Using actor-network theory to reveal strategy processes in design firms

In this paper we illustrate the utility of actor-network theory (ANT) as a methodological approach to understand the effect of the eclectic characteristics of design firms on their strategy development processes. The need for creativity, expertise knowledge and the constant need to innovate suggest that the mainstream strategy or decision-making theories provide unsatisfying insights into how strategy of the design firm emerges. These culture laden organisations often operate with limited formality, therefore require attention to the social side of decision-making. To address this rich complex social-fabric of decision-making, we suggest to study strategy development as the result of the formation of actor-networks. By illustration of data collected from 13 interviews with design firms in mainly Europe and a longitudinal study of a global digital design firm, we illustrate how an ANT-based approach allows theorists to analyse the rich cultural complexity of design firms’ decision-making in a focused and coherent manner

TACOP: A Cognitive Agent for a Naval Training Simulation Environment

The full version of this paper appeared in: Doesburg, W. A. van, Heuvelink, A., and Broek, E. L. van den (2005). TACOP: A cognitive agent for a naval training simulation environment. In M. Pechoucek, D. Steiner, and S. Thompson (Eds.), Proceedings of the Industry Track of the Fourth International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems (AAMAS-05), p.34-41. July 25-29, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Survivability study of a Water Cleaning Facility using Fluid Stochastic Petri Nets

This paper investigates the survivability of a water cleaning facility using Fluid Stochastic Petri Nets (FSPNs). Water cleaning facilities are responsible for providing drinking water to a specific district. The provided service is very important and makes such facilities belong to a nation's critical infrastructures. Therefore, such a facility should be able to recover in a timely manner after the occurrence of disasters. The use of FSPNs in survivability research is new and promising due to its general applicability. In this paper we model and analyze the survivability of of the last phases of the water cleaning process in a Dutch water company. Analysis results identify the weaknesses of the process and redundancy is suggested to improve the survivability

Future-proof changes in Dutch healthcare:Impact on the governance of the postgraduate psychology training

Background: The changing and increasing demand for healthcare has consequences for education as the foundation for professional healthcare practice. This contributes to the urgency of the improvement of mental healthcare by a revision of the Postgraduate Psychology internships. Purpose: Exploration of several forms of network governance, in order to find the most suitable one, to perpetuate the desired future regional cooperation in postgraduate internships for psychologists and to achieve national goals. Method: A literature review of various forms of network governance mirrored to a real-life case study of a cooperation in a postgraduate internship program in a Mental health Institute. Results: Three proven effective formats of network governance were compared: the “Shared Governed Network” (SGN); the “Lead Organization Governed Network” (LOGN) and the “Network Administrative Organization” (NAO). Several predictors of the success of a particular format of governance were evaluated: mutual trust between participants, the number of participants, consensus on the purpose of the network and the need for network skills, shared ambition, mutual gains (interests), relationship dynamics, organizational dynamics, and process management. Conclusion: Based on the literature review, the Lead Organization Governed Network (LOGN) appears to offer the highest potential for effective, sustainable and flexible collaboration in Postgraduate internship for Psychologists

“Eenmaal is geen maal, zei de bruid”: Sprichwortparodien tnd Pseudosprichwörter im Niederländischen

In this article the frequency and practice of proverb parodies and pseudo-proverbs in current Dutch are investigated. This research is based on a corpus of 635 proverbs and expressions taken from (dialect) dictionaries, literary texts, newspapers, magazines, advertising texts and related websites. In addition a number of items were provided by oral information. The endeavour to replace existing proverbs and expressions, according to the initiators difficult to comprehend for today’s generation, with new ones has been heavily criticised

“Eenmaal is geen maal, zei de bruid”: Sprichwortparodien tnd Pseudosprichwörter im Niederländischen

In this article the frequency and practice of proverb parodies and pseudo-proverbs in current Dutch are investigated. This research is based on a corpus of 635 proverbs and expressions taken from (dialect) dictionaries, literary texts, newspapers, magazines, advertising texts and related websites. In addition a number of items were provided by oral information. The endeavour to replace existing proverbs and expressions, according to the initiators difficult to comprehend for today’s generation, with new ones has been heavily criticised

Short Report: Association Between Chloroquine and Amodiaquine Resistance and Allelic Variation in the Plasmodium Falciparum Multiple Drug Resistance 1 Gene and the Chloroquine Resistance Transporter Gene in Isolates from the Upper Nile in Southern Sudan.

Amodiaquine, a 4-aminoquinoline compound, is being considered as an alternative to chloroquine and pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine where resistance in Plasmodium falciparum to both drugs has been selected. Although amodiaquine is more potent than chloroquine, its effectiveness is reduced in areas where chloroquine resistance is high. We report an association of the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt) gene and the P. falciparum multiple drug resistance 1 (pfmdr1) gene, two chloroquine resistance markers, with chloroquine and amodiaquine efficacy in vivo in southern Sudan. The data show that the allele of the pfcrt gene with a lysine to threonine change at codon 76 is strongly associated with both chloroquine and amodiaquine resistance. No such association was observed with the pfmdr1 gene

Residential care and care to community-dwelling parents: out-selection, in-selection and diffusion of responsibility

Research suggests that adult children are less likely to provide care to community-dwelling parents when beds in residential care settings are more widely available. The underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Drawing on data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) on 1,214 impaired parent–child dyads from 12 countries, we find that adult children are less likely to provide care in countries where beds in residential care settings are more widely available because (a) parents’ care needs are less severe in such countries (out-selection hypothesis) and (b) adult children and impaired parents are less likely to share a household in such countries (in-selection hypothesis). Finally (c), after taking these two factors into account, adult children remain less likely to provide care in countries where beds in residential care settings are more widely available (diffusion of responsibility hypothesis). Plausibly, being able to rely on residential care undermines adult children's sense of urgency to step in and provide care to their parents

Mental support for health care professionals essential during the COVID-19 pandemic:Updates

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues and concerns regarding its consequences rise. This concern is addressed by other professionals (e.g. the use of a multidisciplinary approach1 or the possible increase in suicidal behaviour).2 However, the continuing huge pressure on mental health care professionals warrants the supporting of their mental health but regretfully, this topic received little attention