3,266 research outputs found
Social learning strategies modify the effect of network structure on group performance
The structure of communication networks is an important determinant of the
capacity of teams, organizations and societies to solve policy, business and
science problems. Yet, previous studies reached contradictory results about the
relationship between network structure and performance, finding support for the
superiority of both well-connected efficient and poorly connected inefficient
network structures. Here we argue that understanding how communication networks
affect group performance requires taking into consideration the social learning
strategies of individual team members. We show that efficient networks
outperform inefficient networks when individuals rely on conformity by copying
the most frequent solution among their contacts. However, inefficient networks
are superior when individuals follow the best member by copying the group
member with the highest payoff. In addition, groups relying on conformity based
on a small sample of others excel at complex tasks, while groups following the
best member achieve greatest performance for simple tasks. Our findings
reconcile contradictory results in the literature and have broad implications
for the study of social learning across disciplines
Examining the issues & challenges of email & e-communications. 2nd Northumbria Witness Seminar Conference, 24-25 Oct 2007 Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne.
These proceedings capture the content of the second Witness Seminar hosted by Northumbria Universityâs School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences. It followed the success of the first witness seminar in terms of its format and style but differed in that it focused on one topic - managing email and other electronic communications technologies from a records perspective. As before the witnesses were invited to share their views and opinions on a specific aspect taking as their starting point a pertinent published article(s). Three seminars explored the business, people and technology perspectives of email and e-communications, asking the following questions: What are the records management implications and challenges of doing business electronically? Are people the problem and the solution? Is technology the problem or panacea? The final seminar, 'Futurewatch', focused on moving forward, exploring new ways of working, potential new technologies and what records professionals and others need to keep on their radar screens
Impersonal efficiency and the dangers of a fully automated securities exchange
This report identifies impersonal efficiency as a driver of market automation during the past four decades, and speculates about the future problems it might pose. The ideology of impersonal efficiency is rooted in a mistrust of financial intermediaries such as floor brokers and specialists. Impersonal efficiency has guided the development of market automation towards transparency and impersonality, at the expense of human trading floors. The result has been an erosion of the informal norms and human judgment that characterize less anonymous markets. We call impersonal efficiency an ideology because we do not think that impersonal markets are always superior to markets built on social ties. This report traces the historical origins of this ideology, considers the problems it has already created in the recent Flash Crash of 2010, and asks what potential risks it might pose in the future
More than a touristic visit: scholar exchanges as a communication method in public diplomacy
This paper discusses the concept of Public Diplomacy and the effectiveness of a specific Public
Diplomacy tool: Scholar Exchanges as a tool of Public Diplomacy. The foreign Fulbright Program of
the United States Government is introduced as a case study and for further interpreting the perceptions
of the program, a survey is ran among 59 current grantees. Scholar exchanges programs are suggested
to be implemented in order to overcome the barriers in communication processes in the international
arena
Information Society, Work and the Generation of New Forms of Social Exclusion (SOWING): National Report (Portugal)
The choice over the Portuguese case studies was based on the sample constructed for the application of the firm questionnaires, during the second year of the SOWING project, 1999. This sample was fulfilled of firms among several activity sectors: textile, manufacturing, electronics, transports and software industry, based on NACE â codes (2 â digit level). Thus, we agreed to include in a new database the remaining questionnaires and construct a sample with 113 observations. Concerning the organisational change we make a distinction of three categories of change. First we analyse changes taking place at the inter-firm level (outsourcing, subcontracting, geographic relocation), followed by changes at the organisational level (deconcentration/decentralisation, reduction of hierarchical levels, introduction of cost and profit centres). The third kind of changes analysed will be those taking place at the workplace level (job enlargement/enrichment, changing character of work, work load). The Portuguese studied companies presents a relative uniform pattern considering the variables social competencies, practical knowledge, responsibility and specialized professional qualifications.industry; information technologies; qualification; organisation; work
ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: SOCIAL CAPITAL AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE APPROACH
This study is aimed at developing the model of organizational effectiveness in university through social capital and competitive advantage. The populations of this study are the head of study programs and the structural officials in some Universities in Semarang. In this case, We used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in AMOS 21.0 program as the analysis tool. The result of the study and model analysis showed that even though the social capital had significant positive influenced to the competitive advantage in the university, the improvement of social capital and competitive advantage at university could not improve the university organizational
effectiveness. Then, between two factors which influenced the competitive advantage (internal social capital and external social capital), it is obtained that external social capital got the dominant influenced factor to competitive advantage. The managerial implication suggested the policies should focus on improving the quality of cooperative relationships with external parties in the university
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