Regional collective learning processes, innovation and growth of high technology SMEs: The case of the Cambridge region

Recent theoretical research on the technological development of dynamic European regions has drawn attention to the supposedly key role of "untraded interdependencies" between local firms and other organisations (Storper, 1995), involving informal inter-firm networking (Yeung, 1994) and processes of "collective learning" (Camagni, 1991, Lorenz, 1992). These processes, which involve exchange and development of technological expertise, are seen as being based on relationships of trust and reciprocity, while the networks and processes themselves are viewed as influential in the recent evolution of dynamic regional clusters of innovative small and medium sized enterprises. The paper will attempt to assess the extent, importance and nature of collective learning processes in the specific caseof technology-intensive firms in the Cambridge region recenty descried as the "nearest thing in Europe to Silicon Valley" (Martin 1996). Based on an original interview survey of technology-based enterprises, the paper will asses the role of technology firm spin-off and acquistion, inter-firm research and technology collaboration, and scientific and professional labour market recruitment, in the development of local technological competencies and collective learning capabilities. Alltention will also be paid to the role of key local instiutions and supporting business services in this regard. The paper will conclude by condsidering implications for policy.

What am I doing and why Philosophy to practice -personal observations about coaching rugby

This paper is a reflective account about a personal approach to coaching rugby by the first author, Stuart Wilkinson. His ongoing academic research in 2010 has prompted a fresh consideration of his coaching style which is shared interactively with his players and staff in the world of professional rugby league. This has brought about some deeper questioning of the reasons behind his approach to coaching which has led to a formulation of his coaching philosophy. His coaching philosophy; „a caring guide to athlete self-discovery and self-improvement‟ may be regarded as a summative statement of his beliefs and values at this moment in time, to coach others in order that they might play the game well. The paper is written largely in first person, a trait of its reflective nature and incorporates some data from an interview with a player. The paper concludes that if players are equipped with the confidence and knowledge to question their own actions they may be able to self-correct their errors on the field of play and see more options to act independently instead of relying upon directives from the coach at the sideline

An investigation into usage of, and attitudes towards, e-books for academic study among tertiary students in New Zealand

Research problem E-books provide enormous benefits to libraries and academic libraries in New Zealand have been quick to develop their e-book collections. The implications of the move from print to digital resources are of critical importance to the future of academic libraries. Little research has been done in this country, however, about the usage of, and attitudes towards e-books in an academic setting. This research aimed to add to this understanding, while at the same time provided the University of Waikato Library with information that will help service provision with regard to e-books. Methodology A quantitative study was carried out with a sample of students from the University of Waikato to achieve a wide range of responses across faculties and types of student through a combination of online and hard copy questionnaire. Respondents were drawn from the student population of the University of Waikato. The University has over 12,000 students including over 1700 postgraduates. Results There were 104 completed questionnaires. Compared to previous research, this study has found that students at the University of Waikato seem to have greater awareness of e-books, use e-books more, and have much higher levels of satisfaction with the ease of finding and using e-books. Many respondents were positive about e-books, mainly due to perceived convenience, but, when it comes to preference for book format, this study suggests that users retain a preference for print material. Implications Academic libraries in New Zealand, quick to develop their e-book collections, need to be aware that, although knowledge of, and usage of e-books both seem to have increased rapidly in recent years, user preference remains resolutely in favour of print books. Further research is needed in other academic institutions in New Zealand to develop a more complete picture of student usage and attitudes towards e-books

Navigating a hostile medium: Observations of the environment as an aid to oceanic voyaging in the age of sail

European navigation in the age of sail owes much to the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century and the development of instruments and advanced mathematical techniques. Important though these developments were, it is argued here that close observation of the environment: of the weather, ocean currents, clouds, birds, mammals, and a host of other factors played a far more important role in safe navigation from one part of the globe to another

Built environment professional bodies and student members: The Australian employers perspective

A new generation of members are needed for professional bodies in the built environment and surveying in order to survive and thrive in the 21st century. Wilkinson and Zillante (2007) identified issues of under recruitment and an ageing membership in the Building Surveying profession in Australia; however other built environment professional bodies globally are experiencing similar issues. Not only do professional bodies need to recruit student members into the profession during their studies but they need to convert these student members to full members. Warren and Wilkinson’s (2008) survey of 661 Australian student perceptions of built environment professional bodies showed that students value professional qualifications but that there is a lack of understanding of the role of professional bodies. The second stage of this research examined the perceptions of Australian employers of surveying, property and construction students and graduates and membership of professional bodies. The research sought to identify what measures are currently adopted in terms of encouraging professional body membership in the workplace. This paper presents the results of the employer interviews and reveals another perspective of the critical issue for professional institutions globally

Regional collective learning processes, innovation and growth of high technology SMEs: The case of the Cambridge region

Recent theoretical research on the technological development of dynamic European regions has drawn attention to the supposedly key role of "untraded interdependencies" between local firms and other organisations (Storper, 1995), involving informal inter-firm networking (Yeung, 1994) and processes of "collective learning" (Camagni, 1991, Lorenz, 1992). These processes, which involve exchange and development of technological expertise, are seen as being based on relationships of trust and reciprocity, while the networks and processes themselves are viewed as influential in the recent evolution of dynamic regional clusters of innovative small and medium sized enterprises. The paper will attempt to assess the extent, importance and nature of collective learning processes in the specific caseof technology-intensive firms in the Cambridge region recenty descried as the "nearest thing in Europe to Silicon Valley" (Martin 1996). Based on an original interview survey of technology-based enterprises, the paper will asses the role of technology firm spin-off and acquistion, inter-firm research and technology collaboration, and scientific and professional labour market recruitment, in the development of local technological competencies and collective learning capabilities. Alltention will also be paid to the role of key local instiutions and supporting business services in this regard. The paper will conclude by condsidering implications for policy

L’initiative récifs coralliens pour le Pacifique (programme crisp) : bilan des connaissances acquises

Le présent rapport est un compte-rendu des résultats du Programme crisp quant à l'avancement des connaissances scientifiques en 2006 et 2007 concernant la structure et le fonctionnement des récifs coralliens. Il relève les connaissances acquises au plan général des récifs coralliens et celles concernant les récifs du Pacifique. Il ne s'agit pas d'un rapport sur les activités du crisp mais de leurs apports à la connaissance fondamentale des récifs. Dans ce cadre, les documents pris en compte dans le présent rapport sont les articles scientifiques publiés dans des périodiques, les communications lors de symposiums, congrès, et colloques. Un certain nombre d'articles sous presse (manuscrits acceptés pour publication dans des revues) ont été pris en compte. Il en est de même de certaines données figurant dans les rapports édités par le crisp et qui sont sur le site du programme, dans la mesure où certains contenus relèvent de ce que nous indiquons dans le premier paragraphe de ce préambule. Les listes des articles, des communications de symposiums, et des rapports sont données en annexe. Après une introduction générale sur le contexte dans lequel a été élaboré le programme crisp (ses préoccupations récentes quant à la préservation des récifs coralliens au plan international et national ; un aperçu de l’état de santé des récifs coralliens dans le Pacifique sud, comparativement au reste du monde ; la genèse et la mise en œuvre du programme), nous présentons le rapport sensu stricto sur les progrès des connaissances scientifiques sur les récifs coralliens acquis lors du déroulement du programme en fin 2007. Puis, nous dressons un bilan quantitatif de la diffusion des connaissances en référence aux périodiques de publications et à la participation des partenaires du crisp à des symposiums, colloques et congrès.This report presents the results obtained within the framework of the crisp programme in terms of progressing knowledge on the structure and functioning of coral reefs for the years 2006 and 2007. It gathers newly achieved understanding of coral reefs on a general level and at the scale of the Pacific. It is not a report on crisp activities per se but a report on its contributions to fundamental knowledge on coral reefs. Within this context, the documents considered are scientific articles published into periodicals, symposia, and presentations at conferences and colloquia. A few articles, although still in press (text approved for publication in magazines) have also been considered. Similarly, data extracted from reports published by crisp and displayed on the programme website, have been selected whenever their content matches the target presented on the first paragraph of this preamble. The Articles, Symposia presentations, and Reports are listed in the appendices. This document consists of three sections. First, a general presentation of the context within which the crisp programme was elaborated. This presents the recent and actual concerns (since 1980) on coral reefs conservation at national and international levels. It gives a general picture of coral reefs health in the South Pacific, by comparison with the rest of the world. It relates the initiation and implementation of the crisp programme. Second, reports stricto sensu, on coral reefs scientific knowledge progress gained during the programme’s evolution up to late 2007. Third is a quantitative assessment of knowledge dissemination, including periodical publications and crisp partners’ participation in symposia, lectures and conferences

Cyclones et changement climatique dans le Pacifique Sud

Tropical cyclones occur relatively frequently throughout the South Pacific with resultant changes to coral reefs and low lying coral islands. Cyclones can result in both accumulation of coral rock, rubble and sand to parts of coral reefs, whereas there can be severe damage and erosion to other parts of reefs and islands. Many coral reef islands owe their existence to the accumulation of material during tropical storms. The location of cyclones is strongly influenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation, with more in the Eastern Pacific during El Niño events. The frequency of cyclones is unlikely to alter significantly in the future, however the strength of these cyclones will be strongly influenced by increasing global climate change and rising sea surface temperatures. The result is that there will probably be more large category 4 and 5 storms, which will result in even more localized damage to coral reefs and associated islands. While these cyclones will not be devastating for reefs at ocean scales, the synergy between their localized damage and more widespread effects of increasing sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification and rising sea levels, pose major threats for the long term existence of coral reefs as they occur today. Coral reef resource managers have no mechanisms to combat cyclones other than by joining global campaigns against climate change and the release of greenhouse gases; however they can assist in making reefs more resistant and resilient to cyclone damage by taking serious action to reduce direct and localized anthropogenic damageLes cyclones tropicaux se manifestent de manière relativement fréquente dans tout le Pacifique Sud, modifiant les récifs de coraux et les îles coralliennes basses. Ces cyclones peuvent, sur les récifs et îles coralliennes, à la fois donner lieu à des accumulations de blocs et de sable sur certaines parties tout en endommageant et érodant d'autres parties. Beaucoup d'îles coralliennes doivent leur existence à l'accumulation de ces matériaux durant les orages tropicaux. La localisation des cyclones est fortement influencée par le phénomène El Niño (ENSO) ; ils sont plus abondants dans le Pacifique Est durant les phases d'El Niño. La fréquence des cyclones ne devrait vraisemblablement pas varier dans le futur, néanmoins leur force devrait être fortement influencée par l'amplification du changement climatique et l'élévation des températures à la surface des mers. Le résultat serait probablement une augmentation des cyclones des catégories 4 et 5 avec pour conséquence des dommages encore plus localisés sur les récifs coralliens et les îles qui leur sont associées. Alors que ces cyclones ne dévasteront pas les récifs à l'échelle mondiale, la synergie entre leurs dégâts localisés et de plus importants effets de l'augmentation des températures de surface des mers, d'acidification des océans et d'élévation du niveau des eaux, fait peser de graves menaces sur l'existence à long terme des récifs coralliens actuels. Les gestionnaires des ressources coralliennes n'ont pas d'autre possibilité de combattre les cyclones que de s'associer aux campagnes contre les changements climatiques et les gaz à effet de serre ; néanmoins ils peuvent aider en rendant les récifs plus résistants et résilients aux dégâts des cyclones en menant une action sérieuse visant à réduire les dégâts directs et localisés d'origine anthropique

Use of mobile apps for teaching and research - implications for digital literacy

This paper reports on the results of an online survey about mobile application (app) use for academic purposes, i.e. teaching and research, by Higher Degree Research (HDR) students and academic staff at one of the eight New Zealand universities. Two thirds of the 138 respondents reported they used apps for academic purposes. In teaching, apps were reported to be used as a means to push information to students. In research, apps appeared to be used to self-organise, collaborate with colleagues, store information, and to stay current with research. This paper presents the survey results and discusses implications for personal information management in education context and opportunities for university library services