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When do Theories Become Self-fulfilling? Exploring The Boundary Conditions of Performativity
Management researchers increasingly realize that some theories do not merely describe, but also shape social reality; a phenomenon known as "performativity." However, when theories become performative or even self-fulfilling is still poorly understood. Taking this gap in the research as our starting point, we develop a process model to show that new theories will only become self-fulfilling (1) if they motivate experimentation, (2) if experimentation produces anomalies, and (3) if these anomalies lead to a practice shift. On that basis, we identify six boundary conditions that determine whether theories will shape social reality. To illustrate our argument, we explore the conditions under which theories that postulate a positive link between corporate social performance and corporate financial performance may become self-fulfilling
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How do theories become self-fulfilling? Clarifying the process of Barnesian performativity
To explore when theories become self-fulfilling in our original paper (Marti & Gond, 2018), we first had to develop a process model of how theories become self-fulfilling. We argued that this process involves three steps: (1) new theories lead to experimentation, (2) experimentation produces anomalies, and (3) anomalies convince initially unconvinced actors to shift their practices. Our critics (i.e., D’Adderio, Glaser, & Pollock, 2019; Garud & Gehman, 2019; Shadnam, 2019) raise important issues about our process model, which is why we use this response to clarify our argument about the process of Barnesian performativity. In Section 1, we lay the groundwork for our response by explaining why Barnesian performativity is relevant to organization and management theory. In Section 2, we show that our model is in line with important insights from our critics: we show why self-fulfilling theories can be part of an “ongoing journey” (Garud & Gehman, 2019: 1), how anomalies can lead to new theories (D’Adderio et al., 2019), and why our model matters for folk theories (D’Adderio et al., 2019). In Section 3, we reflect on our process model from a philosophy of science perspective by discussing the role that “reality” plays in each step of our process model. We thereby address concerns that our process model is “positivist” (Shadnam, 2019: 1), “representational” (Garud & Gehman, 2019: 3), and “essentialist” (D’Adderio et al., 2019: 3)
Human-centred design methods : developing scenarios for robot assisted play informed by user panels and field trials
Original article can be found at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/ Copyright ElsevierThis article describes the user-centred development of play scenarios for robot assisted play, as part of the multidisciplinary IROMEC1 project that develops a novel robotic toy for children with special needs. The project investigates how robotic toys can become social mediators, encouraging children with special needs to discover a range of play styles, from solitary to collaborative play (with peers, carers/teachers, parents, etc.). This article explains the developmental process of constructing relevant play scenarios for children with different special needs. Results are presented from consultation with panel of experts (therapists, teachers, parents) who advised on the play needs for the various target user groups and who helped investigate how robotic toys could be used as a play tool to assist in the children’s development. Examples from experimental investigations are provided which have informed the development of scenarios throughout the design process. We conclude by pointing out the potential benefit of this work to a variety of research projects and applications involving human–robot interactions.Peer reviewe
An X-ray study of the SNR G344.7-0.1 and the central object CXOU J170357.8-414302
Aims. We report results of an X-ray study of the supernova remnant (SNR)
G344.7-0.1 and the point-like X-ray source located at the geometrical center of
the SNR radio structure. Methods. The morphology and spectral properties of the
remnant and the central X-ray point-like source were studied using data from
the XMM-Newton and Chandra satellites. Archival radio data and infrared Spitzer
observations at 8 and 24 m were used to compare and study its multi-band
properties at different wavelengths. Results. The XMM-Newton and Chandra
observations reveal that the overall X-ray emission of G344.7-0.1 is extended
and correlates very well with regions of bright radio and infrared emission.
The X-ray spectrum is dominated by prominent atomic emission lines. These
characteristics suggest that the X-ray emission originated in a thin thermal
plasma, whose radiation is represented well by a plane-parallel shock plasma
model (PSHOCK). Our study favors the scenario in which G344.7-0.1 is a 6 x 10^3
year old SNR expanding in a medium with a high density gradient and is most
likely encountering a molecular cloud on the western side. In addition, we
report the discovery of a soft point-like X-ray source located at the
geometrical center of the radio SNR structure. The object presents some
characteristics of the so-called compact central objects (CCO). However, its
neutral hydrogen absorption column (N_{H}) is inconsistent with that of the
SNR. Coincident with the position of the source, we found infrared and optical
objects with typical early-K star characteristics. The X-ray source may be a
foreground star or the CCO associated with the SNR. If this latter possibility
were confirmed, the point-like source would be the farthest CCO detected so far
and the eighth member of the new population of isolated and weakly magnetized
neutron stars.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysics. Higher resolution figures can be seen on A&
High--Resolution 3D Simulations of Relativistic Jets
We have performed high-resolution 3D simulations of relativistic jets with
beam flow Lorentz factors up to 7, a spatial resolution of 8 cells per beam
radius, and for up to 75 normalized time units to study the morphology and
dynamics of 3D relativistic jets. Our simulations show that the coherent fast
backflows found in axisymmetric models are not present in 3D models. We further
find that when the jet is exposed to non-axisymmetric perturbations, (i) it
does not display the strong perturbations found for 3D classical hydrodynamic
and MHD jets (at least during the period of time covered by our simulations),
and (ii) it does propagate according to the 1D estimate. Small 3D effects in
the relativistic beam give rise to a lumpy distribution of apparent speeds like
that observed in M87. The beam is surrounded by a boundary layer of high
specific internal energy. The properties of this layer are briefly discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. Accepted to be publish in the ApJ Letters.
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Jet stability and the generation of superluminal and stationary components
We present a numerical simulation of the response of an expanding
relativistic jet to the ejection of a superluminal component. The simulation
has been performed with a relativistic time-dependent hydrodynamical code from
which simulated radio maps are computed by integrating the transfer equations
for synchrotron radiation. The interaction of the superluminal component with
the underlying jet results in the formation of multiple conical shocks behind
the main perturbation. These trailing components can be easily distinguished
because they appear to be released from the primary superluminal component,
instead of being ejected from the core. Their oblique nature should also result
in distinct polarization properties. Those appearing closer to the core show
small apparent motions and a very slow secular decrease in brightness, and
could be identified as stationary components. Those appearing farther
downstream are weaker and can reach superluminal apparent motions. The
existence of these trailing components indicates that not all observed
components necessarily represent major perturbations at the jet inlet; rather,
multiple emission components can be generated by a single disturbance in the
jet. While the superluminal component associated with the primary perturbation
exhibits a rather stable pattern speed, trailing components have velocities
that increase with distance from the core but move at less than the jet speed.
The trailing components exhibit motion and structure consistent with the
triggering of pinch modes by the superluminal component.Comment: Accepted by ApJ Letters. LaTeX, 19 pages, 4 PostScript figure
A Search for Very Active Stars in the Galaxy
We report the first results of a systematic search near the plane of the
Galaxy for the so called very active stars (VAS), which are characterized by a
hard X-ray spectrum and activity in the radio domain. Candidates with hard
X-ray binary-like spectra have been selected from the Bright ROSAT Source
Catalogue in the Zone of Avoidance () and were tentatively
identified in GB6/PMM/NVSS radio surveys. Most of them were observed with the
ATCA and VLA. Precise radio coordinates have led to unambiguous optical
identification for 60 candidates, and a sub-sample of five of themhas been
observed with the VLT. Also some discovery and confirmatory spectra were
obtained with the AAT (4-m) and BTA (6-m). Spectroscopy with moderate
dispersion, made with the FORS1 spectrograph of the VLT has revealed two
stellar objects (one of them, VASC J1628-41, is definitivelya binary VAS), one
new AGN and two featureless spectrum sources. One of these objects, VASC
J1353-66, shows a marginal evidence of proper motion, which, if confirmed,
would imply the discovery of a new type of galactic source.Comment: to appear in A&A, 7 figure
Selective Area Grown Semiconductor-Superconductor Hybrids: A Basis for Topological Networks
We introduce selective area grown hybrid InAs/Al nanowires based on molecular
beam epitaxy, allowing arbitrary semiconductor-superconductor networks
containing loops and branches. Transport reveals a hard induced gap and
unpoisoned 2e-periodic Coulomb blockade, with temperature dependent 1e features
in agreement with theory. Coulomb peak spacing in parallel magnetic field
displays overshoot, indicating an oscillating discrete near-zero subgap state
consistent with device length. Finally, we investigate a loop network, finding
strong spin-orbit coupling and a coherence length of several microns. These
results demonstrate the potential of this platform for scalable topological
networks among other applications.Comment: NBI QDEV 201
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