A Multilevel Approach to Research ‘Obscure’ Innovation Processes and Practices

The paper’s aim is to discuss a need for a multilevel research approach to investigate innovation practices in organisations. We argue that this approach overcomes some of the limitations of the single level research methods commonly used investigating innovation performance and success. Specifically, the multilevel research approach allows researchers and subsequently organisations to take into consideration ‘obscured’ practices within innovation processes. First, we put forward a motion that innovation processes permeate the formalised organisational structures and practices. Then, we outline a case where many of the practices associated with innovation are ‘obscured’. This is followed with discussion on how the commonly used single level research methods fail to take into consideration these obscured factors. We then introduce Activity Theory and propose a multilevel framework which aims to overcome the shortfalls of the previous analytical methods

Maintaining Agility: A study of obscure New Product Development practices in small and medium sized manufacturing enterprises to understand how they maintain relevance to their markets

This thesis describes a sociocultural study which addresses the question of how New Product Development (NPD) practices in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) are influenced by obscure practices, deployed to meet emerging challenges that enable SMEs to remain relevant to their markets. Prior research in this area has assumed that a company’s innovation potential can be objectively explained by looking at critical factors such as peoples’ skills (e.g. leadership), company resources, capabilities, and its external orientation. However important, these variance-based approaches are generally discussed in isolation from the dynamic and idiosyncratic contexts where they emerge (such as the NPD process). As a result they fail to provide a holistic view of the phenomena that promote agility and innovation. This study’s purpose was to develop a methodological approach to explicate obscurity in SMEs’ innovation practices. To achieve this, the study employed a design-led qualitative research strategy to bring to the forefront the underlying contextual, situational and relational phenomena impacting a common core practice in manufacturing SMEs, their NPD process. The aim was to increase our knowledge of the notion of obscure practices in their effort to meet their emerging challenges. The research began by developing a theoretical model to consolidate ideas derived from: 1.Strategic management variance literature, which led to a multi-level theoretical framework (people, firm, and external levels). 2. Models of NPD processes, which led to the adoption of a generic process-model (Initiation, Development and Implementation) used as periods to study organisational practices. 3. Sociocultural literature, which led to the adoption of Activity Theory (AT) to guide analysis of NPD activities. The study approached its methodology in order to meet two key requirements. With regards to the sensitivities of the SME context (such as the disruption to participants’ day to day practices), the study developed a design-led process-mapping tool for data collection that provided rich insights in an engaging and fast way, whilst it allowed the triangulation and visualisation of the data, which was collected from staff members across different expertise and positions. In addition, an Activity Theory framework was adopted as a means to analyse the data and make sense of its complexity in line with the need to capture multi-level phenomena across different periods of the NPD process. The thesis provides a number of contributions to contemporary design research and beyond. First, it demonstrates the value of integrating variance and process-based research approaches and the richness of insights gained by applying them to organisational settings. Second, it argues for the usefulness of ‘obscurity’ as a term to describe the not-well-articulated practices that take place in the day-to-day business, as opposed to terms such as hidden, invisible, silent, and/or tacit. Third, it shows the value of the adopted research method (i.e. the Pytheas tool), to surface obscurity in innovation practices in a non-prescriptive, fast and engaging way by enabling participants to self-reflect on their own practices and by visualising organisational contexts in such a way that the richness and the depth of the practices can be captured and better appreciated. Consequently, the contributions of the study primarily concern design practitioners and strategists who need to find ways to better construe the organisational settings to which they are called to offer their expertise. Businesses may also benefit by this method as it provides a platform through which members can develop a greater awareness of their respective strengths and weaknesses and, through the visualised outcomes, it offers a legacy that businesses can use, revisit and refer to during their efforts to achieve agility and increase their innovation potential

Changes in the incidence and epidemiology of neonatal group B Streptococcal disease over the last two decades in Crete, Greece

Group B streptococcus (GBS) remains a leading cause of neonatal disease. However, GBS rates and prevention strategies vary considerably worldwide. Herein, we investigated the burden and epidemiological trends of neonatal GBS infections in our area (Greece) over the last two decades. We conducted a multicenter retrospective study that includes all cases of culture-proven GBS disease in infants <90 days old in the last 22 years. Neonatal GBS incidence was 0.17/1000 live births (95%CI: 0.11-0.21). A significant increase was noted during the second decade (0.23 vs 0.10/1000, P<0.05). Late onset disease (LOD) significantly increased during the second decade (0.08 vs 0.02, P<0.05). Infants in the LOD group had a higher risk of meningitis (RR 1.8, 95%CI: 1.23-2.71). Long-term neurological sequelae were reported in 42.8% of meningitis cases. The mortality rate was 8%. The incidence of neonatal GBS disease in our area is among the lowest reported, but an increase was noted the last decade mainly due a rise in the LOD. The burden of LOD, the mortality and long-term disability are still substantial, thus effective prevention strategies − including maternal vaccination for neonatal GBS − are needed

Exploring Barriers and Opportunities in Adopting Crowdsourcing Based New Product Development in Manufacturing SMEs

Crowdsourcing is an innovative business practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content or even funds by soliciting contributions from a large group of people (the ‘Crowd’). The potential benefits of utilizing crowdsourcing in product design are well-documented, but little research exists on what are the barriers and opportunities in adopting crowdsourcing in new product development (NPD) of manufacturing SMEs. In order to answer the above questions, a Proof of Market study is carried out on crowdsourcing-based product design under an Innovate UK funded Smart project, which aims at identifying the needs, challenges and future development opportunities associated with adopting crowdsourcing strategies for NPD. The research findings from this study are reported here and can be used to guide future development of crowdsourcing-based collaborative design methods and tools and provide some practical references for industry to adopt this new and emerging collaborative design method in their business

Staphylococcus aureus infant colonization in relation with maternal carriage and the anamnestic of admission in neonatal unit

Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen in both community-acquired and nosocomial infections with alarming rates of resistance to antibiotics in recent years. S. aureus can colonize many sites of the human body, among which the anterior nares represent the dominant ecological niche. There seems to exist a link between S. aureus nasal carriage and infection, since nasal and infection strains commonly share the same genotype, rates of infection are higher in carriers that in non-carriers, and eradication of carriage has been shown to reduce nosocomial infection. About 30% of the population carries S. aureus at any time; this includes 20% who are persistent and 10% who are transient carriers. Infant colonization by S. aureus has not been adequately investigated, while there are very few studies worldwide for the timing and the source of colonization in infancy.Methicillin resistance first appeared among nosocomial isolates of S aureus in 1961. Since that time, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has become widespread in hospitals and intensive care units around the world. This high level of resistance results from the presence of the mecA gene that encodes the production of a penicillin binding protein known as PBP2a, which has decreased affinity for most beta-lactam antibiotics. MRSA is now one of the most common causes of bacterial nosocomial infections, accounting for 40–70% of the S. aureus infections in intensive care units. In the past decade new strains of MRSA (CA-MRSA) have emerged in the community, causing aggressive infections in young, otherwise healthy people. Many strains produce the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin, (PVL) which is associated with abscesses, invasiveness, and increased morbidity and mortality. S. aureus can colonize many parts of the human body, of which the anterior nares represent the dominant ecological niche. There seems to exist a link between S. aureus nasal carriage and infection, since nasal and infection strains commonly share the same genotype, rates of infection are higher in carriers that in non-carriers, and eradication of carriage has been shown to reduce nosocomial infection. About 30% of the population carries S. aureus at any one time; this includes 20% who are persistent and 10% who are transient carriers. Infant colonization by S. aureus has not been adequately investigated, while there are few studies worldwide for the timing and the source of colonization in infancy.The objective of the present study was to explore determinants associated with the infant colonization in the first year of life, the molecular epidemiology and the resistance to antibiotics of S. aureus strains isolated from infants and their mothers in a well-defined area, i.e., the island of Crete.The study group consisted of a cohort of 128 recruited newborn infants and their mothers who were born at Venizeleion Pananio General Hospital in Heraklion, Crete, between November 2005 and May 2006. 98 infants were from Maternity Ward and were healthy while 30 were admitted to the Neonatal Ward. Nasal swabs were obtained from mothers and infants before discharge and after 6 and 12 months, and a series of determinants related to infant, mother, father and family were investigated. The cultured S. aureus was identified on the basis of colony morphology, Gram stain, catalase test, coagulase test and API 20 Staph system, while antimicrobial susceptibility tests against oxacillin, erythromycin and clindamycin were performed. All mother-infant pairs with simultaneous isolation S. aureus, and all strains isolated in the mother-infant pair at a different sampling were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, spa typing, and presence of chromosomal mecA and Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) genes.[...]Ο χρυσίζων σταφυλόκοκκος (S. aureus) είναι ένα σημαντικό παθογόνο νοσοκομειακών όσο και εξωνοσοκομειακών λοιμώξεων με ανησυχητικούς αυξητικούς ρυθμούς ανθεκτικότητας στα αντιβιοτικά. Μπορεί να αποικίσει πολλά ανθρώπινα σημεία του ανθρώπινου σώματος, από τα οποία το πρόσθιο ρινικό επιθήλιο αντιπροσωπεύει την κύρια θέση. Φαίνεται να υπάρχει σχέση μεταξύ της φορίας και της λοίμωξης, καθώς τα στελέχη από το ρινικό επιθήλιο και τα στελέχη της λοίμωξης μοιράζονται συχνά το ίδιο γονότυπο. Τα ποσοστά λοίμωξης είναι υψηλότερα σε φορείς, ενώ με την εκρίζωση της φορίας έχει αποδειχθεί μείωση των νοσοκομειακών λοιμώξεων. Περίπου το 30% του πληθυσμού φέρει τον S. aureus. Το 20% είναι επίμονοι φορείς και το 10% είναι παροδικά φορείς. Ο αποικισμός των βρεφών από S. aureus δεν έχει διερευνηθεί επαρκώς ενώ οι μελέτες για τη χρονική στιγμή και τη πηγή του αποικισμού των βρεφών σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο είναι λίγες.Η αντίσταση στην μεθικιλλίνη εμφανίστηκε για πρώτη φορά σε νοσοκομειακούς ασθενείς το 1961. Έκτοτε, ο ανθεκτικός στη μεθικιλλίνη S. aureus (MRSA), είναι ευρέως διαδεδομένος σε νοσοκομεία και μονάδες εντατικής θεραπείας σε όλο τον κόσμο. Αυτό το υψηλό επίπεδο αντίστασης προκύπτει από την παρουσία του γονιδίου mecA που κωδικοποιεί την παραγωγή της πρωτεΐνη PBP2a, η οποία έχει μειωμένη χημική συγγένεια με τα περισσότερα βήτα-λακταμικά αντιβιοτικά. Ο MRSA είναι πλέον μία από τις πιο κοινές αιτίες βακτηριακής νοσοκομειακής λοίμωξης, αντιπροσωπεύοντας το 40-70% των λοιμώξεων στις μονάδες εντατικής θεραπείας. Κατά την τελευταία δεκαετία νέα στελέχη του MRSA (CA-MRSA) έχουν εμφανιστεί στην κοινότητα, προκαλώντας επιθετικές μολύνσεις σε νέους, κατά τα άλλα υγιείς ανθρώπους. Αρκετά στελέχη S. aureus παράγουν την πρωτεΐνη Panton Valentine Leukocidin (PVL), η οποία σχετίζεται με τη ικανότητα να είναι διεισδυτικά, να παράγουν αποστήματα με αυξημένη νοσηρότητα και θνητότητα.Στόχος της παρούσας μελέτης ήταν να ερευνήσει τους παράγοντες που σχετίζονται με τον αποικισμό στα βρέφη τον πρώτο χρόνο ζωής, τη μοριακή επιδημιολογία καθώς και την αντίσταση στα αντιβιοτικά των στελεχών που απομονώθηκαν από τα βρέφη και τις μητέρες τους σε μια σαφώς καθορισμένη έκταση, τη Κρήτη.Η ομάδα μελέτης αποτελούνταν από 128 νεογνά και τις μητέρες τους που γεννήθηκαν στο Βενιζέλειο-Πανάνειο Γενικό Νοσοκομείο Ηρακλείου Κρήτης από τον Νοέμβριο 2005 έως τον Μάιο 2006. Από τα 128 νεογνά τα 98 προέρχονταν από την μαιευτική κλινική και ήταν υγιή, ενώ τα 30 προέρχονταν από τη Μονάδα Νεογνών. Ρινικά επιχρίσματα ελήφθησαν από τις μητέρες και τα βρέφη τους πριν από την έξοδο και μετά από 6 και 12 μήνες ενώ ερευνήθηκαν μια σειρά από παράγοντες από το περιβάλλον που σχετίζονται με το βρέφος, τη μητέρα, τον πατέρα και την οικογένεια. Η αναγνώριση του S. aureus έγινε με βάση την μορφολογία των αποικιών, την χρώση κατά Gram, τη δοκιμασία καταλάσης-κοαγκουλάσης και τη μέθοδο APIStaph 20, ενώ πραγματοποιήθηκαν δοκιμές ευαισθησίας στην οξακιλλίνη, την ερυθρομυκίνη και την κλινδαμυκίνη. Σε όλα τα ταυτόχρονα θετικά ζεύγη μητέρας-παιδιού, και σε όλα τα στελέχη S. aureus που απομονώθηκαν στα ίδια ζεύγη μητέρας-παιδιού, αλλά σε διαφορετική χρονική περίοδο έγινε τυποποίηση με pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), και ανιχνεύτηκε η παρουσία των γονιδίων spa, mecA και Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL). [...

A design-led approach to transforming wicked problems into design situations and opportunities

This article argues that using a design-led approach is highly beneficial when tackling complex problems to transform ambiguity into actionable design briefs and solution opportunities. This is evidenced by way of an ongoing project with a large public-sector organization. Northumbria University’s School of Design academic experts use design-led approaches to innovation that promotes ‘creative fusion’ between diverse stakeholders in order to tackle ‘wicked problems’. The authors continue this work as part of an Arts and Humanities Research Council/ European Regional Development Fund-funded programme entitled Creative Fuse North East (CFNE), involving five regional universities, of which the project discussed here is a part. The main objectives of CFNE are to develop and deploy approaches to innovation that apply skills from creative graduates to benefit the wider creative economy, address barriers to innovation and promote growth and sustainability within and without the Creative, Digital and IT sector (CDIT). The authors propose that to do this it is vital to convert stakeholders into co-creation activists empowered with the creative confidence and tools required to speculate about uncertain futures