Artistry in Design-Visual Connection: an Interdisciplinary Student Exhibition

A collaborative exhibition was proposed between two disciplines, Fashion Design and Interior Design at Meredith College, that demonstrates the visual connection between visual works of art and the students’ interpretations of art and its influence on design. The objectives of the exhibition was 1) to expose students to a collaborative work process, 2) to demonstrate how to effectively execute a cross-disciplinary exhibition supported by the Meredith College art gallery, and 3) to gain greater visibility for fashion design and interior design programs within the college and surrounding community

Entrepreneurial Strategies in a Declining Industry

This study explores the strategies of small firms in the North Carolina furniture supply industry, an industry that has suffered significant job loss due to foreign competition. In case studies of 17 firms, managers identified the strategies that they believed would be most effective in confronting the threats of global competition and imports. Entrepreneurial strategies involving development of new products and entry into new markets ranked highest, but most of the firms were employing strategies that emphasized efficiency and focused on existing products and markets. Firms that employed more entrepreneurial strategies reported superior financial performance in terms of revenue growth, suggesting that entrepreneurial strategies were in fact more effective in this declining industry. This research identifies the impediments that prevented firms from employing entrepreneurial strategies, as well as the types of resources the managers believed would be required for successful implementation of entrepreneurial strategies

Balancing Exploration and Exploitation in a Declining Industry: Antecedents to Firm Adaptation Strategy and Performance

This paper utilizes the theoretical framework of Raisch and Birkinshaw (2008: 381) to investigate the performance implications of three strategic adaptation approaches (exploitation, exploration, and organizational ambidexterity) in 94 small firms supplying tools and materials to the U.S. - based furniture industry. We measured four organizational antecedents to strategic adaptation as well as the performance outcomes associated with adaptation choice. Results demonstrate that organizational deftness, group potency, elements of communication and cooperation within the firm, and low centralization were significantly related to organizational ambidexterity, and that ambidexterity was positively related to revenue and profit growth. The implications focus on steps that organizational leaders can take to improve the ambidextrous posture of their organizations

What we talk about when we talk about "global mindset": managerial cognition in multinational corporations

Recent developments in the global economy and in multinational corporations have placed significant emphasis on the cognitive orientations of managers, giving rise to a number of concepts such as “global mindset” that are presumed to be associated with the effective management of multinational corporations (MNCs). This paper reviews the literature on global mindset and clarifies some of the conceptual confusion surrounding the construct. We identify common themes across writers, suggesting that the majority of studies fall into one of three research perspectives: cultural, strategic, and multidimensional. We also identify two constructs from the social sciences that underlie the perspectives found in the literature: cosmopolitanism and cognitive complexity and use these two constructs to develop an integrative theoretical framework of global mindset. We then provide a critical assessment of the field of global mindset and suggest directions for future theoretical and empirical research

A mixed methods pilot study with a cluster randomized control trial to evaluate the impact of a leadership intervention on guideline implementation in home care nursing

Abstract Background Foot ulcers are a significant problem for people with diabetes. Comprehensive assessments of risk factors associated with diabetic foot ulcer are recommended in clinical guidelines to decrease complications such as prolonged healing, gangrene and amputations, and to promote effective management. However, the translation of clinical guidelines into nursing practice remains fragmented and inconsistent, and a recent homecare chart audit showed less than half the recommended risk factors for diabetic foot ulcers were assessed, and peripheral neuropathy (the most significant predictor of complications) was not assessed at all. Strong leadership is consistently described as significant to successfully transfer guidelines into practice. Limited research exists however regarding which leadership behaviours facilitate and support implementation in nursing. The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the impact of a leadership intervention in community nursing on implementing recommendations from a clinical guideline on the nursing assessment and management of diabetic foot ulcers. Methods Two phase mixed methods design is proposed (ISRCTN 12345678). Phase I: Descriptive qualitative to understand barriers to implementing the guideline recommendations, and to inform the intervention. Phase II: Matched pair cluster randomized controlled trial (n = 4 centers) will evaluate differences in outcomes between two implementation strategies. Primary outcome: Nursing assessments of client risk factors, a composite score of 8 items based on Diabetes/Foot Ulcer guideline recommendations. Intervention: In addition to the organization's 'usual' implementation strategy, a 12 week leadership strategy will be offered to managerial and clinical leaders consisting of: a) printed materials, b) one day interactive workshop to develop a leadership action plan tailored to barriers to support implementation; c) three post-workshop teleconferences. Discussion This study will provide vital information on which leadership strategies are well received to facilitate and support guideline implementation. The anticipated outcomes will provide information to assist with effective management of foot ulcers for people with diabetes. By tracking clinical outcomes associated with guideline implementation, health care administrators will be better informed to influence organizational and policy decision-making to support evidence-based quality care. Findings will be useful to inform the design of future multi-centered trials on various clinical topics to enhance knowledge translation for positive outcomes. Trial Registration Current Control Trials ISRCTN0691089

Artistry in Design-Visual Connection: an Interdisciplinary Student Exhibition

A collaborative exhibition was proposed between two disciplines, Fashion Design and Interior Design at Meredith College, that demonstrates the visual connection between visual works of art and the students’ interpretations of art and its influence on design. The objectives of the exhibition was 1) to expose students to a collaborative work process, 2) to demonstrate how to effectively execute a cross-disciplinary exhibition supported by the Meredith College art gallery, and 3) to gain greater visibility for fashion design and interior design programs within the college and surrounding community.</p

Export decision-making in small firms: the role of organizational learning

The United States government and many state governments are promoting exports of technology and services in order to strengthen the nation's trade balance and increase its world market share in critical industries. Environmental technology and services have been targeted as an industry with strong export potential. Small- and medium-sized U.S. environmental firms, however, earn only a small percentage of their revenues from international sales. Many obstacles seem to inhibit small firms from responding positively to U.S. export promotion policies, but many of the problems may be rooted in their organizational paradigms and perceptions of external business conditions. This study analyzes how the organizational paradigms of small environmental service firms influence their competitive orientations and interpretations of the opportunities or threats involved in exporting. Our survey found that when these small firms value organizational learning they are more likely to consider exporting as an opportunity and more likely to act on that interpretation. The findings imply that it is not enough for export promotion programs to address small firms' concerns with economic results, they must also enhance their perceptions of the value of learning from exporting.