39,556 research outputs found

    Housing supply chain model for innovation: research report

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    The aim of this research is to undertake a case study analysis of successful delivery of an innovation to the Australian housing construction industry. This study is conducted on the “innovator group”; that is, the group that created the idea of an innovation for the housing sector and then were intimately involved in creation, development and diffusion. It is apparent that there were key players involved in this process which are representative of various organisations along the supply chain – designer, developer, subcontractor and supplier. Much rhetoric states that integration of the supply chain actors will solve construction problems, however, in reality we know little beyond this in the Australian context as there has been little research conducted previously. This study will examine in detail the process undertaken by this particular group to deliver an innovation to the housing sector which required an integrated construction supply chain model. This report was published by the Australian Housing Supply Chain Alliance and written by Professor Kerry London, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University with Research Fellow, Jessica Siva

    Exploring ‘People’ as the key element in enterprise architecture implementation: A Critical Realist Perspective

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    TOGAF (2009) describes the purpose of Enterprise Architecture (EA) is to optimise enterprisewide systems - the often-fragmented legacy of data processes (both manual and automated) - into an integrated environment that is responsive to change and supports the delivery of the business strategy (The Open Group Architecture Framework [TOGAF], 2009). However, for a number of reasons organisations still have difficulties establishing an effective EA (Raadt & Vliet, 2008; Gartner, 2009; and Janssen & Klievink, 2012, among others) and various reports suggest up to two thirds of implementations do not fulfil expectations (Roeleven, 2010). Being organisation wide with a strong governance element EA has significant social implications and social dependence, yet many implementations wrongly treat EA as solely a technical program. This thesis argues that the lack of focus on the ‘people’ element of EA could be the reason why many organisations still struggle with EA implementation. Recognising the importance of people in EA implementation requires acceptance of implementation as a social program, heavily influenced by the structural and cultural systems surrounding the architecture. In order to address the need for greater recognition of the role of people and the social aspects of EA implementation, this thesis adopts critical realism (CR) and its most recognised methodology, the morphogenetic approach (MA). Realism emphasises ontology and strongly argues that ontology, methodology and epistemology are closely linked – as Fleetwood (2005, p. 197) suggests, ontology matters: “The way we think the world is (ontology) influences: what we think can be known about it (epistemology); how we think it can be investigated (methodology and research techniques); the kinds of theories we think can be constructed about it; and the political and policy stances we are prepared to take”. In order to examine the social implications of technology implementation it makes sense to adopt a wellrecognized social theory like critical realism. This social realist approach proposes an analytical separation between structure, culture and agency (people) in order to examine their interactions over time. The MA suggests three important cycles – structural conditioning, social interaction and structural elaboration that provide a platform for examining possible change. Archer also importantly suggests that the emergent properties of collectivities and individuals differ. Such a model has clear value for examining the “people” acceptance of the new impositions and opportunities provided by the EA implementation. It acknowledges the sociocultural consequences of interactions between the structure and the culture to provide particular situational logics that direct, but do not determine the actions of people. The MA emphasises strongly the role of time in situation examination suggesting that structure and culture predate subsequent actions by involved agents. The thesis describes particular situational logics or mechanisms emanating from the interaction between structural and cultural systems that encourage particular behaviours in response to the EA program. These actions are then further examined in the sequence of MA cycles. Since mechanisms are only effective if people adopt them or not, another important element in this study is the part played by “reflexivity”. Reflexivity highlights the linkage between people concerns, projects and practices as people act in order to promote their concerns, and form projects to advance or to protect what they care about most. Reflexivity is an important mechanism for explaining how people’s ultimate concerns impact on their approach to the impositions of EA. An Australian university implementing EA (termed UX for anonymity) has been used as a case study in this research – this fortuitous timing allowed a careful and detailed examination of implementation over a 3-year period from initial rollout to ultimate acceptance. The study describes the challenging environment of university implementation where “academic freedom” is paramount and individual and group autonomies are threatened by EA – the study presents the important mechanisms and situational logics that direct people’s actions within the complex social context of a university. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used as the primary method of data collection across UX stakeholders. A range of interviews were held throughout the study period with the university IT Governance Committee, the University Architecture Board, the CIO, and the Enterprise Business Group, as well as individual end-users such as teaching staff, researchers, students, and administrative staff of the faculties, schools and service centres. The MA provided a basic structure for unravelling the social complexity and helped guide the interview questions to identify the generative mechanisms hidden in the real domain, and to highlight the conditions that encourage individual and collective acceptance of EA practices. The reflexivity indicator developed by Archer –ICONI– is used throughout to explain how personal projects are formed and how they mediate the exercise of structural/cultural constraints and enablement within EA implementation. Passive participation in regular EA implementation meetings at UX was also important and useful to unearth possible perceived causal possibilities emanating from within the program itself and evident within the social context of implementation. Underpinned by a critical realist perspective, the thesis demonstrates that the MA is a powerful analytical tool to uncover the hidden mechanisms (the situational logics of structures and cultures) and social responses that enable success of EA implementation. The research examines the particular situational logics evident within the University under study and how these provide opportunities and constraints to the acceptance of EA over time. Equally important was reflexivity theory in attaining knowledge and understanding about what it is about people’s internal relations that makes EA implementation succeed. This thesis offers organisations a means to focus on the deeper issues of EA implementation programs by understanding the social complexity surrounding the architecture. The recognition of people as a key element in EA implementation provides a useful explanation of how the key stakeholders (and their power, influence and interests) may constrain and enable EA implementation. By including reflexivity as an important mechanism, organisations will be in a better position to understand the role of people and their interactions with preexisting structures and cultures operating over different time periods – reflexivity suggesting that “people” always have the possibility to do otherwise than expected, largely dependent on their personal history and their current personal projects and ultimate concerns

    Value creation and change in social structures: the role of entrepreneurial innovation from an emergence perspective

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    Aim: Our aim is to develop a more complete understanding of how processes that entrepreneurs perform interact with wider society and the causal effects of society on entrepreneurial behaviour and vice versa. We aim to show how entrepreneurial agency is put into effect in relation to the disruption of social structure and social change. This has implications for innovation and entrepreneurship policy and practice, and for entrepreneurship theory. We also investigate the role of ‘value’ in these processes. Contribution to the literature Our central argument is that emergent forms (or ‘emergents’) may be short lived (ephemeral) but have causal power on the performance of the actors in the system of inter-relationships in the innovation ecosystem. The emphasis on inter-related social processes and ontological stratification provides theoretical development of extant entrepreneurship theory on new venture creation (by explaining process), effectuation (by linking individualism and holism) and opportunity recognition (by deconstructing opportunity into anticipation, ontology and process). Methodology The paper takes an 'emergence' perspective as a way to understand entrepreneurial processes that give rise to innovation. The anticipation of value and the inter-relationship with social and organisational structures are fundamental to this perspective. A longitudinal analysis of a case study of the development of a new business model within an entrepreneurial firm is described. The case is followed through seven phases in which the relationship between process and emergent ontological status is shown to have destabilising and stabilising effects which produce emergent properties. Results and Implications One methodological contribution is framing how to conceptualise the empirical evidence. Emergents have causal effects on the anticipations of value inherent in their particular system of innovation. This causality is manifest as the attraction of resource in the firm; the stabilisation of the emergent constitutes strategy in the enterprise. A key role of the entrepreneurs in our case study was the creation and maintenance of evolving ontological materiality, as meaningful to themselves and to those with whom they interacted. In simple terms, they made things meaningful to people who mattered

    Team Learning: A Theoretical Integration and Review

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    With the increasing emphasis on work teams as the primary architecture of organizational structure, scholars have begun to focus attention on team learning, the processes that support it, and the important outcomes that depend on it. Although the literature addressing learning in teams is broad, it is also messy and fraught with conceptual confusion. This chapter presents a theoretical integration and review. The goal is to organize theory and research on team learning, identify actionable frameworks and findings, and emphasize promising targets for future research. We emphasize three theoretical foci in our examination of team learning, treating it as multilevel (individual and team, not individual or team), dynamic (iterative and progressive; a process not an outcome), and emergent (outcomes of team learning can manifest in different ways over time). The integrative theoretical heuristic distinguishes team learning process theories, supporting emergent states, team knowledge representations, and respective influences on team performance and effectiveness. Promising directions for theory development and research are discussed

    ‘Scenario-based sustainability assessment’ of a solar energy transition in Mixteca-Puebla, Mexico

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    Armut ist ein multidimensionales PhĂ€nomen. Sie adressiert unterschiedliche Aspekte der Lebensbedingungen, die die WĂŒrde der Menschen bedrohen, die die AusĂŒbung von Rechten und Freiheiten einschrĂ€nken, die die ErfĂŒllung von GrundbedĂŒrfnissen beeintrĂ€chtigen und ihre soziale Integration behindern. Die Beseitigung von Armut ist daher eine unabdingbare Voraussetzung fĂŒr eine nachhaltige Entwicklung. Eine Transformation des Energiesystems (oft als Energiewende bezeichnet), welche auf die EinfĂŒhrung von Technologien fĂŒr erneuerbare Energien in lĂ€ndlichen Gebieten mit niedrigem Einkommen abzielt, könnte eine Möglichkeit zur Linderung der Armut bieten. Denn gerade hier bedeutet ein geringes Einkommen auch einen erschwerten Zugang zu Energie. Die Bereitstellung von Solarenergie kann nicht nur die Versorgung mit Wasser und Strom sowie den Zugang zu Gesundheit und Bildung verbessern, sondern auch die Entsorgung von Abwasser, neue BeschĂ€ftigungsmöglichkeiten schaffen, zusĂ€tzliche Einkommensquellen erschließen, und einen Beitrag zur Verlangsamung des Klimawandels leisten. Die Umstellung auf erneuerbare Energien bietet daher die Möglichkeit, das Energiesystem gesellschaftlich besser zu verankern. Dazu mĂŒssen geeignete politische Maßnahmen entwickelt werden, die eine Energiewende ermöglicht und zugleich den sozialen Wert von Energie berĂŒcksichtigt. Das bedeutet, dass das Solarenergiesystem so gestaltet werden muss, dass es Gemeinschaften in die Lage versetzt einen gesellschaftlichen Nutzen daraus zu ziehen, bspw. ĂŒber eine Beteiligung an der Wertschöpfung. Dies wĂŒrde die FĂ€higkeit der Gemeinschaften zur Organisation und Schaffung von Wissen fördern und somit auch positive Auswirkungen auf ihr tĂ€gliches Leben haben, mit einem Mehrwert fĂŒr das Wohlbefinden der Bevölkerung. Die vorliegende Studie zielt darauf ab, die Bedingungen zu identifizieren, die zu einer Verringerung der Armut durch die EinfĂŒhrung eines Solarenergiesystems in einem von Armut geprĂ€gten lĂ€ndlichen Gebiet in Zentralmexiko (in Mixteca im Bundesstaat Puebla) fĂŒhren wĂŒrden. Die Analyse berĂŒcksichtigt das Zusammenspiel von wirtschaftlichen, technologischen, ökologischen, gesellschaftlichen, politischen und kulturellen Bedingungen unter dem Gesichtspunkt der Nachhaltigkeit. Der Schwerpunkt dieser Studie liegt auf der Untersuchung der Relevanz gesellschaftlicher Merkmale fĂŒr die Energiewende in dem Untersuchungsgebiet. Um eine umfassende Bewertung möglicher EnergiezukĂŒnfte in der ausgewĂ€hlten Region vorzunehmen, wird die Szenariotechnik mit einer Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung kombiniert, wobei fĂŒr beide gemeinsame Systemgrenzen auf Basis des gesamten regionalen Energiesystems definiert werden. Die Szenarienentwicklung bedient sich des Ansatzes der Cross-Impact Balance (CIB), der eine umfassende Darstellung des regionalen Energiesystems ermöglicht. FĂŒr die Szenarienentwicklung wurden Erkenntnisse des Social Value of Energy-Ansatzes genutzt. Die Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung der Szenarien basiert auf dem Integrativen Konzept der Nachhaltigkeit (Integrative Concept of Sustainability (ICoS)). Daher wird der in dieser Studie vorgestellte Ansatz als Szenariobasierte Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung bezeichnet. Im Rahmen der Studie wurden achtzehn Faktoren identifiziert, die in Wechselbeziehung zueinanderstehen und einen Einfluss auf die Transformation des Solarenergiesystems in Mixteca ausĂŒben. Mit Hilfe des CIB-Ansatzes wurden acht Szenarien ermittelt, die zwei unterschiedlichen Clustern zugeordnet wurden. Die Szenarien geben einen Überblick ĂŒber plausible ZukĂŒnfte in der Region – diese bilden auch die Grundlage fĂŒr die daran anschließende Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung. Einer der beiden Cluster zeigt eine eher vielversprechende Zukunft, das andere eine eher dĂŒstere. In dem ersten Cluster dominieren Faktoren, die eher eine nachhaltige Zukunft erwarten lassen. Die folgenden Kriterien wurden als Treiber fĂŒr eine nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Region identifiziert: adĂ€quate Governance, funktionierendes Rechtssystems, gute Zusammenarbeit zwischen Regierung, privaten Investoren und ZGOs, erneuerbare Energien unterstĂŒtzende Politik, positive Wertschöpfung des Sektors Erneuerbare Energien, geringe Auswirkungen des Klimawandels. Diese insgesamt positive Bewertung impliziert, dass die zukĂŒnftige Gesellschaft in Mixteca gelernt hat, die drei Hauptziele von ICoS auszubalancieren: Sicherung der menschlichen Existenz, Erhaltung des gesellschaftlichen Produktivpotentials und Bewahrung der Entwicklungs- und Handlungsmöglichkeiten. Das zweite Cluster zeigt eine Kombination von Kriterien, die einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung eher entgegenstehen: starke Unsicherheiten hinsichtlich des Governance ohne Wirtschaftswachstum, ein nicht funktionierendes Rechtssystem, eine nicht vorhandene oder geringe Zusammenarbeit zwischen Regierung, privaten Investoren und ZGOs, eine restriktive Politik hinsichtlich erneuerbarer Energien, nicht vorhandene (oder sehr geringe) Wertschöpfung des Sektors Erneuerbare Energien, starke Auswirkungen des Klimawandels. Weiterhin wurden auch die Möglichkeiten der Übertragbarkeit der Ergebnisse auf andere Gegebenheiten und Regionen untersucht. Die Fallstudie zeigt, dass die Identifikation und das VerstĂ€ndnis gesellschaftlicher Auswirkungen wichtige TreibkrĂ€fte fĂŒr die Energiewende sind. DarĂŒber hinaus sind die gesellschaftlichen Faktoren, die sich auf das Wohlbefinden der Gemeinschaften auswirken, wichtiger als eine reine VerĂ€nderung des Energiesystems. Wenn die möglichen gesellschaftlichen Wirkungen angemessen berĂŒcksichtigt werden, könnte die Energiewende ein Mittel zur Verbesserung der Lebensbedingungen (Grundversorgung, Gesundheitsversorgung, Bildung usw.), zur Schaffung von BeschĂ€ftigungsmöglichkeiten und sogar zur besseren Verteilung des Wohlstands in Mixteca sein. Somit könnte der soziale Wert der Energie gesteigert und die Armut unter einer nachhaltigen Perspektive gelindert werden

    Multicultural Organizational Development: A Resource for Health Equity

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    Discusses ways to develop the multicultural capacity of health organizations, based on theories from the behavioral sciences that have been applied to organizational management

    Health and medical research funding agencies' promotion of public engagement within research: a qualitative interview study exploring the UK context

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    Background: Public engagement (PE) has become a common feature of many liberal governmental agendas worldwide. Since the turn of this century there has been a succession of United Kingdom policy initiatives to encourage research funding agencies, universities and researchers to reconsider how they engage with citizens and communities. Although most funding agencies now explicitly promote PE within research, little empirical work has been carried out in this area. In this study, we explored why and how health and medical research funding agencies in the United Kingdom have interpreted and implemented their role to promote PE within research. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 30 key informants from 10 agencies that fund health or medical research. Data were also gathered from agencies’ websites and documentation. The analysis was based on the constant comparative method. Results: Across agencies, we found that PE was being interpreted and operationalised in various different ways. The terminology used within funding agencies to describe PE seems to be flexibly applied. Disciplinary differences were evident both in the terminology used to describe PE and the drivers for PE highlighted by participants – with applied health science funders more aligned with participatory models of PE. Within the grant funding process PE was rarely systematically treated as a key component of research. In particular, PE was not routinely incorporated into the planning of funding calls. PE was more likely to be considered in the application and assessment phases, where it was largely appraised as a tool for enhancing science. Concerns were expressed regarding how to monitor and evaluate PE within research. Conclusions: This study suggests funding agencies working within specific areas of health and medicine can promote particular definitions of PE and aligned practices which determine the boundaries in which researchers working in these areas understand and practice PE. Our study also highlights how the research grant process works to privilege particular conceptions of PE and its purpose. Tensions are evident between some funders’ core concepts of traditional science and PE, and they face challenges as they try to embed PE into long-standing systems that prioritise particular conceptions of ‘scientific excellence’ in research

    How technological knowledge management capability compliments knowledge‐intensive human resource management practices to enhance team outcomes: A moderated mediation analysis

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    Although research establishes a link between knowledge-intensive human resource (HR) practices (KIHRP) and knowledge-intensive team (KIT) performance, knowledge is limited about the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions that determine this relationship. This study integrates the ability–motivation–opportunity (AMO) framework and theory of team adaptation intoan information processing perspective to present a cohesive model that explains the mediating role of team knowledge sharing and reflexivity processes, and moderation of organization's technological knowledge management (KM) capability to explain the effect of KIHRP on KIT performance. Data were collected in three waves and from three sources consisting of 380 knowledge workers from 123 teams in 74 organizations in Pakistan. The findings indicate that KIHRP relates positively to KIT performance directly as well as via team knowledge sharing and reflexivity processes where the organization's technological KM capability further strengthens this relationshi
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