Virology Experts in the Boundary Zone Between Science, Policy and the Public: A Biographical Analysis

This article aims to open up the biographical black box of three experts working in the boundary zone between science, policy and public debate. A biographical-narrative approach is used to analyse the roles played by the virologists Albert Osterhaus, Roel Coutinho and Jaap Goudsmit in policy and public debate. These figures were among the few leading virologists visibly active in the Netherlands during the revival of infectious diseases in the 1980s. Osterhaus and Coutinho in particular are still the key figures today, as demonstrated during the outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1). This article studies the various political and communicative challenges and dilemmas encountered by these three virologists, and discusses the way in which, strategically or not, they handled those challenges and dilemmas during the various stages of the field’s recent history. Important in this respect is their pursuit of a public role that is both effective and credible. We will conclude with a reflection on the H1N1 pandemic, and the historical and biographical ties between emerging governance arrangements and the experts involved in the development of such arrangements

Narrative infrastructure in product creation processes

In product creation processes, perhaps even more than in organization processes in general, uncertainties are addressed and complexity is reduced. In retrospect, linearized success stories are told. The history of a product innovation in a biotechnology firm is used to show how actually, over time, attributions and typifications in stories, and the implied stories contained in interactions, link up and an overall plot emerges. Such a social-semiotic analysis identifies the narrative infrastructure which enables, as well as constrains, further actions, just like narrative enables and constrains the characters involved. In the specific `genre' of product creation processes, the role of `hero' shifts from the project team to the emerging product itself. Managers and other actors involved can profit from the reflexive understanding offered by social-semiotic analysis, and avoid becoming captive of the path they follow, even though reflexivity may hinder the build-up of thrust in the process

Local and global dynamics in technological development: A socio-cognitive perspective on knowledge flows and lessons from reinforced concrete

Although knowledge flows are a popular concept, the underlying dynamics are not well understood. This article develops a perspective that conceptualises the social and cognitive activities that make knowledge flows possible. Dynamics involve interactions between local and global levels, and dedicated aggregation activities by intermediary actors. An idealtypical four-phased pattern is developed to understand the creation of global knowledge. The socio-cognitive perspective is illustrated with a historical case study, the emergence of reinforced concrete (1850-1940). The concluding section formulates policy implications for nurturing the emergence of radically new technologie

Societal Embedding and Product Creation Management

Presents a management approach that allows managers within a firm to include societal embedding in management of product creation processes (PCP). Dimensions of societal embedding; Internal interfaces between functions in a firm and external interfaces between firms and their environments; Important indicators in mapping the business environment