An Enhanced Model for Managing Change in Organizations

Change has become a “way of life” in organizations. The pace of change has increased substantially in recent years as a result of issues such as the pressures of global competition the impact of the Internet, customer demands and ever changing enhancement of technical capabilities. These changes affect what people do and how they fulfill their responsibilities, and therefore, there are varied reactions Historically, failures in change implementation have not been attributable to a lack of technical feasibility and functionality but instead have been the result of employee resistance. The difficulty of implementing organizational change has presented an ongoing challenge to managers. As we anticipate the future, paramount technological changes and shifts in strategies as a result of innovations such as cloud computing, social networks, and smart phones are on the horizon, all of which provide numerous opportunities for marketers. Customer relationship management (CRM implementation in particular, warrants consideration of a change management strategy. This paper reviews severa successful change management and implementation strategies that have been utilized to address technologica change and proposes an enhanced model to guide managers as they deal with technology-based organizational changes

The Marketing Plan: Using Marketing Plans and Related Resources to Support Experiential Learning in the Classroom

The marketing plan is the cornerstone of every vice president or director of marketing’s success. At the core the marketing plan is a one to five year plan of the financial future of the organization, and resources are readily available for marketing plan review and development within the structure of a marketing-related course. Recent employer surveys point to critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative team experiences as desirable skills for entry-level hires, and applied experiential projects as a desirable educational practice. This session aims to explore usage of the marketing plan as a means to provide employer-desired skills, support course objectives, enhance assurance of learning, and engage students through faculty best practices in the utilization of marketing plans

Unique Mode of Lipogenic Activation in Rat Preputial Sebocytes

Lipoprotein delivery of fatty acids and cholesterol is linked with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) activation in adipocytes and macrophages. We postulated that similar interactions exist in sebaceous epithelial cells (sebocytes) in which PPAR activation induces differentiation. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) markedly enhanced sebocyte differentiation above that found with PPAR agonists and were more potent than explicable by their lipid content. The PPARγ antagonist GW5393 reduced sebocyte differentiation to all PPAR isoform agonists, HDL and VLDL, suggesting that the lipoprotein effect on differentiation occurs partially through activation of PPARγ. Furthermore, we found that sebocytes expressed a unique pattern of lipogenic genes. Our results demonstrate that HDL and VLDL are the most potent inducers of sebocyte differentiation tested to date, and these actions are partially inhibited by PPAR antagonists. This suggests that substrates provided by lipoproteins are targeted to sebocytes and affect their own disposition via PPAR activation

Evidence of Sustainability Communication in Major League Baseball: A Website Analysis

Based on a review of Major League baseball team websites, this study provides insight into team communication of sustainability principles and practices through an analysis of self-presented sustainability content. Websites for thirty-one (31) teams were examined for content. Elkington’s (1997) triple bottom line dimensions and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicator codes and definitions were constructs for the model and aligned to social, environmental, and economic principles for categories of sustainability practices. Researchers found that while teams are including sustainability information to some extent, the majority highlight social issues on their home pages and subsequent pages; communication about environmental factors varies by league and tends to reflect league-wide initiatives, and economic issues are largely not communicated

Tomorrow’s Champions Of Sustainability: How Everyday Leaders Can Harness Grass Roots Momentum to Advance Adoption of Ecologically Sound Practices in Sport and Event Management

For more than a decade, we have appealed to corporations to consider sustainability. Leading companies have enjoyed positive media attention, improved bottom line profits and enhanced competitiveness through environmental management and social initiatives. Sustainability in the broader sense has become everyone’s job, and the momentum crosses age groups and economic strata. This paper focuses on the event organizer as ordinary leader, inspiring an engaged, accessible audience toward sustainability, and offers rationale for promoting socially and environmentally responsible event management. With a captive audience, ordinary leaders have an opportunity to model socially and environmentally responsible practices through effective education, communication, metrics and follow-up

The Role of Specific Retinoid Receptors in Sebocyte Growth and Differentiation in Culture11Presented in part at the 1999 Annual Meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, San Francisco, CA, May 1–4 (Pediat Res 45 (Part 2): 55A [Abst 313] 1999)

Retinoic acid derivatives (retinoids) exert their pleiotropic effects on cell development through specific nuclear receptors, the retinoic acid receptors and retinoid X receptors. Despite recent progress in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of retinoid activity, it is unknown which of the retinoid receptor pathways are involved in the specific processes of sebocyte growth and development. In this study, we investigated the roles of specific retinoid receptors in sebocyte growth and differentiation, by testing the effects of selective retinoic acid receptor and retinoid X receptor ligands at concentrations between 10−10 M and 10−6 M in a primary rat preputial cell monolayer culture system. Cell growth was determined by number of cells and colonies, and cell differentiation by analysis of lipid-forming colonies. All-trans retinoic acid and selective retinoic acid receptor agonists (CD271 = adapalene, an RAR-β,γ agonist; CD2043 = retinoic acid receptor pan-agonist; and CD336 = Am580, an RAR-α agonist) caused significant decreases in numbers of cells, colonies, and lipid-forming colonies, but with an exception at high doses of all-trans retinoic acid (10−6 M), with which only a small number of colonies grew but they became twice as differentiated as controls (42.2 ± 4.0% vs 22.6 ± 2.7%, mean ± SEM, lipid-forming colonies, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the RAR-β,γ antagonist CD2665 antagonized the suppressive effects of all-trans retinoic acid, adapalene, and CD2043 on both cell growth and differentiation. In contrast, the retinoid X receptor agonist CD2809 increased cell growth slightly and lipid-forming colonies dramatically in a clear dose-related manner to a maximum of 73.7% ± 6.7% at 10−6 M (p < 0.001). Our data suggest that retinoic acid receptors and retinoid X receptors differ in their roles in sebocyte growth and differentiation: (i) retinoic acid receptors, especially the β and/or γ subtypes, mediate both the antiproliferative and antidifferentiative effects of retinoids; (ii) retinoid X receptors mediate prominent differentiative and weak proliferative effects; (iii) the antiproliferative and antidifferentiative effects of all-trans retinoic acid are probably mediated by retinoic acid receptors, whereas its differentiative effect at high dose may be mediated by retinoid X receptors via all-trans retinoic acid metabolism to 9-cis retinoic acid, the natural ligand of retinoid X receptors

The Best Practices to Eliminate Distraction due to Mobile Device Usage in Classrooms Without Creating a Negative and Hostile Classroom Experience

The Millennials are currently attending college and their seats will be replaced by Centennials (Gen Z) in a few years. As the generation switch occurs, more cell phone usage and texting behaviors have been observed and are expected to increase in classrooms, which may become an annoying distraction for faculty and students. Faculty members may vary in tolerance level for smartphone/tablet/computer usage in classrooms. When students do not seem to care about the warnings from the instructor, the entire classroom experience may quickly turn in to a negative and hostile one. This session aims to find out about the best practices of the faculty members to eliminate distraction due to mobile device usage in classrooms without creating a negative and hostile classroom experiences

Isokinetic Dynamometry as a Tool to Predict Shoulder Injury in an Overhead Athlete Population: A Systematic Review

Prospective and cross-sectional studies have used pre-season isokinetic dynamometry strength and endurance measurements of shoulder internal rotation (IR) and external rotation (ER) to determine if they can be correlated to injury. However, to date, no review has provided a synthesis of all available literature on this topic. The aim of this systematic review was to identify isokinetic dynamometry studies that assess shoulder IR and ER strength and endurance in the overhead athletic population in relation to shoulder injury. Electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and SportDiscus) were searched through September 2019 using pre-determined search terms. Both prospective and cross-sectional studies were included in this review. Studies were assessed for quality using either Appraisal Tool for Cross-sectional Studies (AXIS) or Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). Data on outcome measures of strength and endurance peak torque (PT) and ratios (ER:IR) were extracted and further analysed using a best evidence synthesis approach. A total of 13 articles met the inclusion criteria. Conflicting evidence was found when reviewing all studies without differentiating by study type. Prospective study designs revealed strong evidence that reduced IR endurance and reduced strength ratios are predictive of shoulder injury. Cross-sectional literature showed only conflicting and limited evidence for all outcome measures. At this stage, more research is needed in individual sporting populations using prospective cohort designs

L’uso dei Serious Game per lo sviluppo delle soft skills

Alla fine del XX secolo, le scoperte scientifiche e tecnologiche hanno aperto le porte ad una società caratterizzata dalla globalizzazione, da un’elevata mobilità di individui e merci, dalla digitalizzazione e interconnettività tecnica in continua evoluzione. Negli ultimi anni, inoltre, si è rivolta un’attenzione particolare nei confronti delle soft skills; basti pensare che nello scenario italiano la Camera dei Deputati, il 12 gennaio 2022, ha approvato un disegno di legge nomenclato “Disposizioni per la prevenzione della dispersione scolastica mediante l’introduzione sperimentale delle competenze non cognitive nel metodo didattico”, che prevede una sperimentazione triennale nella scuola secondaria di primo e secondo grado di competenze “non cognitive” degli studenti. Studi in letteratura (Michnick-Golinkoff &amp; Hirsh-Pasek, 2016) hanno rilevato che le competenze trasversali rappresentano l'85% del successo e che quindi, svilupparle e migliorarle promuove l'occupabilità, oltre a ottenere salari più alti. L’obiettivo del seguente articolo è evidenziare come sia possibile sviluppare le soft skills attraverso esperienze di apprendimento gamificato, con particolare riguardo nei confronti dei Serious Game.At the end of the 20th century, scientific and technological discoveries opened the door to a society characterized by globalization, high mobility of individuals and goods, and ever-evolving digitization and technical interconnectivity. In recent years, moreover, special attention has been paid to soft skills; suffice it to say that in the Italian scenario, the Chamber of Deputies, on January 12, 2022, approved a bill nomenclated "Provisions for the prevention of school dropout through the experimental introduction of noncognitive skills in the teaching method," which provides for a three- year experiment in first- and second-grade secondary schools of "noncognitive" skills of students. Studies in the literature (Michnick-Golinkoff &amp; Hirsh-Pasek, 2016) have found that soft skills account for 85 percent of success and therefore, developing and improving them promotes employability, as well as higher wages. The goal of the following article is to highlight how soft skills can be developed through gamified learning experiences, with particular regard toward Serious Games

Can older people remember medication reminders presented using synthetic speech?

Reminders are often part of interventions to help older people adhere to complicated medication regimes. Computer-generated (synthetic) speech is ideal for tailoring reminders to different medication regimes. Since synthetic speech may be less intelligible than human speech, in particular under difficult listening conditions, we assessed how well older people can recall synthetic speech reminders for medications. 44 participants aged 50-80 with no cognitive impairment recalled reminders for one or four medications after a short distraction. We varied background noise, speech quality, and message design. Reminders were presented using a human voice and two synthetic voices. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Reminder recall was satisfactory if reminders were restricted to one familiar medication, regardless of the voice used. Repeating medication names supported recall of lists of medications. We conclude that spoken reminders should build on familiar information and be integrated with other adherence support measures. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected] numbered affiliations see end of article