Process and IT (Editorial)

Purpose – This paper’s aim is to provide a fresh perspective on how to address process improvement and information technology (IT) in an integrated fashion in order to improve the efficiency of the construction process. Design/methodology/approach –This paper looks at the problems associated with the “conventional” way of addressing IT within construction, and suggests improvements based on integrating three core organisational resources: people, process and technology. Findings – The existing view that IT on its own brings organisational benefits leads to only marginal improvements in organisational efficiency if not resulting in negative impact. However, by correctly integrating people, process and IT initiatives, significant benefits can be achieved. Originality/value – This paper provides value by providing a conceptualisation for addressing people, process and technology within the construction sector

The Role of the Narrative in Values-Led Business

Many leaders of values-based organizations already possess the requisite passion for the core values of their respective organizations. The ability to have their organizations perform in a manner consistent with these values is critical to gain the authenticity necessary for their audiences in order to discern the value of what that particular organization offers. The inability to articulate this to all stakeholders — including the marketplace, investors, employees, and competitors — may increase the hazard of mortality for the organization. One characteristic that human beings do not share with any other creature on earth is the ability to relate complex narratives. Narratives in leadership are synonymous with storytelling in organizations. Narratives have a much broader connotation. Narratives are an ancient art form and have the ability to create a connection between the narrator and the audience. If related well, it can create a sense of community, hone a common focus, and provide a stimulus for change. Most organizations need to address a common problem of implementing leadership tools resulting in the best outcomes for decisions. Poor leadership will inevitably increase the likelihood of organizational failure. They need to implement mechanisms that will increase positive outcomes. This paper reviews examples of leadership under impossible odds. It will reveal the necessary foundational material to provide a solid background. Next, it will address the common elements of an effective narrative as well as the importance that authenticity plays in its reception. Lastly, the elements of narrative leadership and the power it can give to those leaders who learn how to use narratives effectively will be addressed. Examples will demonstrate how effective narratives used by leaders of values-based organizations can eliminate obstacles and help their organizations perform audaciously

Localising subcategories for cochains on the classifying space of a finite group

The localising subcategories of the derived category of the cochains on the classifying space of a finite group are classified. They are in one to one correspondence with the subsets of the set of homogeneous prime ideals of the cohomology ring $H^*(G,k)$.Comment: 5 pages, minor changes, accepted for publication in C. R. Math. Acad. Sci. Pari

Local cohomology and support for triangulated categories

We propose a new method for defining a notion of support for objects in any compactly generated triangulated category admitting small coproducts. This approach is based on a construction of local cohomology functors on triangulated categories, with respect to a central ring of operators. Suitably specialized one recovers, for example, the theory for commutative noetherian rings due to Foxby and Neeman, the theory of Avramov and Buchweitz for complete intersection local rings, and varieties for representations of finite groups according to Benson, Carlson, and Rickard. We give explicit examples of objects whose triangulated support and cohomological support differ. In the case of group representations, this allows us to correct and establish a conjecture of Benson.Comment: 40 pages. Relatively minor changes (clarifications, corrections, new references, etc). This article will appear in the Ann. Sci. Ecole Norm. Su