Survey Methodology: International Developments

Falling response rates and the advancement of technology have shaped the discussion in survey methodology in the last few years. Both led to a notable change in data collection efforts. Survey organizations try to create adaptive recruitment and survey designs and increased the collection of non-survey data for sampled cases. While the first strategy is an attempt to increase response rates and to save cost, the latter is part of efforts to reduce possible bias and response burden of those interviewed. To successfully implement adaptive designs and alternative data collection efforts researchers need to understand error properties of mixedmode and multiple-frame surveys. Randomized experiments might be needed to gain that knowledge. In addition close collaboration between survey organizations and researchers is needed, including the possibility and willingness to shared data between those organizations. Expanding options for graduate and post-graduate education in survey methodology might help to increase the possibility for high quality surveys.Survey Methodology, Responsive Design, Paradata

Adaptive organizations in the digital age : complexity, creativity and innovation

Adaptive organizations are the contemporary kind of socio-technical systems derived from the need to respond effectively to changes in the dynamic and unpredictable landscape of the digital economy. These organizations are both internetworked and knowledge-driven, and thus responsive to challenges and opportunitiesof the digital age. The networking capability (e.g. ICT-enabled virtuality,organizational teaming, and knowledge hyperlinking) provides for the adaptive organizations to cope with one of the biggest challenges they face today – complexity. For a small number of businesses, embracing complexity yields a competitive edge in terms of creativity, innovation, information management, and human resources. If we consider our countries, unions, departments, projects as complex adaptive systems, then we need to take into account their specificities to address and guide them properly. This paper looks through the lens of system design, complex adaptive systems, and the tactical management adaptability and effectiveness to provide an analysis of the European (1) strengths in strategy and operations (2) problems in ‘silos’, matrix- organizations, insufficient information and communication flows, current project management and slow risk management (3) example of the freedom of movement for workers (4) ‘business model’, and (5) growth paradigm that need to be fundamentally redefined through the value co-creation and co- evolution. The solutions we provide here are both conceptual (e.g. greater effectiveness delivered through the existing governance structures by drawing attention to the missing link between tactics and empowered project management), and tangible (e.g. methods providing adaptability in dynamic and unpredictable environment that is preserved by continuous Sense-Interpret-Decide-Act (SIDA) Loop and Role-and-Accountability system design, with proper information sensors, emitters and risk management for strategy and tactics)

Designing and Teaching Adaptive+Active Learning Effectively

To fulfill the promise of providing all learners with access to education, institutions of higher education are exploring personalized learning for individuals with different skills, abilities, and interests. These universities have turned to an instructional model that combines adaptive courseware and learner-centered instruction. This is often referred to as active learning. Despite growth in adaptive courseware and generous support through national organizations, successful implementation of adaptive systems is mixed (SRI Education, 2016). This article highlights the need for a systems approach and illustrates this approach through design and pedagogy decisions that have contributed to the success of adaptive learning at Arizona State University (ASU)

The Backside of the Loop: Design Thinking as a Strategic Resource For Change

Strategy and organizational management are increasingly more sophisticated, but to survive and thrive in a competitive landscape is still an elusive skill set for organizations. Through a review of literature, this paper contains a brief history of strategy and the different schools of formation and formulation of strategy. It then contrasts two different organizational capabilities, strategic thinking and design thinking, in order to explain how they fit together and their value to organizations. By using two concepts, adaptive cycles and organizational ecocycles, to explore the life stages of organizations, this paper explains the necessity of creative management and design thinking as a resource for change. While business administration is used to stabilize and formalize organizational processes, design thinking can be used to disrupt old processes and empower emergent innovations. Finally, this paper argues that design thinking as a resource must be protected and handled strategically in order to be effective

What is the Best Leadership Style to Confront Anti-Black Racism and Advance Racial Equity in Transit Organizations?

The author conducts the research question explaining their curiosity on which leadership style is the most appropriate to tackle anti-Black racism and advance racial equity. The preliminary investigation will utilize existing research, including Gooden’s (2014) theory of nervousness within public administrators and organizations, combined with transformational and adaptive leadership styles. Looking at the organizational structure and challenges of operating a large organization like the Toronto Transit Commission is the example used for this research. The research will show that using an adaptive leadership style is the most effective in eradicating Anti-Black racism and advancing racial equity in transit organizations. The research design used will be qualitative using content analysis from predominantly American research. Definitions of race and different forms of racism will allow the reader to understand the implications these constructs play in organizations. The analysis will show that transit leaders must adopt a new leadership style to advance racial equity while providing a succession plan for new leaders to advance this work. Furthermore, advancing racial equity and adaptive leadership into various Master of Public Administration (MPA) courses and within academia are critical moving forward

Exploring Intercollegiate Adaptive Athletics Program Structures

The purpose of this study was to explore intercollegiate adaptive athletics program structures in the United States. As athletics programs can be seen as open systems, an open systems model of sport organizations was used to guide the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants associated with intercollegiate adaptive athletics programs. A qualitative description design was used to gain a foundational understanding of program structures based on the programs’ environments, inputs, processes, and outputs. Findings suggest intercollegiate adaptive athletics program structures are highly varied and complex open systems that are closely intertwined with their environments and have observable inputs, processes, and outputs. This study offers foundational knowledge about existing program structures and indicates that intercollegiate adaptive athletics programs can be understood as open systems. Implications for future research and practice are discussed

A Case Study on Formal Verification of Self-Adaptive Behaviors in a Decentralized System

Self-adaptation is a promising approach to manage the complexity of modern software systems. A self-adaptive system is able to adapt autonomously to internal dynamics and changing conditions in the environment to achieve particular quality goals. Our particular interest is in decentralized self-adaptive systems, in which central control of adaptation is not an option. One important challenge in self-adaptive systems, in particular those with decentralized control of adaptation, is to provide guarantees about the intended runtime qualities. In this paper, we present a case study in which we use model checking to verify behavioral properties of a decentralized self-adaptive system. Concretely, we contribute with a formalized architecture model of a decentralized traffic monitoring system and prove a number of self-adaptation properties for flexibility and robustness. To model the main processes in the system we use timed automata, and for the specification of the required properties we use timed computation tree logic. We use the Uppaal tool to specify the system and verify the flexibility and robustness properties.Comment: In Proceedings FOCLASA 2012, arXiv:1208.432

Organization of Multi-Agent Systems: An Overview

In complex, open, and heterogeneous environments, agents must be able to reorganize towards the most appropriate organizations to adapt unpredictable environment changes within Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). Types of reorganization can be seen from two different levels. The individual agents level (micro-level) in which an agent changes its behaviors and interactions with other agents to adapt its local environment. And the organizational level (macro-level) in which the whole system changes it structure by adding or removing agents. This chapter is dedicated to overview different aspects of what is called MAS Organization including its motivations, paradigms, models, and techniques adopted for statically or dynamically organizing agents in MAS.Comment: 12 page