Human dynamics in the age of big data: a theory-data-driven approach

The revolution of information and communication technology (ICT) in the past two decades have transformed the world and people’s lives with the ways that knowledge is produced. With the advancements in location-aware technologies, a large volume of data so-called “big data” is now available through various sources to explore the world. This dissertation examines the potential use of such data in understanding human dynamics by focusing on both theory- and data-driven approaches. Specifically, human dynamics represented by communication and activities is linked to geographic concepts of space and place through social media data to set a research platform for effective use of social media as an information system. Three case studies covering these conceptual linkages are presented to (1) identify communication patterns on social media; (2) identify spatial patterns of activities in urban areas and detect events; and (3) explore urban mobility patterns. The first case study examines the use of and communication dynamics on Twitter during Hurricane Sandy utilizing survey and data analytics techniques. Twitter was identified as a valuable source of disaster-related information. Additionally, the results shed lights on the most significant information that can be derived from Twitter during disasters and the need for establishing bi-directional communications during such events to achieve an effective communication. The second case study examines the potential of Twitter in identifying activities and events and exploring movements during Hurricane Sandy utilizing both time-geographic information and qualitative social media text data. The study provides insights for enhancing situational awareness during natural disasters. The third case study examines the potential of Twitter in modeling commuting trip distribution in New York City. By integrating both traditional and social media data and utilizing machine learning techniques, the study identified Twitter as a valuable source for transportation modeling. Despite the limitations of social media such as the accuracy issue, there is tremendous opportunity for geographers to enrich their understanding of human dynamics in the world. However, we will need new research frameworks, which integrate geographic concepts with information systems theories to theorize the process. Furthermore, integrating various data sources is the key to future research and will need new computational approaches. Addressing these computational challenges, therefore, will be a crucial step to extend the frontier of big data knowledge from a geographic perspective. KEYWORDS: Big data, social media, Twitter, human dynamics, VGI, natural disasters, Hurricane Sandy, transportation modeling, machine learning, situational awareness, NYC, GI

Managing virtual talent

Today’s multinational enterprises (MNEs) tend to rely on high performers who are dispersed across the globe, creating the need to manage ‘virtual talent’. Virtual talent here refers to high-potential or high-performing employees in strategic roles who are part of a virtual collaboration, namely a collaboration that spans geographic boundaries and relies to a significant extent on electronic communication media. This chapter will highlight the specific challenges and levers of managing talent involved in global virtual collaborations in general, with a special attention to distances, boundaries, and perceived proximity. It will further elaborate on particular, important issues of managing global virtual talent within MNEs. Lessons will here be drawn from case study evidence on onshore-offshore collaborations. Finally, the chapter will provide a brief outline of the emerging practices of managing ‘virtual contractors’

Social Spaces of Research Communication: Investigating atmospheres in zones of trade

The roots of the ‘contentious’ relationship between science and society in the United Kingdom are frequently attributed to poor communication, if there is any communication at all, between academic researchers and various publics. This research explores how and why researchers working in various fields of science are practicing diverse roles in the process of research communication beyond academia. The aims of the research were threefold. First, it aimed to capture researchers’ views on their diverse practices in communication of their research beyond academia and whether these reflected social spaces and associated atmospheres in which they were working. The second aim was to investigate the role of university boundary spaces (communications office, knowledge transfer/ business engagement, science outreach) in the communicative practices. The third aim was to ascertain how the recently integrated ‘impact’ component within the UK national Research Evaluation Framework (REF) may influence communication practices of researchers. In order to address these aims, a qualitative investigation was conducted based predominantly on semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis. The research uses a qualitative methodology involving interviews with a purposely selected sample of relevant academic or academically related actors, mainly selected from a University Institution which forms the case study for this research. Research communication beyond academia is found to be a diverse and contingent process constituted through interactions that are concurrently tangible and ephemeral between certain human and non-human actors. Researchers engage in a variety of activities for the purposes of research communication which are contingent on the interactions between animate and inanimate actors in the social spaces where engagement events occur. These interactions often rendered engagement spaces as trading zones, identified according to the outcomes for all the animate and inanimate actors involved. At the university level, there are boundary spaces which coordinate the formation of trading zones between researchers and publics; where research communication occurs through relations-focused and transactions-focused practices. The introduction of the ‘impact’ component within the latest version of the UK research evaluation framework can potentially lead to the narrowing of engagement practices due to valuation that is placed on the framework criteria. The thesis makes an original contribution by demonstrating the value of an interdisciplinary approach combining theories and methods from social geography and other fields of research to the public understanding of science, public engagement with science and science communication. Furthermore, it provides new insights on the ways that researchers view their practices of research communication and how these relate to institutional and societal contexts in which they work

Soil threats in Europe

Although there is a large body of knowledge available on soil threats in Europe, this knowledge is fragmented and incomplete, in particular regarding the complexity and functioning of soil systems and their interaction with human activities. The main aim of RECARE is to develop effective prevention, remediation and restoration measures using an innovative trans-disciplinary approach, actively integrating and advancing knowledge of stakeholders and scientists in 17 Case Studies, covering a range of soil threats in different bio-physical and socio-economic environments across Europe. Existing national and EU policies will be reviewed and compared to identify potential incoherence, contradictions and synergies. Policy messages will be formulated based on the Case Study results and their integration at European level. A comprehensive dissemination and communication strategy, including the development of a web-based Dissemination and Communication Hub, will accompany the other activities to ensure that project results are disseminated to a variety of stakeholders at the right time and in the appropriate formats to stimulate renewed care for European soils.JRC.H.5-Land Resources Managemen

The Managerial Impact on Small Business Global Supply Chain

In a global economy, companies that are able to engage in international trade may have a competitive advantage over others. Increased globalization is also increasing the demand for effective global supply management practices. Building on Lorenz\u27s chaos theory, this instrumental case study explored the strategies that 4 senior managers from small and medium-sized enterprises in Indianapolis, Indiana used to reduce disruptive vulnerabilities in the supply chain continuum. Review of company documents served as the second data collection method. Rowley\u27s 3-step analysis guided the coding process of the interview data, and the trustworthiness of interpretations was enhanced through methodological triangulation of company records. Findings revealed 3 strategies that these senior managers relied on for remaining strategically competitive in a global environment: understanding the communication challenges and addressing the issues, risk mitigation, and human capital management. Findings from this study may contribute to business practice and social change by providing business leaders with information about effective strategies to remain competitive or to explore international ventures while focusing on environmental causes. Sustainable practices lead to cost reduction for the organizations and a cleaner environment for the surrounding community

A case study of effective practices for the management of global software development projects

Global software development has proliferated in recent years because of rapid globalization, development of telecommunication and information technologies, and maturing of the software development processes. This thesis synthesizes available research on the global software development paradigm into an integrated model. The theoretical study analyzes different aspects of dispersion, their effect on traditional group processes of communication, coordination and control, and the recommendations in the literature for addressing some of these issues. The model developed in the theoretical study was then used to perform a detailed case study of a CMM Level 5 software company that specializes in global software development. A comparison of findings from the literature survey with these insights from a practitioner organization was used to draw inferences about how closely the theoretical model follows the real issues faced by industry, the practices and methodologies actually being used, and some areas of concern that available research does not address adequately. This case study revealed overlaps as well as differences between academic research and practice. Recommendations are made to managers of global software projects and areas of future research are identified

Reliable and Resilient Surface Water Management through Rapid Scenario Screening

Surface water flooding causes significant damage, disruption and loss of life in cities, both in the UK and globally. These impacts have historically been managed through application of conventional urban drainage systems designed to meet specified design standards. Conventional strategies have performed well in the past, but are becoming increasingly unfit for purpose due to intensifying hazards caused by several emerging challenges, including climate change, urban growth and aging drainage infrastructure. In response, an extensive range of alternative novel interventions has been developed. These have been successfully applied across many case studies and their performance to meet design standards on specific sites is now well understood. However, application is still limited and challenges exist regarding how to maximise performance at the urban catchment scale and incorporate resilience to extreme rainfall events within design. This thesis addresses these challenges through evaluating intervention performance using a rapid scenario screening framework. This framework delivers insight into the complex permutations of intervention strategies at a catchment scale through evaluating alternatives, scales, spatial interactions and responses to a range of rainfall events. The study achieves novelty through developing a new modelling methodology which applies cell parameterisation to represent urban drainage systems and interventions using an existing cellular automata model. The framework is applied at a high level to screen intervention performance using easily accessible data and simplified intervention strategies, it is envisaged that this style of analysis is appropriate for initial catchment assessment to evidence and direct future flood management actions. The research finds intervention scale, distribution and placement to be important factors in determining performance within the context of initial catchment screening using theoretical modelling parameters. Although localised interventions provide benefit at a smaller scale, catchment based strategies are required to substantially reduce estimated annual damage costs across urban areas. The most effective intervention was consistently found to be extensive application of decentralised rainfall capture, which reduced expected annual damage in a UK case study by up to 76%. Intervention distribution and placement are also demonstrated to significantly influence cost effectiveness of strategies, with a wide range of ratios predicted, ranging from £0.10 to £26.0 saved per £1 spent. The most cost effective interventions across the case studies investigated were found to be high volume local drainage interventions targeted in areas of intense flooding. Results demonstrate significant variation in strategy performance depending on rainfall intensity and duration. Analysis across events ranging from 2 to 1000 year return periods found many interventions which performed well during design standard events demonstrate substantial decreases in effectiveness during higher magnitude rainfall. Of particular note are interventions with finite storage capacities, which exhibit considerable decreases in performance at certain threshold levels. The implications of this finding are that designing interventions with resilient performance requires simulation of many rainfall scenarios, and that interventions with resilient properties, such as green infrastructure, do not necessarily achieve resilient performance. The research also identifies that rapid screening frameworks contribute an adaptable and useful tool for stakeholder engagement, intervention design and scenario exploration. Case study application of the framework alongside catchment stakeholders in Melbourne, Australia, facilitated an efficient and collaborative design screening process which benefitted from enhanced communication across a wide range of expertise. The simplified development of intervention strategies provided a clear communication tool which supported the multi-disciplinary investigations required for urban planning in a complex environment. Analysis of many strategy permutations highlighted the advantage of multiple smaller intervention strategies accumulating towards catchment scale benefits, a possibility which is advantaged through stakeholder communication tools, such as this framework. Overall, this thesis demonstrates that reliable and resilient surface water management can be achieved through decentralised catchment scale implementation of interventions, complemented by targeted and cost effective high volume measures. Complexity and variation of outcomes across a range of scenarios indicates the importance of encapsulating the complex permutations of options when evaluating interventions and provides justification for future application of rapid scenario screening frameworks.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

Policy Communication and the Influence of Agricultural Communities on Karst Landscapes: A Case Study In Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, Vietnam

Karst landscapes are vulnerable to human influence, especially agricultural practices. The interconnectedness between surface activities and subsurface environments make karst landscapes particularly susceptible to soil erosion and water contamination. The likelihood of these two phenomena happening increases when agricultural intensification, irrigation, or fertilizer application occurs. This situation arises frequently in Vietnam, where 18% of the country is karst terrain and 60% of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods (Farming First 2009). In order to mitigate the negative consequences of agriculture on karst landscapes, effective implementation of policy to regulate human activities and increased communication of these policies to appropriate communities is needed. This study occurred in Phong Nha- Kẻ Bàng National Park, Vietnam, a UNESCO World Heritage site dominated by karst landscapes, extensive agricultural communities, and minimal regulation efforts specific to karst terrains. Interviews, observation, and GPS analysis were used to analyze the effectiveness of policy communication and karst protection in PN-KB. The research revealed that karst protection policy in the region is minimally communicated and, when communicated, often delivered in an ineffective manner to the wrong individuals. Despite the known harm agriculture causes to karst landscapes, intensification, irrigation, and the use of fertilizers still occurs frequently and is often supported by government officials in PN-KB. Policy and karst landscape information is concentrated among park officials and rarely presented in an informal setting, leaving those in most frequent contact with the karst landscape—the farmers—without any information about the vulnerability of karst terrain to agricultural activities and the subsequent consequences to human health. Through analyzing the interactions between farmers and management officials in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, general conclusions on communicating policies to protect karst terrain in agricultural regions can be drawn. The communication of karst science and the implementation of policy to protect karst landscapes must be presented both formally to governing officials and local representatives, as well as through informal networks to general citizens. Through these means of communication, protection for karst landscapes and their inherent natural resources can successfully be implemented