Organizational Culture through Orientations and Metaphors: Some Hints to the Tacit Knowledge

The main goal of our study is to examine the possibilties to lead tacit through a lens of organizational culture assessed by orientations and metaphors. Organizational culture may open important issues because this phenomenon evolves values, assumptions etc which also play significant role in the tacit knowledge transfer. Metaphors intermediate the unconscious levels of organizational culture. Empirical survey among 75 participants was conducted in two industrial enterprises from Saint-Gobain Group in Estonia. The triangulation of different methods was used and a combination of questionnaire and interview was applied for the measurement of organizational culture. Position, education and tenure have important effect on estimations to task orientation. Gender, position and education have important effect on estimations to relationship orientation. The estimations on both orientations are connected to whether the organization is characterized through metaphors to be organic or technocratic. The results are discussed and the consequesnces for tacit knowledge are proposed.tacit knowledge; organizational culture; organizational orientations; metaphors.

Testi täitmise motivatsioon madala ja kõrge olulisusega testimise kontekstides

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsiooneHaridus- ja psühholoogiavaldkonnas kasutatakse teste inimeste teadmiste ja oskuste hindamiseks. Tihti ei ole selliste testide tulemused testitavate endi jaoks tähenduslikud, kuigi võivad olla olulised mõnel teisel tasandil – näiteks võidakse nende alusel võrrelda omavahel õpilasi või õpilaste gruppe koolide ja riikide lõikes. Varasemad uuringud on näidanud, et keskmiselt on testitäitjate jaoks madala olulisega testide tulemused madalamad kui kõrge olulisusega testide puhul. Ka valiidsuse teoreetilised käsitlused viitavad sellele, et testi tulemuste tõlgendamisel tuleks arvestada erinevate teguritega, sh motivatsiooniga, mis võivad tulemust mõjutada, aga ei ole osa konstruktist, mida soovitakse hinnata. Testi täitmise motivatsiooni (TTM) käsitletakse peamiselt ootuse-väärtuse teooria raamistikus. Selle alusel on motivatsiooni tekkimine seotud erinevate teguritega, näiteks inimese eelnevad kogemused, väärtused ja uskumused. Seega TTM ei ole seotud vaid testi ja testimise olukorraga vaid ka testitava enda sisemiste protsessidega. Sellest lähtuvalt võib eeldada, et TTM võib olla tulemustega seotud ka kõrge olulisusega testimise olukorras. Selleks, et TTM.iga oleks võimalik tulemuste tõlgendamise arvestada, on oluline seda hinnata. Peamiselt on hindamiseks kasutatud enesekohaseid küsimustikke, kuid kuna vastused nendele ei pruugi olla piisavalt objektiivsed, on välja pakutud ka alternatiivseid TTM-i hindamise meetodeid, näiteks ajalist pingutust vastamisel (APV, Wise ja Kong, 2005). APV alusel antakse hinnang testitäitja testile pühendatud pingutusele selle alusel, kuidas ta kasutas testi ülesannete lahendamisel selleks ettenähtud aega. Doktoritöös uuriti, kuidas avaldub testi täitmise pingutus nii madala kui ka kõrge olulisusega testimise olukordades. Pingutuse hindamiseks kasutati nii enesekohast küsimustikku kui ajalisi pingutust iseloomustavad indikaatoreid, sh APV. Leiti, et testi täitmise pingutus on testi tulemusega seotud nii madala kui ka kõrge olulisusega testis, kuigi ootuspäraselt seletab see suurema osa variatiivsusest madala olulisusega testi puhul. Veel leiti, et enesehinnatud pingutus ja testi täitmise aja põhjal arvutatud pingutuse näitaja võivad kirjeldada motivatsioonispektri erinevaid osi ning et mõlemad võivad anda väärtuslikku informatsiooni testi täitmise motivatsiooni kohta.  In the fields of education and psychology, tests are used to measure people's knowledge and skills. However, the results of such tests are often not personally relevant to the test-takers, although these may be relevant on other levels – for example, test results may be used to compare students or groups of students across schools and countries. Previous studies have shown that results on low-stakes tests, that do not have significant consequences for test-takers, are lower compared to results in high-stakes tests. Validity theory also suggests that different factors contributing to construct irrelevant variance, including motivation, should be considered when interpreting test results. As test-taking motivation (TTM) is mainly seen in the framework of expectation-value theory, it can be inferred that the motivation to complete a test can also manifest itself in a situation that is generally considered to be high-stakes. Therefore, it is important to assess TTM. Mainly self-report questionnaires have been used for this, but as answers to these may not always be sufficiently objective, alternative methods for assessing test-taking motivation have been proposed such as Response Time Effort (RTE, Wise and Kong, 2005). RTE gives an indication of the amount of effort used in the test based on test-taking times. In this doctoral dissertation, it was investigated how the effort to complete the test manifests itself in both low-stakes and high-stakes testing contexts. Test-taking effort was assessed with a self-report questionnaire and time-based measures of effort, including RTE. Test-taking effort was related to test performance in both low-stakes and high-stakes testing contexts, although test-taking effort explained a larger part of the variance in the low-stakes test. It was reasoned that self-reported effort and RTE describe different parts of the motivation spectrum, and that both can provide valuable information about test-taking motivation.https://www.ester.ee/record=b550899

Detection of Near-Duplicates Using Error-Correcting Codes

Sarnaste elementide tuvastamine suurest hulgast on probleem, mida esineb erinevates valdkondades. See töö konstrueerib ja analüüsib kahte algoritmi sisendhulgast sarnaste paaride leidmiseks. Näidatakse, et need algoritmid on sarnaste DNA järjestuste leidmiseks rakendatavad ja efektiivsed.The detection of near-duplicate items from a large set is a problem faced in many fields. This paper constructs and analyses two algorithms for finding similar pairs from an input dataset. It shows that these algorithms are applicable and efficient in the domain of DNA sequences

The response of the diatom Asterionllopsis glacialis to variations in CO2 and nitrate availability

Inimtegevuse poolt õhku paisatud süsihappegaas (CO2) on põhjustanud kiiresti tõusva CO2 taseme atmosfääris. Heitkoguste praeguse kasvutempo jätkudes, võib aastaks 2100 CO2 tase kahekordistuda. Süsihappegaasi kontsentratsioon atmosfääris on tasakaalus ookeani pindmise kihi CO2 tasemega, põhjustades seeläbi pH alanemist. On leitud, et muutused vee keemilistes omadustes (suurenev CO2/alanev pH tase) võivad avaldada mõju primaarprodutsentidele. Tänaseks on vähe teada millised on erinevate faktorite koosmõjud. Käesoleva töö eesmärgiks oli välja selgitada millised on CO2 (620, 840, 1640 μatm) ja nitraadi (7 and 13 μmol l-1) mõjud kolooniaid moodustavale kosmopoliitsele ränivetikale Asterionellopsis glacialis. Vastupidiselt eeldusele, CO2 mõju kasvule ei sõltunud nitraadi kontsentratsioonist. Leiti, et CO2 suurenedes tõusis saagikus ning suurenes kasvukiirus. Samuti suurenesid kolooniad. Leiti ka, et kasv oli oluliselt suurem kõrgemal nitraadi kontsentratsioonil, aga see ei mõjutanud kolooniate suurust. Töö tulemustest järeldub, et suurenev süsiniku kättesaadavus mõjutab positiivselt A. glacialise kasvu ning kolooniate moodustamist. Eeldustekohaselt vajuvad suuremad kolooniad kiiremini ning seeläbi kiireneb orgaanilise aine settimine, mis eemaldab süsiniku aktiivsest bioloogiliselt ringest. Tänu sellele on võimalik anda negatiivset tagasisidet inimtekkelisele CO2 hulga tõusule Maa atmosfääris

Identificational Integration of Second Generation Russians in Estonia

"This article takes a look at integration processes of second generation Russian youth in Estonia at identity level which is often referred to as identificational integration. The focus is set on two dimensions of the identificational integration: identification with one’s own ethnic group and identification with the majority group in host country. First the role and place of identity in theoretical approaches to integration processes is explored. The second task of the article is to demonstrate the shortcomings of widespread theories and commonly used research instruments for studying the identificational integration. For that purpose the hypotheses on identificational integration that stem from literature and presume that national level belongingness either replaces or replenishes ethnic identity are put on test. The analysis is based on both survey data and follow-up face-to-face interviews conducted with 18-35 year old Russians born in Estonia to parents of whom at least one have migrated to Estonia during Soviet times. Conducted analysis on ethnic identity of Russian youth and their sense of belonging to the majority group reveal a need for an enhanced approach to conceptualising and operationalising the identity level integration processes." (author's abstract

Chinese Canadian women’s acculturation experience: Sky Lee’s Disappearing Moon Cafe

While dealing with Chinese Canadian experience, the present study emphasises an idea of broader significance that the acculturation of immigrants always depends on the interaction of several cultural and social aspects. This thesis aims to provide a thorough understanding of the Chinese Canadian acculturation process on the basis of Sky Lee’s Disappearing Moon Cafe. The thesis focuses on the first three generations of Chinese immigrant women in Canada and tackles the factors that influence their acculturation into the host society.https://www.ester.ee/record=b5461089*es

Beyond Nuclear Ambiguity

The objective of the thesis was to illustrate the trajectory of Iranian nuclear crisis from the origins of the nuclear program to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly referred as the nuclear deal. The guiding thread was the concept of “nuclear ambiguity”, which was addressed in the following terms: the civilian-military application of the atom constituted the primary source and was further exacerbated by several loopholes in the non-proliferation regime; Teheran exploited both sources and developed a large program with possible military dimensions. The JCPOA attempted to break this trend by limiting Iran’s program only to peaceful goals and by creating an unprecedented inspection mechanism. In other words, it attempted to go beyond the previous history of ambiguity

Translating Events, Glossing Experience : European Texts and American Encounters

Les referències al romancer i altres textos literaris d'arrels medievals en els primerencs documents històrics hispanoamericans s'han interpretat de dues principals maneres: una lingüística i una altra sociojurídica. D'una banda, es consideren aquestes referències com a testimonis que el romancer estava fermament arrelat a la llengua i cultura populars del segle XVI. De l'altra, es prenen les cites i al·lusions als romanços i altres textos, sobretot en els documents que pertanyen a l'univers textual de les relacions de mèrits i serveis, com a mitjans de autoagrandamiento que sorgien de la necessitat de presentar-se els autors com valents i heroics subjectes de la Corona. El present estudi proposa una tercera alternativa al fenomen. Proposa que les referències beltrísticas en les cròniques del segle XVI funcionen en un nivell epistemològic més profund, constituint-se com estratègies hermenèutiques els orígens es poden trobar a les pràctiques medievals de la lectura i composició dels textos. Es proposa que les referències literàries funcionen a manera de gloses que permeten organitzar i processar elconeixement del que ignot. Faciliten l'assimilació de noves experiències i idees, especialment l'assimilació del que completament desconegut, a l'acomodar el totalment nou a un univers cultural preestablert, ell dels autors i lectors europeus. En aquestes referències literàries es descobreixen en el pla retòric i lingüístic un dels gestos bàsics del colonialisme: el desig de apropiar, dominar, i poblar el territori de l'altre en transformar aquest en una imatge d'un mateix.References to the romancero and other literary texts stemming from the medieval tradition in early Spanish American historical documents have been interpreted in two principal ways: one linguistic, the other socio-juridical. On the one hand, they are seen as evidence that the romancero was fi rmly rooted in popular language and culture, specifi cally in the colloquial usage of the sixteenth century. On the other hand, that allusions to ballads and other belletristic references in these works, which belong primarily to the textual universe of the relaciones de méritos y servicios (often composed as self-serving justifi cations for questionable actions), function as a means of self-engrandizement. In this way authors conformed to discursive requirements that compelled them to portray themselves as valiant, when not heroic, subjects of the Crown. The current article proposes a third alternative; namely, that the literary references in sixteenth-century chronicles operate at another deeper epistemological level,and constitute hermeneutical strategies rooted in medieval reading and writing practices. Specifically, that they operate as glosses which process and organize knowledge in a way that allows for the assimilation of new knowledge —especially knowledge of the unknown— into the broader cultural context of the author and the reader. In them, we are able to discover at the level of language and rhetoric one of the basic gestures of colonialism: the urge to appropriate, inhabit the territory of, and dominate the Other through the Other’s transformation into familiar images of the self.Las referencias al romancero y otros textos literarios de raíces medievales en los tempranos documentos históricos hispanoamericanos se han interpretado de dos principales maneras: una lingüística y otra socio-jurídica. Por un lado, se consideran estas referencias como testimonios de que el romancero estaba fi rmemente arraigado en la lengua y cultura populares del siglo XVI. Por otro, se toman las citas y alusiones a los romances y otros textos, sobre todo en los documentos que pertenecen al universo textual de las relaciones de méritos y servicios, como medios de autoagrandamiento que surgían de la necesidad de presentarse los autores como valientes y heroicos sujetos de la Corona. El presente estudio propone una tercera alternativa al fenómeno. Propone que las referencias beltrísticas en las crónicas del siglo XVI funcionan en un nivel epistemológico más profundo, constituyéndose como estrategias hermenéuticas cuyos orígenes se pueden encontrar en las prácticas medievales de la lectura y composición de los textos. Se propone que las referencias literarias funcionan a modo de glosas que permiten organizar y procesar elconocimiento de lo ignoto. Facilitan la asimilación de nuevas experiencias e ideas, especialmente la asimilación de lo completamente desconocido, al acomodar lo totalmente nuevo a un universo cultural pre-establecido, él de los autores y lectores europeos. En estas referencias literarias se descubren en el plano retórico y lingüístico uno de los gestos básicos del colonialismo: el deseo de apropiar, dominar, y poblar el territorio del Otro al transformar éste en una imagen de uno mismo

NEW PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS K[PCL3(X)] (X= SCN, CN): PREPARATION AND DFT AND SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES

Indexación: Web of Science. Scielo.Two new phosphorus complexes, potassium trichlorothiocyanophosphate (III) (PTCTCP; K[PCl3(SCN)]) and potassium trichlorocyanophosphate (III) (PTCCP; K[PCl3(CN)]) were synthesized from the reaction of KSCN and KCN, respectively, with PC^. The chemical formulas and compositions of these compounds were determined by elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods, such as phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (31P-NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and mass spectrophotometry. All of the theoretical calculations and determinations of the properties of these compounds were performed as part of the Amsterdam Density Functional (ADF) program. Excitation energies were assessed using time-dependent perturbation density functional theory (TD-DFT). In addition, the molecular geometry was optimized and the frequencies and excitation energies were calculated using standard Slater-type orbital (STO) basis sets with triple-zeta quality double plus polarization functions (TZ2P) for all of the atoms. The assignment of the principal transitions and total densities of state (TDOS) for orbital analysis were performed using the GaussSum 2.2 program.http://www.scielo.cl/pdf/jcchems/v61n1/art15.pd