCRT profiles. Although Barbara presented changes in the IMCS and the CCRT in a similar way, Claudia’s self-narratives (IMs and CCRT), despite symptom change, did not change. The results are discussed, considering the importance of narrative changes in recovery from depression and the maintenance of therapeutic gains.This article was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), by the Grant PTDC/PSI-PCL/121525/2010 (Ambivalence and unsuccessful psychotherapy, 2012- 2015) and by the PhD Grant SFRH/BD/77324/2011. This study was conducted at Psychology Research Centre, University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Minister of Education and Science through national funds and when applicable co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (UID/PSI/01662/2013)

New Trends in Second Language Learning and Teaching through the lens of ICT, Networked Learning, and Artificial Intelligence

In the last few decades, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) applications have been shaping the field of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) paved the way for ubiquitous learning. The advent of new technologies in the early 21st century also added a social dimension to ICT that allowed for Networked Learning (NL). Given that language learning is fundamentally a socio-cultural experience, networked learning capabilities have provided the potential for language learning in community settings. This has revitalized the earlier frameworks provided by CALL. NL has empowered language learners today to connect globally, to access Open Educational Resources, and to self-regulate their learning processes beyond the scope of traditional curricula. In parallel, the rising pervasiveness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications and their relevance to language learning has led CALL to branch out into Intelligent CALL (ICALL). The first section of this article provides a brief historical overview of CALL, examines it through the lens of ICT, networked learning, and open access. The second section focuses on the implications of AI for creating new trends in second language education, the challenge for providing customization at scale, and raises important issues related to transparency and privacy for future research

Adaptive Action as a Form of Reflection Practice in Pstoral Leadership

These contrasting and contending realities are entangled with each other. That is, the emergence of widespread broadband digital media has led to a corresponding flattening of traditional authority structures, and with that flattening has come a shift to personal evaluation based on the experience of authenticity.2 One key challenge, however, is that what “feels authentic” to one person can at the same time “feel manipulative” to another. Without shared context and at least some willingness to be in real dialogue, authenticity becomes a poor substitute for authority, and we arrive at a place where one person’s “fake news” is another person’s authenticated journalism.

Take a walk on the wild side: Exploring, identifying, and developing consultancy expertise with elite performance team leaders

Objectives: Stemming from sport psychology’s recent shift to examine the effective management of elite sports team organizations, the extensive, significant, and complex challenges faced by those with responsibility for team performance have been emphasized. Recognizing that most work in this budding area has been theoretical in nature, our contribution to this special issue consequently identifies and critically evaluates some implications for excellence in practitioners who support leaders of elite sport performance teams. Method: Narrative review and commentary. Results and Conclusions: To survive and succeed, leaders of elite teams must: (a) negotiate complex and contested socio-political dynamics both within and outside their performance department; (b) make impactful and consistent real-time decisions; and (c) continually reinforce and protect their programme. To provide an optimally impactful and valued service, sport psychologists must therefore be able to advise on a broad and politically-astute leadership style and, most critically for consultancy excellence: (a) work within a professional judgment and decision making model; (b) facilitate the leader’s adaptive expertise and nested decision making; and (c) operate a proactive, forthright, and straight approach to ethical considerations. Based on these implications, we conclude by providing suggestions for the training and development of applied consultants

Conceptualising an Organisational Innovation Capability

Innovation is regarded as the principal source of sustainable competitive advantage, yet many firms approach innovation haphazardly and without discipline. These firms appear poorly equipped to implement a comprehensive innovation strategy as they focus only on incremental innovation and are committed to preserving the status quo. A dynamic capabilities approach was selected because of its focus on the development of management capabilities. This research has answered the call for fine-grained qualitative case studies to look at the detail of how dynamic capabilities are deployed to better understand how these capabilities work in practice and whether and how they might differ across firms. By the analysis of three embedded business units in the one case organisation this research has opened the innovation “black box” and provided a capability framework for strategic managers to build, systematise and replicate within their organisations. It is a higher order capability which provides managers with the capacity to manage the component capabilities of the Organisational Innovation Capability framework together with their linkages and interdependencies to impact the firm’s existing resource base. It also identifies strategic entrepreneurship, organisational learning capability and alliance building capability as the essential preconditions for innovation capability renewal. In summary, this research is part of the increasing momentum in understanding the “how” of dynamic capabilities. It provides learning for management practice on how dynamic capabilities originate, how firms built and deployed their Organisational Innovation Capability and how distinctive processes support the creation, modification, reconfiguration and augmentation of firm resources to achieve competitive advantage. Most importantly, it has provided a framework for an Organisational Innovation Capability which can be applied in practice

Concepts émergents dans le référentiel de compétences CanMEDS pour les médecins

Background: The CanMEDS physician competency framework will be updated in 2025. The revision occurs during a time of disruption and transformation to society, healthcare, and medical education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and growing acknowledgement of the impacts of colonialism, systemic discrimination, climate change, and emerging technologies on healthcare and training. To inform this revision, we sought to identify emerging concepts in the literature related to physician competencies. Methods: Emerging concepts were defined as ideas discussed in the literature related to the roles and competencies of physicians that are absent or underrepresented in the 2015 CanMEDS framework. We conducted a literature scan, title and abstract review, and thematic analysis to identify emerging concepts. Metadata for all articles published in five medical education journals between October 1, 2018 and October 1, 2021 were extracted. Fifteen authors performed a title and abstract review to identify and label underrepresented concepts. Two authors thematically analyzed the results to identify emerging concepts. A member check was conducted. Results: 1017 of 4973 (20.5%) of the included articles discussed an emerging concept. The thematic analysis identified ten themes: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice; Anti-racism; Physician Humanism; Data-Informed Medicine; Complex Adaptive Systems; Clinical Learning Environment; Virtual Care; Clinical Reasoning; Adaptive Expertise; and Planetary Health. All themes were endorsed by the authorship team as emerging concepts. Conclusion: This literature scan identified ten emerging concepts to inform the 2025 revision of the CanMEDS physician competency framework. Open publication of this work will promote greater transparency in the revision process and support an ongoing dialogue on physician competence. Writing groups have been recruited to elaborate on each of the emerging concepts and how they could be further incorporated into CanMEDS 2025.Contexte : Le référentiel de compétences CanMEDS pour les médecins sera mis à jour en 2025. Cette révision intervient à un moment où la société, les soins de santé et l’enseignement médical sont bouleversés et en pleine mutation à cause de la pandémie de la COVID-19; on est aussi à l’heure où l’on reconnaît de plus en plus les effets du colonialisme, de la discrimination systémique, des changements climatiques et des nouvelles technologies sur les soins de santé et la formation des médecins. Pour éclairer cette révision, nous avons tenté d’extraire de la littérature scientifique les concepts émergents se rapportant aux compétences des médecins. Méthodes : Les concepts émergents ont été définis comme des idées ayant trait aux rôles et aux compétences des médecins qui sont débattues dans la littérature, mais qui sont absentes ou sous-représentées dans le cadre CanMEDS 2015. Nous avons réalisé une recherche documentaire, un examen des titres et des résumés, et une analyse thématique pour repérer les concepts émergents. Les métadonnées de tous les articles publiés dans cinq revues d’éducation médicale entre le 1er octobre 2018 et le 1er octobre 2021 ont été extraites. Quinze auteurs ont effectué un examen des titres et des résumés pour relever et étiqueter les concepts sous-représentés. Deux auteurs ont procédé à une analyse thématique des résultats pour dégager les concepts émergents. Une vérification a été faite par les membres de l’équipe. Résultats : Parmi les 4973 articles dépouillés, 1017 (20,5 %) abordaient un concept émergent. Les dix thèmes suivants sont ressortis de l’analyse thématique : l’équité, la diversité, l’inclusion et la justice sociale; l’antiracisme; humanisme des médecin; la médecine fondée sur les données; les systèmes adaptatifs complexes; l’environnement de l’apprentissage clinique; les soins virtuels; le raisonnement clinique; l’expertise adaptative; et la santé planétaire. L’ensemble de ces thèmes ont été approuvés comme concepts émergents par l’équipe de rédaction. Conclusion : Cet examen de la littérature a permis de relever dix concepts émergents qui peuvent servir à éclairer la révision du référentiel de compétences CanMEDS pour les médecins qui aura lieu en 2025. La publication en libre accès de ce travail favorisera la transparence du processus de révision et le dialogue continu sur les compétences des médecins. Des groupes de rédaction ont été recrutés pour développer chacun des concepts émergents et pour examiner la façon dont ils pourraient être intégrés dans la version du référentiel CanMEDS de 2025