Problem-formulation in a South African organization. Executive summary

Complex Problem Solving is an area of cognitive science that has received a good amount of attention, but theories in the field have not progressed accordingly. In general, research of problem solving has focussed on identifying preferable methods rather than on what happens when human beings confront problems in an organizational context Queseda, Kirtsch and Gomez (2005) Existing literature recognises that most organizational problems are ill-defined. Some problems can become well-defined whereas others are and remain ill-structured. For problems that can become well-defined, failure to pay attention to the area of problem definition has the potential to jeopardise the effectiveness of problem-formulation and thus the entire problem solving activity. Problem defining, a fundamental part of the problem-formulation process, is seen as the best defence against a Type III Error (trying to solve the wrong problem). Existing literature addresses possible processes for problem-formulation and recognises the importance of applying problem domain knowledge within them. However, inadequate attention is given to the possible circumstances that, within an organization, the participants do not know enough about the problem domain and do not recognise the importance of applying adequate problem domain knowledge or experience to the problem-formulation process. A case study is conducted into exactly these circumstances as they occurred and were successfully addressed within Eskom Holdings Ltd (Eskom), the national electricity utility in South Africa. The case study is a fundamental part of this research project, which explores the gap in the existing body of knowledge related to the circumstances described above and specifically to problems that can become well-defined, and provides the basis for the innovation developed herein that addresses that gap

Money and inflation in a nonlinear model

A nonlinear model of inflation and growth, with a fixed rate of money growth, is developed and its global dynamics analysed. These are compared with the local, linearised dynamics of the model. It is shown that the global dynamics of the model plausibly predict hyperinflationary bubbles, which are not present in the linearised version. Numerical simulations of the model are presented.Money, inflation, nonlinearity.

Some Results On Normal Homogeneous Ideals

In this article we investigate when a homogeneous ideal in a graded ring is normal, that is, when all positive powers of the ideal are integrally closed. We are particularly interested in homogeneous ideals in an N-graded ring generated by all homogeneous elements of degree at least m and monomial ideals in a polynomial ring over a field. For ideals of the first trype we generalize a recent result of S. Faridi. We prove that a monomial ideal in a polynomial ring in n indeterminates over a field is normal if and only if the first n-1 positive powers of the ideal are integrally closed. We then specialize to the case of ideals obtained by taking integral closures of m-primary ideals generated by powers of the variables. We obtain classes of normal monomial ideals and arithmetic critera for deciding when the monomial ideal is not normal.Comment: 19 page

Bergman y Rossellini frente a la TV

La fe y la esperanza que Ingmar Bergamn y Roberto Rossellini depositaron en el mundo de la televisión produjo en la obra de ambos directores singulares filmes que posteriormente han podido verse en las salas tradicionales del cine, aunque no siempre. Para Bergman no había ninguna diferencia entre el cine y la televisión, mientras que para Rosselllini en un principio sí, aunque más tarde tendió a subsumir los dos lenguajes en uno solo. La semilla que ambos plantaron en esta dialéctica visual ejerció una gran influencia en la historia del cine. Paradójicamente hoy la autoría y la televisión, salvo raras excepciones, no parece producir grandes encuentros

Ética de la investigación comparada: una propuesta metodológica

Este texto pretende ser una explicación metodológica de una investigación en parte develada en publicaciones anteriores, y en parte oculta, puesto que sus resultados no apuntan al desarrollo de los contenidos sino al entramado y a la interioridad ontológica de los pasos que ha de seguir el investigador cuando objetiva un tema original y de interés. El artículo pone en paralelo una introspección de la teoría del conocimiento, del método científico, y una revelación de asuntos ya investigados o no en otro tiempo y lugar. Partiendo del concepto de la ciencia histórica el autor llega al concepto cartesiano del discurso del método explicando qué pasos ha dado para elaborar una Historia crítica de la Comunicación, una auditoría metodológica, crítica y dialéctica de un segmento de la Historia de la Comunicación.This text intend to be a methodological explanation of an investigation, partly exposed in older publications and part ocult, as the results do not point at the development of the contents, but at the structure and ontologic interiority of the steps to be followed by the investigator while being objective about an original and interesting subject. The article parallels an instrospection of the theory of knowledge, the scientific method and a revelation of other subjects whether investigated or not somewhere else.Starting up from the concept of Historical Science the author reaches the Cartesian concept of the Discourse of the Method, explaining his steps to elaborate a Critical History of Comunication, an Audit Methodological, Critical and Dialectical of a segment of the History of Comunication

Ortega, Camba y sus circunstancias

The study of the figure of José Ortega y Gasset like journalist has an enormous importance in the study of the Spanish journalism. Ortega dedicated great part of his life to write for the journals and the magazines. Many of his articles shaped his books and later essays. The parallelism with Julio Camba is extraordinary because as Camba also wrote for the newspapers and, finally, many of his articles transformed in literary units with own unmistakable style. This article analyzes the journalism of Camba and Ortega in relation to a certain epoch, the Spanish Republic, and confront the problem of the singularity that supposes doing journalism without losing the condition of intellectual and writer

Julio Camba, individuo y creatividad

This biographical sketch about the historical figure of the Galician journalist Julio Camba leans in the defence of the theory that some exceptional individuals, and therefore different individuals, create their own heroic personages. Camba constructed his own personage. He made of himself a country, a nation. For that reason he wanted to feel comfortable at anywhere in the world. At the end of his life, Camba retired at a luxury hotel as if he was a “border man”, without roots, up to the limit of the established values, outside the recognized as politically correct, the society and the masses. Camba confirms the rule that the style is the man. Camba was an heroic man, that is to say, sincere and original like Thomas Carlyle asked for one and half century ago.Esta semblanza sobre la figura histórica del periodista gallego Julio Camba se apoya en la defensa de la teoría de que la excepcionalidad y la diferencia llevan a algunos individuos particulares a crearse como personajes heroicos antes de constituirse como personas. Camba hizo de sí mismo un país, unapatria, de ahí que se sintiera a gusto en cualquier parte del mundo, recluyéndose, finalmente, en un hotel de lujo, como si poseyera todas las claves de un hombre “frontera”, un tipo al límite de los valores establecidos, de lo políticamente correcto, de la sociedad y de las masas. En Camba se cumple la regla de que el estilo es el hombre. Camba un hombre heroico, es decir, sincero y original como pedía Carlyle hace más de siglo y medio

Eastern European Business Case Study In Entrepreneurship

This case looks at the new and continually evolving environment of capitalism and business in the Ukraine. While the Ukraine business environment shares key characteristics of other Eastern European markets, it is also distinct and unique in its challenges, products and people. A specific industry and entrepreneur offer insights and information that allow for understanding the opportunities present in this and similar markets