Negotiation in strategy making teams : group support systems and the process of cognitive change

This paper reports on the use of a Group Support System (GSS) to explore at a micro level some of the processes manifested when a group is negotiating strategy-processes of social and psychological negotiation. It is based on data from a series of interventions with senior management teams of three operating companies comprising a multi-national organization, and with a joint meeting subsequently involving all of the previous participants. The meetings were concerned with negotiating a new strategy for the global organization. The research involved the analysis of detailed time series data logs that exist as a result of using a GSS that is a reflection of cognitive theory

The natural history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA, and it remains one of the few diseases that continues to increase its numbers. The development and progression of COPD can vary dramatically between individuals. A low level of lung function remains the cornerstone of COPD diagnosis and is a key predictor of prognosis. Lung function, however, is not the only factor in determining morbidity and mortality related to COPD, with factors such as body mass index, exercise capability and comorbid disease being important predictors of poor outcomes. Exacerbations of COPD are additional important indicators of both quality of life and outcomes in COPD patients. Definitions of exacerbations can vary, ranging from an increase in symptoms to COPD-related hospitalisations and death. COPD exacerbations are more common in patients with lower levels of lung function and may lead to more rapid declines in lung function. Better understanding of the natural history of COPD may lead to better definitions of specific COPD phenotypes, better interventions and improved outcomes

Relativistically rotating dust

Dust configurations play an important role in astrophysics and are the simplest models for rotating bodies. The physical properties of the general--relativistic global solution for the rigidly rotating disk of dust, which has been found recently as the solution of a boundary value problem, are discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figure

Building future scenarios using cognitive mapping

A participatory approach for developing future scenarios through cognitive maps as a visual representation of mental models is presented. Applying long-term future visioning techniques in a workshop setting has traditionally been a significant challenge for construction industry practitioners with a predominantly short-term, project-based approach to day-to-day operational responsibilities. Six future scenario cognitive maps are presented to illustrate the process. The maps were digitised from A1-sized papers using Decision Explorer software. Several key characteristics of the resulting cognitive maps and lessons learnt for the organisation of industry-based workshops are discussed. The main benefits are derived from the interaction between participants during the mapping process whereby future issues and their interconnectivities are discussed. Limitations of the findings and further work are presented

Системный анализ процесса затвердевания литых заготовок разной массы и назначения

Выявлены особенности пространственно-временной эволюции температурных полей в процессе затвердевания разных заготовок (слитков и отливок) для повышения их качества.Виявлено особливості просторово-часової еволюції температурних полів в процесі тверднення різних заготовок (зливків та виливків) для підвищення їх якості.It is revealed the peculiarities of distance-time evolution of the temperature fields in solidification process different billets (ingots and casts) for raise them quality

A Community-Led Central Kitchen Model for School Feeding Programs in the Philippines: Learnings for Multisectoral Action for Health

In devolved governments like the Philippines, local government units (LGUs) must be engaged to develop and coordinate responses to tackle the multisectoral problem of childhood undernutrition. However, current Philippine nutrition interventions, such as decentralized school feeding programs (SFPs), generally rely on the national government, public school teachers, or the private sector for implementation, with mixed results. The central kitchen model for SFPs was developed by 2 Philippine nongovernmental organizations and facilitated large-scale in-school feeding through community multisectoral action. This case study documented coordination processes in February 2018 for 1 urban city and 1 rural province-the model\u27s earliest large-scale implementation sites-that contributed to its institutionalization and sustainability. Data from 24-hour dietary recalls with 308 rural and 310 urban public school students and household surveys with their caregivers showed undernutrition was an urgent problem. Enabling factors and innovative local solutions were explored in focus group discussions with 160 multisector participants and implementers in health care, education, and government, as well as volunteers, parents, and central kitchen staff. The locally led and operated central kitchens promoted community ownership by embedding volunteer pools in social networks and spurring demand for related social services from their LGU. With the LGU as the face of implementation, operations were sustained despite political leadership changes, fostering local government stewardship over nutrition. Leveraging national legislation and funding for SFPs and guided by the Department of Education\u27s standards for SFP eligibility, LGUs had room to adapt the model to local needs. Central kitchens afforded opportunities for scale-up and flexibility that were utilized during natural disasters and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The case demonstrated empowering civil society can hold volunteers, local implementers, and local governments accountable for multisectoral action in decentralized settings. The model may serve as a template for how other social services can be scaled and implemented in devolved settings

The AyA_y Puzzle and the Nuclear Force

The nucleon-deuteron analyzing power $A_y$ in elastic nucleon-deuteron scattering poses a longstanding puzzle. At energies $E_{lab}$ below approximately 30 MeV $A_y$ cannot be described by any realistic NN force. The inclusion of existing three-nucleon forces does not improve the situation. Because of recent questions about the $^3P_J$ NN phases, we examine whether reasonable changes in the NN force can resolve the puzzle. In order to do this we investigate the effect on the $^3P_J$ waves produced by changes in different parts of the potential (viz., the central force, tensor force, etc.), as well as on the 2-body observables and on $A_y$. We find that it is not possible with reasonable changes in the NN potential to increase the 3-body $A_y$ and at the same time to keep the 2-body observables unchanged. We therefore conclude that the $A_y$ puzzle is likely to be solved by new three-nucleon forces, such as those of spin-orbit type, which have not yet been taken into account.Comment: 35 pages in REVTeX, 1 figure in postscript and 3 figures in PiCTe

Strategic options development and analysis

Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) enables a group or individual to construct a graphical representation (map) or a problematic situation, and thus explore options and their ramifications with respect to a complex system of goals or objectives. In addition the approach aims to help groups arrive at a negotiated agreement about how to act to resolve the situation. It is based upon the use of causal mapping – a formally constructed means-ends network. Because the map has been constructed using the natural language of the problem owners it becomes a model of the situation that is ‘owned’ by those who define the problem. The use of formalities for the construction of the model makes it amenable to a range of analyses encouraging reflection and a deeper understanding. These analyses can be used in a ‘rough and ready’ manner by visual inspection or through the use of specialist causal mapping software. Each of the analyses helps a group or individual discover important features of the problem situation. And these features facilitate agreeing a good solution. The SODA process is aimed at helping a group learn about the situation they face before they reach agreements. Most significantly the exploration through the causal map leads to a higher probability of more creative solutions and promotes solutions that are more likely to be implemented because the problem construction process is more likely to include richer social dimensions about the blockages to action and organizational change. The basic theories that inform SODA derive from cognitive psychology and social negotiation, where the model acts as a continuously changing representation of the problematic situation (a transitional object) – changing as the views of a person or group shift through learning and exploration. This chapter jointly written by two leading practitioner academics and the original developers of SODA, Colin Eden and Fran Ackermann, describe the SODA approach as it is applied in practice