Adaptive action learning: a refusal to define

Editoria

The use-value of self-ethnographic research: insider-researcher, supervisor and external examiner perspectives

This paper aims to explore the challenges of conducting and writing up ethnographic research with a view to debating its use-value to an employing organisation and business education. Arising from Masters level research, conducted by the lead author, this paper explains the context of the research and why it was chosen as an area, examines the challenges involved in doing and writing ethnography and discusses the use-value of ethnographic research to an employing organisation. Arguments relating to whether or not ethnography can or should be ‘objective’ are also considered. In 2009/2010 the lead author, Chloe, conducted a Masters level research project which was supervised by the second author of this paper, Aileen. As the lead tutor on research methods, and Chloe’s supervisor, Aileen encouraged her students to consider self-ethnographic research as a strategy for their practitioner research projects. Elaine, the third author of this paper has also encouraged the use of ethnography as a research strategy. Both Aileen and Elaine have conducted their own self-ethnographic research projects and have reflected on the potential and pitfalls of this research approach for part-time students, (Corley & Eades, 2006). The process of writing this paper has enabled further reflection and joint sense-making as we question some of our taken-for granted understandings by subjecting Chloe’s research process to ‘other’ questions. We consider issues which arose during Chloe’s Masters research process and draw attention to the practical and ethical challenges she experienced whilst conducting and writing up her research. In doing so we address the following research questions: • To what extent can one avoid taken-for-granted assumptions? • Are there particular ethical issues/challenges which are unique to self-ethnographic research? • Is self-ethnographic research useful to employing organisation and business education

Contributing to a revival and a research agenda: the psychology of entrepreneurship

This paper highlights a renewed interest in the psychology of entrepreneurship which examines a taken-for-granted assumption within Business School programmes, that successful entrepreneurs can be taught. This paper reports the findings of a pilot study which explores the psychological profiles of self-identified entrepreneurs. The pilot study analyses the relationships between personality, motivation, individual demographic factors and entrepreneurial success factors using commercially available personality and motivation psychometrics. In doing so the paper presents a methodological contribution to this emerging area of research and practice. The applications of this research could include the use of these tools in screening processes for funding business start-ups and the focusing of support to aspiring and developing entrepreneurs. Feedback on the proposed approach is welcomed as is discussion with others who are interested in researching the psychology of entrepreneurship and how a better understanding of this inform can economic and social development

Publish or perish: exploring the barriers and enablers within the context of DBA programmes.

The paper examines the rhetoric of publish or perish with a particular focus on Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) education. We explore the growth of DBA education and how it is talked about (or not talked about) in the published literature. We differentiate the DBA from the PhD and draw attention to the promised potential of DBA education; rigorous and relevant management research which impacts on management practice. We situate ourselves as insider-researchers who are passionate about this promised potential and disappointed at the dearth of published empirical papers produced by and for the DBA community. This paper contributes by re-focusing attention on social practice theory. Specifically, we draw attention to the conceptual richness within communities of practice and academic literacies theory. At the conference we will offer some initial insights into our early data generation interventions and our planned interventions. In presenting this paper it is our intention to connect with those who are equally passionate about the hidden impact of DBA education and those who want to support the DBA community to publish. We refuse to perish

Caring for a marginalised community: the costs of engaging with culture and complexity

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.The Care and Prevention Programme (CPP) began in 1998. It is based on the philosophy of primary health care, and has improved health among homosexually active men, including about a third of HIV-positive South Australians. The CPP was assessed using financial analysis and qualitative methods. Participants wanted to access care where they could feel comfortable and safe to talk about issues of sexuality and lifestyle. The CPP model is "economically" sustainable, but not "financially" sustainable within the Medicare Benefits Schedule. It is vulnerable to changes in political environment. The financing model for the CPP has been adapted by including state funding. General practitioners have adapted by lowering their personal incomes (but not quality of care). These adaptations have achieved fragile financial viability. Facilitators of sustainability for the CPP included: It is part of the community that it serves; The creation of deeply integrated networks of diversity-competent service providers; and "Virtuous non-adaptability" of service providers in refusing to compromise care standards despite financial pressure to do so. Threats to sustainability included: Difficulty maintaining a diversity-competent workforce skilled in HIV medicine; Marginal financial viability; and Political vulnerability.Gary D Rogers, Christopher A Barton, Brita A Pekarsky, Ann C Lawless, Joy M Oddy, Rebecca Hepworth and Justin J Beilb

Drosophila modifier screens to identify novel neuropsychiatric drugs including aminergic agents for the possible treatment of Parkinson's disease and depression.

Small molecules that increase the presynaptic function of aminergic cells may provide neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression. Model genetic organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster may enhance the detection of new drugs via modifier or 'enhancer/suppressor' screens, but this technique has not been applied to processes relevant to psychiatry. To identify new aminergic drugs in vivo, we used a mutation in the Drosophila vesicular monoamine transporter (dVMAT) as a sensitized genetic background and performed a suppressor screen. We fed dVMAT mutant larvae ∼ 1000 known drugs and quantitated rescue (suppression) of an amine-dependent locomotor deficit in the larva. To determine which drugs might specifically potentiate neurotransmitter release, we performed an additional secondary screen for drugs that require presynaptic amine storage to rescue larval locomotion. Using additional larval locomotion and adult fertility assays, we validated that at least one compound previously used clinically as an antineoplastic agent potentiates the presynaptic function of aminergic circuits. We suggest that structurally similar agents might be used to development treatments for PD, depression and ADHD, and that modifier screens in Drosophila provide a new strategy to screen for neuropsychiatric drugs. More generally, our findings demonstrate the power of physiologically based screens for identifying bioactive agents for select neurotransmitter systems

Understanding the scale and nature of outcome change in area-regeneration programmes: evidence from the New Deal for Communities Programme in England

The New Deal for Communities (NDC) Programme is one of the most intensive area-based initiatives (ABIs) launched in England. Between 1998 and 2010, 39 NDC Partnerships were charged with improving conditions in relation to six outcomes within deprived neighbourhoods, each accommodating around 9,800 people. Data point to only modest change, much of which reflected improving attitudes towards the area and the environment. There are problems in identifying positive people-based outcomes because relatively few individuals benefit from relevant initiatives. Few positive benefits leak out of NDC areas. Transformational change was always unlikely bearing in mind the limited nature of additional resources, and because only a minority of individuals directly engage with NDC projects. This evidence supports perspectives of ABIs rooted in 'local-managerialism'

Oxidation mechanism in metal nanoclusters: Zn nanoclusters to ZnO hollow nanoclusters

Zn nanoclusters (NCs) are deposited by Low-energy cluster beam deposition technique. The mechanism of oxidation is studied by analysing their compositional and morphological evolution over a long span of time (three years) due to exposure to ambient atmosphere. It is concluded that the mechanism proceeds in two steps. In the first step, the shell of ZnO forms over Zn NCs rapidly up to certain limiting thickness: with in few days -- depending upon the size -- Zn NCs are converted to Zn-ZnO (core-shell), Zn-void-ZnO, or hollow ZnO type NCs. Bigger than ~15 nm become Zn-ZnO (core-shell) type: among them, NCs above ~25 nm could able to retain their initial geometrical shapes (namely triangular, hexagonal, rectangular and rhombohedral), but ~25 to 15 nm size NCs become irregular or distorted geometrical shapes. NCs between ~15 to 5 nm become Zn-void-ZnO type, and smaller than ~5 nm become ZnO hollow sphere type i.e. ZnO hollow NCs. In the second step, all Zn-void-ZnO and Zn-ZnO (core-shell) structures are converted to hollow ZnO NCs in a slow and gradual process, and the mechanism of conversion proceeds through expansion in size by incorporating ZnO monomers inside the shell. The observed oxidation behaviour of NCs is compared with theory of Cabrera - Mott on low-temperature oxidation of metal.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure