A third dimension in the mirror? How senior managers design products and organizations

Individual CEO characteristics may affect architectural choices through the application of managerial discretion. Systems such as organizations and their products are not purely driven toward modularity because of external forces. Individual CEO characteristics may constitute an additional dimension to established mirroring considerations that impacts both the choice of architecture and the correspondence between product and organization architectures

Safety and immunogenicity of Ad26.COV2.S in adults: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2a dose-finding study

BACKGROUND: A single dose of Ad26.COV2.S is well-tolerated and effective in preventing moderate-to-severe disease outcomes due to COVID-19. We evaluated the impact of dose level, number of doses, and dose interval on immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of Ad26.COV2.S in adults. Anamnestic responses were also explored. METHODS: This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 2a study was conducted in adults aged 18-55 years and ≥ 65 years (NCT04535453). Four dose levels (1.25 × 10 10, 2.5 × 10 10, 5 × 10 10, and 1 × 10 11 viral particles [vp], single and 2-dose schedules, and dose intervals of 56 and 84 days, were assessed. Four or 6 months post-primary vaccination, Ad26.COV2.S 1.25 × 10 10 vp was given to evaluate anamnestic responses. Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses were measured. Reactogenicity and safety were assessed in all participants. RESULTS: All Ad26.COV2.S schedules induced humoral responses with evidence of a dose response relationship. A single dose of Ad26.COV2.S (5 × 10 10 vp) induced antibody and cellular immune responses that persisted for up to at least 6 months. In the 2-dose regimens, antibody responses were higher than 1-dose regimens at comparable dose levels, and the magnitude of the immune response increased when the interval between doses was increased (84 days vs 56 days). Rapid, marked immune responses were observed in all groups after vaccine antigen exposure indicating immune memory. Durable immune responses were observed in all groups for up to at least 6 months post-antigen exposure. Strong and consistent correlations between neutralising and binding antibodies were observed CD4 + and CD8 + T cell responses were similar after all regimens. Reactogenicity within 7 days post-vaccination tended to be dose-related. CONCLUSION: The study supports the primary, single dose schedule with Ad26.COV2.S at 5 × 10 10 vp and homologous booster vaccination after a 6 month interval. Rapid and marked responses to vaccine antigen exposure indicate induction of immune memory by 1- and 2-dose primary vaccination

Working towards an engagement turn to agricultural research in the Tonle Sap Biosphere,Cambodia

A new generation of agricultural research programs are embracing use of participation as a vehicle for achieving greater impact and supporting transformative change in complex social-ecological systems. In this paper, we share learning from use of participatory action research in the Tonle Sap biosphere in Cambodia, as the main implementing methodology within a large multi-partner agricultural research program. We describe the program’s espoused approach to applying participatory methodologies focusing on co-ownership, equity and reflexivity with stakeholders throughout the research process. We then reflect upon our practice as we pursued initiatives to support increased income and nutrition outcomes for the poorest people in a diverse aquatic agricultural system characterized by inequality. We discuss the challenges and early successes of the process and share three enabling conditions that support a shift towards quality of participation in agricultural research: (1) focusing at the outset on a strengthsbased mind-set, (2) staging a critical stance to progressively build equity in process and outcomes, and (3) institutionalizing reflexivity to facilitate ongoing learning

THE ROLE OF INTERDEPENDENCE IN THE MICRO-FOUNDATIONS OF ORGANIZATION DESIGN: TASK, GOAL, AND KNOWLEDGE INTERDEPENDENCE

Interdependence is a core concept in organization design, yet one that has remained consistently understudied. Current notions of interdependence remain rooted in seminal works, produced at a time when managers’ near-perfect understanding of the task at hand drove the organization design process. In this context, task interdependence was rightly assumed to be exogenously determined by characteristics of the work and the technology. We no longer live in that world, yet our view of interdependence has remained exceedingly task-centric and our treatment of interdependence overly deterministic. As organizations face increasingly unpredictable workstreams and workers co-design the organization alongside managers, our field requires a more comprehensive toolbox that incorporates aspects of agent-based interdependence. In this paper, we synthesize research in organization design, organizational behavior, and other related literatures to examine three types of interdependence that characterize organizations’ workflows: task, goal, and knowledge interdependence. We offer clear definitions for each construct, analyze how each arises endogenously in the design process, explore their interrelations, and pose questions to guide future research