231,952 research outputs found

    The impact of trust and power on knowledge sharing in design projects: some empirical evidence from the aerospace industry

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    It is acknowledged by aerospace engineers that relationships between partners are influenced by topics such as trust and that they enable or inhibit knowledge flow. This paper presents findings from interviews with engineers in the aerospace industry on how trust and power within supply chain teams impact knowledge sharing and integration. From a trust perspective, the results of the paper indicate that individually, engineers are aware of its importance but that there is little organisational awareness and consequently no framework or support exists for managing it. With regards to power, we show that there are positive as well as negative impacts on knowledge sharing to be considered

    Physicality and Cooperative Design

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    CSCW researchers have increasingly come to realize that material work setting and its population of artefacts play a crucial part in coordination of distributed or co-located work. This paper uses the notion of physicality as a basis to understand cooperative work. Using examples from an ongoing fieldwork on cooperative design practices, it provides a conceptual understanding of physicality and shows that material settings and co-worker’s working practices play an important role in understanding physicality of cooperative design

    Commons - Whose Commons? Considering conceptual approaches to rural space of production

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    The article takes its point of departure in current suggestions stating that the idea of ‘commons’ could be a universal and normative guideline for how to organise a part of the interplay between nature and human activity. It is stated, that the concept in contemporary discourses has a widespread spectrum of connotations and is engaged for descriptive, prescriptive, and normative purposes. The content, character and meaning thus depend on context and dimensions in focus; the point is illustrated by means of the historical Danish commons. In a consecutive investigation of implicated concepts from social sciences (‘property rights’ being the starting point) it is similarly stated that implications cannot be determined ex ante. By means of elements from institutional economics and the sociology of space, suggestions for a conceptual framework are presented as basis for more detailed studies at a lower level of abstraction. Returned to Danish farming – but now in its contemporary settings – it is concluded that the framework of commons not adequately can be copied-and-pasted into present context due to the complex interconnectivity where local agriculture have boundless prerequisites and effects

    The SP theory of intelligence: benefits and applications

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    This article describes existing and expected benefits of the "SP theory of intelligence", and some potential applications. The theory aims to simplify and integrate ideas across artificial intelligence, mainstream computing, and human perception and cognition, with information compression as a unifying theme. It combines conceptual simplicity with descriptive and explanatory power across several areas of computing and cognition. In the "SP machine" -- an expression of the SP theory which is currently realized in the form of a computer model -- there is potential for an overall simplification of computing systems, including software. The SP theory promises deeper insights and better solutions in several areas of application including, most notably, unsupervised learning, natural language processing, autonomous robots, computer vision, intelligent databases, software engineering, information compression, medical diagnosis and big data. There is also potential in areas such as the semantic web, bioinformatics, structuring of documents, the detection of computer viruses, data fusion, new kinds of computer, and the development of scientific theories. The theory promises seamless integration of structures and functions within and between different areas of application. The potential value, worldwide, of these benefits and applications is at least $190 billion each year. Further development would be facilitated by the creation of a high-parallel, open-source version of the SP machine, available to researchers everywhere.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1212.022

    Maori identity within whanau: A review of literature.

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    The study of identities is an enormous and complex undertaking. Research on identity formation has revealed a clear link between family practices and identity development. In traditional Maori times, the whanau was the place where initial teaching and socialisation of things Maori took place. While there is no single exact measure of what constitutes Maori identity (Durie, 1994), that Maori identity is still being asserted today means that the shaping of Maori identity is still occurring. Rather than attempt to cover all aspects of how Maori shape their identities, I have chosen to focus on the shaping of Maori identity within whanau. Given that this paper is about both Maori identity and whanau identity it seemed logical to review and examine the literature surrounding these two notions. In this paper I also discuss the ecological threats and supports that influenced Maori and whanau identity. Then I review literature on whanau identity from traditional and contemporary works, and explore the concept of whanau identity as a management framework. The literature on whanau does not vary from what Maori authors have expressed regarding their conceptualisations of Maori identity. The tribal structures, descent and cultural practices provide integral pathways through which whanau and Maori identity can be developed and maintained. What is of significance, is that the formation of a secure whanau identity is likely to contribute toward an overall stable Maori identity. Creating an environment where a sense of secure wellbeing among members of a whanau is nurtured, leads to members constructing a whanau and Maori identity that is meaningful to them in their lives

    The Commons Concept and Intellectual Property Rights Regime: Whither Plant Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge?

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    [Excerpt] The classification of plant genetic resources (PGRs) as the common heritage of humankind continues to generate controversies. The debate is between developing countries that are the primary sources of these resources and industrialized, biotechnologically advanced countries that appropriate and utilize PGRs as raw materials for various commercial products, such as medicine, seed variety, or pesticides. Scholars of diverse backgrounds express various opinions on whether PGRs obtained from plants found within a territory of a sovereign state should properly be designated “common heritage of humankind” or regarded as part of the “commons,” and therefore freely accessible. The debate also extends to and challenges the status of traditional knowledge on the uses of PGRs. The dominant but not necessarily the correct view is that such knowledge is information in the public domain, incapable of private ownership or control

    "It's a whole package" : Type 2 diabetes and what it means for the body, life and self of people of Indian origin in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology (with an endorsement in Health Psychology) at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

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    Type 2 diabetes represents a considerable health problem for the Indian population group in New Zealand. In order to minimise the risk posed by this disease, recommended therapeutic goals include glycaemic control, maintaining a healthy weight and strict control of blood pressure. Culturally derived understandings of the illness and options for management will affect the way in which the person of Indian origin reacts to diabetes. This study looked at the way in which Type 2 diabetes is constructed and positioned while reflecting on how Indian culture might affect the way in which diabetes is interpreted and experienced. Seven males and five females, identifying themselves as being of Indian origin and managing Type 2 diabetes without the use of insulin were selected for the study. Semi-structured interviews were taped, transcribed and analysed using a reflexive approach to Foulcauldian discourse analysis Understanding diabetes begins through describing and accounting for the diabetic body which is believed to be different to other bodies. The way in which the person with diabetes might chose to control the disease and minimise harm to the body is validated by particular beliefs in cause and nature. As a result, the person with diabetes is able to construct a constantly evolving picture of the way in which the disease develops, what can be expected of it and what diabetes means for them, for their families and social connections. All this takes place within the particular social and cultural perceptual system of the person of Indian origin and the environment within which they live their every-day lives. The person with diabetes is actively engaged in processing new information, weighing options and defining who they are, not merely as someone with diabetes but as multi-dimensional individuals. Drawing on different constructions of the self, to justify and explain actions taken, opens up or limits access to opportunities to make changes and embrace new behaviors to manage their diabetes
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