4,180 research outputs found
An empirical investigation of the relationship between integration, dynamic capabilities and performance in supply chains
This research aimed to develop an empirical understanding of the relationships between integration,
dynamic capabilities and performance in the supply chain domain, based on which, two conceptual
frameworks were constructed to advance the field. The core motivation for the research was that, at
the stage of writing the thesis, the combined relationship between the three concepts had not yet
been examined, although their interrelationships have been studied individually.
To achieve this aim, deductive and inductive reasoning logics were utilised to guide the qualitative
study, which was undertaken via multiple case studies to investigate lines of enquiry that would
address the research questions formulated. This is consistent with the authorâs philosophical
adoption of the ontology of relativism and the epistemology of constructionism, which was considered
appropriate to address the research questions. Empirical data and evidence were collected, and
various triangulation techniques were employed to ensure their credibility. Some key features of
grounded theory coding techniques were drawn upon for data coding and analysis, generating two
levels of findings. These revealed that whilst integration and dynamic capabilities were crucial in
improving performance, the performance also informed the former. This reflects a cyclical and
iterative approach rather than one purely based on linearity. Adopting a holistic approach towards
the relationship was key in producing complementary strategies that can deliver sustainable supply
chain performance.
The research makes theoretical, methodological and practical contributions to the field of supply
chain management. The theoretical contribution includes the development of two emerging
conceptual frameworks at the micro and macro levels. The former provides greater specificity, as it
allows meta-analytic evaluation of the three concepts and their dimensions, providing a detailed
insight into their correlations. The latter gives a holistic view of their relationships and how they are
connected, reflecting a middle-range theory that bridges theory and practice. The methodological
contribution lies in presenting models that address gaps associated with the inconsistent use of
terminologies in philosophical assumptions, and lack of rigor in deploying case study research
methods. In terms of its practical contribution, this research offers insights that practitioners could
adopt to enhance their performance. They can do so without necessarily having to forgo certain
desired outcomes using targeted integrative strategies and drawing on their dynamic capabilities
Resilience and food security in a food systems context
This open access book compiles a series of chapters written by internationally recognized experts known for their in-depth but critical views on questions of resilience and food security. The book assesses rigorously and critically the contribution of the concept of resilience in advancing our understanding and ability to design and implement development interventions in relation to food security and humanitarian crises. For this, the book departs from the narrow beaten tracks of agriculture and trade, which have influenced the mainstream debate on food security for nearly 60 years, and adopts instead a wider, more holistic perspective, framed around food systems. The foundation for this new approach is the recognition that in the current post-globalization era, the food and nutritional security of the worldâs population no longer depends just on the performance of agriculture and policies on trade, but rather on the capacity of the entire (food) system to produce, process, transport and distribute safe, affordable and nutritious food for all, in ways that remain environmentally sustainable. In that context, adopting a food system perspective provides a more appropriate frame as it incites to broaden the conventional thinking and to acknowledge the systemic nature of the different processes and actors involved. This book is written for a large audience, from academics to policymakers, students to practitioners
Living Labor
For much of the twentieth century, the iconic figure of the U.S. working class was a white, male industrial worker. But in the contemporary age of capitalist globalization new stories about work and workers are emerging to refashion this image. Living Labor examines these narratives and, in the process, offers an innovative reading of American fiction and film through the lens of precarious work. It argues that since the 1980s, novelists and filmmakersâincluding Russell Banks, Helena VĂramontes, Karen Tei Yamashita, Francisco Goldman, David Riker, Ramin Bahrani, Clint Eastwood, Courtney Hunt, and Ryan Cooglerâhave chronicled the demise of the industrial proletariat, and the tentative and unfinished emergence of a new, much more diverse and perilously positioned working class. In bringing together stories of work that are also stories of race, ethnicity, gender, and colonialism, Living Labor challenges the often-assumed division between class and identity politics. Through the concept of living labor and its discussion of solidarity, the book reframes traditional notions of class, helping us understand both the challenges working people face and the possibilities for collective consciousness and action in the global present
Accidental awareness during general anaesthesia in obstetric surgery
Accidental awareness during general anaesthesia (AAGA) occurs when a patient becomes unintentionally conscious during general anaesthesia, which may involve unpleasant memories of experiences during surgery. Contributory factors that may increase risk of AAGA coincide in pregnant women undergoing general anaesthesia for childbirth related surgery. Whilst obstetric general anaesthesia has largely been substituted by spinal and epidural (termed neuraxial) anaesthetic techniques, in which a mother can be awake and pain free during childbirth, general anaesthesia is still necessary to facilitate surgery rapidly in emergency situations or for mothers with certain medical conditions.
In this thesis I investigate the distinct characteristics of general anaesthesia for pregnant women undergoing surgery for childbirth, whether these characteristics increase risk of AAGA, and changes to obstetric anaesthetic technique occurring in the context of wider anaesthetic developments over time. I provide evidence on the incidence, experiences, risk factors and psychological consequences of AAGA in peripartum women.
Challenges to large scale clinical study of AAGA are explored and addressed in the design of a multi-centre, prospective, cross-sectional cohort study of women receiving general anaesthesia for obstetric surgery in 72 hospitals in England. A four-stage process for screening patients using direct questioning, verifying with corroborative detail, adjudicating and classifying descriptions of experiences is described. The interactional nature of research interviews, statistical modelling, psychological factors and the neurophysiology of memory are considered during development of study methodology. Psychological morbidity was assessed for 12 months after surgery. As part of an embedded study, descriptive epidemiology of obstetric patients and general anaesthesia techniques were identified, alongside risk factors for airway complications.
A total of 3,115 patients were recruited, 12 of whom had certain/probable or possible AAGA: a prevalence of 0.39% or 1 in 256 (95%CI 149â500) for all obstetric surgery. Distressing experiences were reported by seven (0.22%) patients, paralysis by five (0.16%) and paralysis with pain by two (0.06%). Associations were identified between AAGA and patient risk factors (abnormal body mass index), organisational factors (out-of-hours surgery) and pharmacological factors (use of thiopental during induction of anaesthesia). Contextual factors relating anaesthesia for obstetric patients with AAGA and other anaesthesia complications, including difficult airway management, were evaluated.
My study methodology and itâs context, in English public sector hospitals, identified a higher risk of AAGA in obstetric patients than previously detected using other methods and locations. These results have implications for healthcare policy of obstetric anaesthesia, informed consent of patients receiving general anaesthesia and post-natal screening care. I conclude on recommendations to minimise awareness risk for future patients and address the challenge of implementing systemic improvements in obstetric general anaesthesia care and patient safety
LIPIcs, Volume 274, ESA 2023, Complete Volume
LIPIcs, Volume 274, ESA 2023, Complete Volum
Women at stake: ideological cross-currents in misogyny and philogyny
This thesis investigates some relationships between a sociological population which manifests misogynous and philogynous behaviour, the sociological population towards which this behaviour is directed, and a third population which mediates relations between the first two. These populations are designated âecclesiasticalsâ, âwomenâ, and ânew philosophersâ, respectively. The focal period is the late Middle Ages, but extends backwards into remoter times.
The approach is interdisciplinary - especially through New History (particularly Womenâs History); Philosophy (particularly developments in epistemology in this period); Literature (particularly aspects of metaphor and the genre of tragedy); and Sociology (particularly sociology of literature, sociology of women, and historical sociology).
The method draws mainly on Lucien Goldmannâs genetic structuralism in sociology of literature and historical sociology. This interpretative method begins with an isolated empirical event (designated âabstractâ); and proceeds to make it âconcreteâ by relating it to other events, and to smaller and greater dynamic social structures. The process is oscillatory between two aspects of research: âcomprehensionâ of a selected event in terms of a latent structure discernible in it; and âunderstandingâ the structure discerned in terms of its dynamic, homologous relationship to contextual structures, and to an over-arching structure.
Two empirical events were the points of departure: persecution of women as witches/heretics and survival of goddess-worship. The event with a structure relating to both was Malleus Maleficarum [c1486, by Henry Kramer and James Sprenger). This was comprehended as a defensive reaction in a dogmatic structure; and understood in relation to threats in new developments in philosophy (especially nominalism, dialectic, and the new content), in womenâs oral culture, and in over-arching structuration processes of transition from pre-modern to emergent modern.
There are six chapters.
CHAPTER ONE, INTRODUCTION outlines the substance and methods.
CHAPTER TWO, CONCEPTUAL PROLOGUE explicates the conceptual tools.
CHAPTER THREE, COMPREHENSION presents a close reading of certain passages of Malleus Maleficarum, which reveals the latent structure. The main points in this are: womenâs critical multiplicity, barrenness of theology, and fear of nature.
CHAPTER FOUR, UNDERSTANDING - (A) VIRTUALITY relates this structure to the theologiansâ âvirtualityâ of women and associated developments in philosophy.
CHAPTER FIVE, UNDERSTANDING - (B) POTENTIAL CONSCIOUSNESS looks at women in terms of facilitators and interceptors of their âpotential consciousnessâ.
CHAPTER SIX, CONCLUSION summarises the links that have been discerned among the three populations, and suggests their relationships to the over-arching context.
The contribution made by this thesis is the construction of a theoretical framework for imaginative retrieval in an undocumented area, and the testing of its components. These components are: Goldmannâs basic hypothesis that all human behaviour tends towards consistent rational responses; the general hypothesis that women were agonist in history not passive; and the particular hypothesis that at least some aspects of the phenomenon of persecution of women as witches did not have a dispositional or hysterical base, but a rational one related to changes in content and methods of thought within the wider context of change from pre-modern to emergent modern.
It is concluded that use of this framework has illuminated empirical events and relationships; and that it may be used for further research in this and other obscure areas
The Lives of Girls and Women in Bahrain and Qatar: Dress, Marriage, Health and Education in the Pearl Fishing and Early Oil Era
Drawing from data on Bahrain and Qatar, this dissertation is a study of
womenâs lived experiences during the pearl trade era and the transition to an oil
economy. It explores how intersections in womenâs identities influenced their
positionalities and opportunities for productive labor within different socioeconomic
institutions, namely: dress, education, marriage, and health. This
dissertation embeds its analysis of womenâs lived experiences within the emic
concept of âÊżaybâ and the theoretical frameworks of postcolonial and feminist
historiography. âÊżaybâ is the emic label given to behavior that obstructs the fantasy
of a flawless society.
Overall, this dissertation draws information from 32 interviews with 30
interlocutors. To collect data for this research project, I conducted 17 interviews
with 18 interlocutors from Bahrain and Qatar. I also considered 29 interviews
conducted by Msheireb Museums and reproduced relevant excerpts for my data
from 15 interviews with 12 interlocutors. This dissertation's research questions are:
1. How did women live in the past?
2. What economic and social roles did women in Bahrain and Qatar play
during the pearl trade and early oil eras?
3. How do the possibilities of production, through both waged and unwaged
labor, influence the parameters of Êżayb? Conversely, how do the
parameters of Êżayb influence womenâs possibilities of production?
Intersections of my identities affected my positionality against the
interlocutors I interviewed and allowed me to synthesize data with the cultural
sensitivity required in postcolonial and gender studies. As a Sunni Muslim woman
from the Arabian littoral of the Gulf, I have a particular analytical insight into Êżaybâs
operation in rapidly changing, yet conservative, societies
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