1,606 research outputs found
The effects of team-skills training on transactive memory and performance
The existence of effective Transactive Memory Systems (TMS) in teams has been found to enhance task performance. Methods of developing Transactive Memory (TM) are therefore an important focus of research. This study aimed to explore one such method, the use of a generic team-skills training programme to develop TM and subsequent task performance. Sixteen three-member teams were all trained to complete a complex collaborative task, prior to which half the teams (n=8), completed a team-skills training programme. Results confirmed that those teams who had been trained to develop a range of team skills such as problem-solving, interpersonal relationships, goal setting and role allocation, evidenced significantly higher team skill, TM and performance than those who were not trained in such skills. Results are discussed with reference to the wider TM literature and the mechanisms through which team-skills training could facilitate the more rapid development of TM
crisscrossing Science Episode 006: Fire Adapted Ecosystems
In this episode, Chris Gaiser (professor of biology at Linfield College) and Mike Crosser (professor of physics at Linfield College) invite Susan Prichard (research scientist at the University of Washington) into the studio to discuss fire adapted ecosystems. They discuss the frequency of wildfires in the wilderness and how this information is known. They also consider the impact of existing fire suppression approaches on forests
Taxing the Informal Economy: The Current State of Knowledge and Agendas for Future Research
This paper reviews the literature on taxation of the informal economy, taking stock of key debates
and drawing attention to recent innovations. Conventionally, the debate on whether to tax has frequently focused
on the limited revenue potential, high cost of collection, and potentially adverse impact on small firms. Recent
arguments have increasingly emphasised the more indirect benefits of informal taxation in relation to economic
growth, broader tax compliance, and governance. More research is needed, we argue, into the relevant costs and
benefits for all, including quasi-voluntary compliance, political and administrative incentives for reform, and
citizen-state bargaining over taxation
Test your surrogate data before you test for nonlinearity
The schemes for the generation of surrogate data in order to test the null
hypothesis of linear stochastic process undergoing nonlinear static transform
are investigated as to their consistency in representing the null hypothesis.
In particular, we pinpoint some important caveats of the prominent algorithm of
amplitude adjusted Fourier transform surrogates (AAFT) and compare it to the
iterated AAFT (IAAFT), which is more consistent in representing the null
hypothesis. It turns out that in many applications with real data the
inferences of nonlinearity after marginal rejection of the null hypothesis were
premature and have to be re-investigated taken into account the inaccuracies in
the AAFT algorithm, mainly concerning the mismatching of the linear
correlations. In order to deal with such inaccuracies we propose the use of
linear together with nonlinear polynomials as discriminating statistics. The
application of this setup to some well-known real data sets cautions against
the use of the AAFT algorithm.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figures, submitted to Physical Review
Measuring Information Transfer
An information theoretic measure is derived that quantifies the statistical
coherence between systems evolving in time. The standard time delayed mutual
information fails to distinguish information that is actually exchanged from
shared information due to common history and input signals. In our new
approach, these influences are excluded by appropriate conditioning of
transition probabilities. The resulting transfer entropy is able to distinguish
driving and responding elements and to detect asymmetry in the coupling of
subsystems.Comment: 4 pages, 4 Figures, Revte
Fantasies of subjugation: a discourse theoretical account of British policy on the European Union
The decision by the UK government to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU) marks an important development in policy towards the EU. Policy changes of this kind must be understood in the historical and political context in which they occur. This includes the framing of the policy issues within public discourse. In the UK, policies are formed in a discursive environment which is overwhelmingly hostile towards the EU. Debates are structured by a predominantly Euroskeptic discourse which emphasizes the UK’s separation and heterogeneity from the rest of the EU. Drawing on the logics of critical explanation, this article examines the structure and affective power of Euroskeptic discourses which dictate the terms of the EU debate. It presents a case study of the recent EU treaty revision process, culminating in the Treaty of Lisbon. In so doing, it enables a deeper understanding of recent policy developments
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