The virtues of dialogue between academics and businessmen

International audienceThis article aims to understand the process of production of knowledge in the field of business organisation and in problems of administration. It argues that the acquisition of this type of knowledge is greatly assisted by the developments of dialogue between academics and industrialists. It looks at a method which has been applied in England during the period late 1940s to early 1970s in three academic seminars: the Seminar in Problems of Administration at the LSE (1947–1972); the Industrial Seminar at Birmingham University (late 1950s‒1972); and the BPhil Seminar in Economics of Industry at the University of Oxford (1957–1974). By the mid-1970s, these three seminars had ceased to exist and left room for the rapid development of management studies, on the one hand, and the formalisation of industrial economics (game theory), on the other

Effects of asymmetrical support on lower limb muscle activity during Lokomat guided gait in persons with a chronic stroke:an explorative study

BACKGROUND: The Lokomat, one of the most popular robotic exoskeletons, can take the asymmetry in the gait pattern of unilaterally affected patients into account with its opportunity to provide unequal levels of movement support (or 'guidance') to each of the legs. This asymmetrical guidance may be used to selectively unburden limbs with impaired voluntary control and/or to exploit the interlimb couplings for training purposes. However, there is a need to explore and understand these specific device opportunities more broadly before implementing them in training. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore the effects of (a)symmetrical guidance settings on lower limb muscle activity in persons with post stroke hemiparesis, during Lokomat guided gait. DESIGN: A single group, dependent factorial design. SETTING: Rehabilitation center; a single session of Lokomat guided walking. POPULATION: A group of ten persons with post stroke hemiparesis. METHODS: Participants walked in the Lokomat in eight conditions, consisting of symmetrical and asymmetrical guidance situations, at both 0.28 m/s and 0.56 m/s. During symmetrical conditions, both legs received 30% or 100% guidance, while during asymmetrical conditions one leg received 30% and the other leg 100% guidance. Surface electromyography was bilaterally measured from: Biceps Femoris, Rectus Femoris, Vastus Medialis, Medial Gastrocnemius and Tibialis Anterior. Statistical effects were assessed using Statistical Parametric Mapping. RESULTS: The provision of assymetrical guidance did not affect the level of lower limb muscle activity. In addition, no effect (except for Vastus Medialis in the affected leg during 1.5-2.4% of the gait cycle) of symmetrical guidance on muscle amplitude could be observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results show no evidence that either symmetrical or asymmetrical guidance settings provided by the Lokomat can be used to manipulate activity of lower limb musculature in persons with post stroke hemiparesis. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: This study provides insights for the use of specific opportunities provided by the Lokomat for training purposes post stroke

Integrating group Delphi, fuzzy logic and expert systems for marketing strategy development:the hybridisation and its effectiveness

A hybrid approach for integrating group Delphi, fuzzy logic and expert systems for developing marketing strategies is proposed in this paper. Within this approach, the group Delphi method is employed to help groups of managers undertake SWOT analysis. Fuzzy logic is applied to fuzzify the results of SWOT analysis. Expert systems are utilised to formulate marketing strategies based upon the fuzzified strategic inputs. In addition, guidelines are also provided to help users link the hybrid approach with managerial judgement and intuition. The effectiveness of the hybrid approach has been validated with MBA and MA marketing students. It is concluded that the hybrid approach is more effective in terms of decision confidence, group consensus, helping to understand strategic factors, helping strategic thinking, and coupling analysis with judgement, etc

Co-research with adults with Intellectual Disability: a systematic review

Background. Co-research with people with intellectual disability (ID) is a distinct form of patient and public involvement (PPI). This systematic review summarises published studies and protocols to report on the process of co-research in social and health care research. Method. Relevant studies were identified using electronic searches on ASSIA, PsycInfo and MedLine. Study quality was assessed and information relevant to the process of working with co-researchers was extracted and thematically analysed. Results. Thirteen studies were retrieved. Data are reported under three themes: 1) challenges of co-research; 2) facilitators of co-research; 3) benefits of co-research. Best practice is presented as a model of co-research. Content analysis on 12 research protocols identified four themes related to PPI. Conclusions. All stakeholders involved in co-research with people with ID can benefit, providing there is adequate infrastructure to accommodate and empower the co-researchers. Many current ID research projects still lack systematic involvement of PPI members

Autistic Development, Trauma and Personhood: Beyond the Frame of the Neoliberal Individual

This chapter critically explores notions of childhood development, particularly in regard to autism, reactions to traumatic events and the meaning of ‘personhood’. The construction of the neoliberal individual is contrasted with that of personhood as experienced by an autistic person. Person-centred methods of engagement as outlined in this chapter can give opportunities for opening up a respectful discursive space where autistic development is not framed from the outset as ‘disordered’

On the Role of Faith in Sustainability Management: A Conceptual Model and Research Agenda

International audienceThe objective of this article is to develop a faith development perspective on corporate sustainability. A firm’s management of sustainability is arguably determined by the way decision-makers relate to the other and the natural environment, and this relationship is fundamentally shaped by faith. This study advances theoretical understanding of the approach managers take on sustainability issues by explaining how four distinct phases of faith development—improvidence, obedience, irreverence and providence—determine a manager’s disposition towards sustainability. Combining insights from intentional and relational faith development theories, the analysis reveals that a manager’s faith disposition can be measured according to four interrelated process criteria: (1) connectivity as a measure of a manager’s actual engagement and activities aimed at relating to sustainability; (2) inclusivity as a measure of who and what is included or excluded in a manager’s moral consideration; (3) emotional affinity as a measure of a manager’s sensitivity and affection towards the well-being of others and ecological welfare; and (4) reciprocity as a measure of the degree to which a manager is rewarded for responding to the needs and concerns of ‘Others’, mainly in the form of a positive emotional (and relational) stimulus. The conceptual model consolidates earlier scholarly works on the psychological drivers of sustainability management by illuminating our search for a process of faith development that connects with an increasingly complex understanding of the role of business in society

Warp the Loom – Wrap the Dead Trapezoid shaped textiles from the Chiribaya culture, South Peru, AD 900-1375

Central in this presentation will be a trapezoidal shaped tunic and loincloth from the site La Cruz, Osmore Valley, in the extreme south of Peru. Their specific features allowed their identification to the Chiribaya culture, a poorly known culture from the Later Intermediate Period (950-1350 AD). The tunic\u27s form was the result of inserting discontinuous warps, whereas the loincloth\u27s shape had been achieved by varying the length of the warps on the loom. Reconstruction of both techniques was made possible by Minkes ethnographic studies in adjacent Aymara and Quechua highland communities (2000), where weaving is still considered the most important identity marker. Both specimens were part of Minkes PhD research of archaeological textiles from four sites in the Osmore valley (1998-2005). Examination of fibers, structures, forms, functions, decorations, and quality scores of all funerary textiles and their contextual data, showed the potential of textile evidence in the controversy on the origin of Chiribaya people : Despite borrowing material, techniques and decorations from the expansive Tiwanaku culture from the Bolivian highlands, the textiles\u27 details tell a story of a continuous line with archaic, maritime ancestors