Thinking differently about strategy: comparing paradigms

Our paper shows that mainstream strategic thinking and research already challenges the established Newtonian-Cartesian paradigm. Newtonian thought is the customary mode of western thinking, but is that about to change? Some papers from a complexity standpoint have appeared in the mainstream journals but its precise implications and merits have yet to be systematically spelled out and debated. We aim to facilitate this debate by comparing the established Newtonian and emergent complexity paradigms, clarifying the implications of this new perspective for strategy research. We suggest that the complexity paradigm is better attuned to current strategic realities than its Newtonian-Cartesian counterpart

Complexity, strategic thinking and organisational change

Comparative considerations of strategy from complexity paradigm and Newtonian paradigm perspectives are discussed in the light of three ideological dispositions towards the future. We term them defensive, opportunist, and goal oriented. Over the years, the strategy literature has identified a number of strategic archetypes (e.g. Miller and Freisen, 1978). What is interesting from our point of view is the patterns of reasoning that underpin them. The study of ideology has identified qualitative patterns of reasoning which underpin different types of strategic decision in both the fields of politics and strategic management. This paper considers three patterns of reasoning and considers how they relate to the complexity and Newtonian paradigms

Pain Acceptance and Anxiety in Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD), an inherited blood disorder, causes a patient’s red blood cells to form into a sickle shape and clot in the vessels. Individuals with SCD can suffer from severe pain due to the restricted flow of blood. Pain acceptance is a crucial component of a patient's quality of life. The ability to accept the pain that comes with SCD can enable patients to have more productive and fulfilling lives. Anxiety in adolescents with SCD can have a significant impact on their functionality and overall development. The many factors contributing to anxiety in adolescents can worsen when combined with the stress of having a chronic illness. The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between pain acceptance and anxiety in a sample of adolescents with SCD. Data for the following study was collected at a children’s hospital in the Midwest. Participants included 30 adolescents, aged 12-18 years (M=14.5). The data set included male (46.7%) and female (53.3%) participants. Participants identified as either African American (85.2%) or biracial (14.8%). The Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ) a 20-item self-report measure, was used to gather data on pain acceptance in children. The Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale 44-item self-report measure was used to assess anxiety in children. Higher scores represent better ability to accept pain and higher levels of anxiety, respectively. A bivariate correlation between adolescent self-report scores on the CPAQ and SCAS showed no significant association between pain acceptance and anxiety in adolescents with SCD, r=.10, p>0.05. There is insufficient evidence to conclude a significant linear relationship between self-report scores on the SCAS and the CPAQ is present among adolescents with SCD. Limitations to this study included a narrow sample size. The influence of an unidentified third variable such as the development of strong coping skills or having already come to terms with the reality of their diagnosis could be present. Unknown contributing factors to participants’ anxiety could have potentially impacted results. Including, pain levels on the day of the survey and their mindset when taking the survey. Further research regarding contributors to high levels of anxiety in patients with SCD is needed to determine if additional factors influencing anxiety are present in their daily life. Potential examples include participants support systems or the type/severity of their SCD diagnosis

The new sciences of chaos and complexity and organisational change : a case study of the Open University

This thesis investigates the use of ideas and insights from the new sciences of chaos and complexity in organisations, especially in organisational change interventions. It contends that organisations are still dominated by approaches derived from classical, traditional science and that these are no longer very helpful. Newer approaches to organisational life are emerging, including the learning organisation, and these offer innovative ways forward. Other more radical ideas are also emerging from understandings derived from the new sciences. It uses a detailed case study of the Open University to explore the use of a range of change theories in introducing change into a complex, complicated, traditional organisation. The change process studied used ideas drawn from modern notions of strategic change but also some ideas available in the literature which draws on insights from the new sciences. Stacey's (1992, 1993, 1996) work particularly his 9 point complexity theory of organisation (1996) is used to provide a theoretical framework. This thesis concludes that the new sciences offer an effective and innovative way of introducing organisational change and offers a transition model of strategy which may serve as an enabling bridge between classical notions of change and a new sciences approach. It supports and builds upon Stacey's work by showing the benefits of using of self organising principles, especially self organising teams, as part of a strategic change intervention. Further it adds to the ideas on the human dynamics of change, suggests ways in which to introduce such a strategic change process and offers an additional interpretation of the development of teams in organisations

Innovation in organizations from a complex adaptive systems perspective

A case for a balanced strategic approach to innovation is argued in the literature. March (1991) identified both short term exploitation and longer term exploration as essential but potentially conflicting organizational activities. Many organizations are good at incremental innovation but less successful at radical innovation which may partly explain a recent stress on the latter. Learning is key to successful innovation. In stable conditions, it tends to be a narrowing and converging process of testing. In chaotic conditions it is a process of expansion, divergence and discovery (Cheng and Van de Ven, 1996). The latter facilitates radical innovation, the former incremental innovation. Is a balance between them needed? Innovation ability is a key property of complex adaptive systems operating on ‘the edge of chaos’. This assists them survive over both long and short term futures. We consider how notions of organizations as complex adaptive systems can offer new insights into our understanding of learning and innovation

Identification and characterisation of resistance to the take-all fungus in wheat

Take-all disease, caused by the soil-borne fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, is the most devastating root disease of wheat around the world. Typical take-all symptoms show as black necrotic lesions on the roots and when severe can cause premature ripening and stunting of the wheat crop, resulting in poor grain quality and yield loss. Both cultural and chemical control methods are moderately successful at controlling take-all but plant material that would be useful for take-all control via a genetic approach has not been identified in the UK or elsewhere. The main aim of this project was to identify resistance to take-all within wheat (Triticum spp.). This study explored a new phenomenon in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) which restricts take-all inoculum build-up (TAB) in the soil during a first wheat crop and also explored tissue based resistance to take-all in hexaploid wheat and a related diploid wheat species, Triticum monococcum. Forty-nine elite wheat varieties were evaluated for their ability to build-up take-all inoculum in first wheat field trials using a soil core bioassay method, and pedigree and molecular marker analyses were carried out to investigate the genetic sources of the TAB trait. The effect of a low or high TAB first wheat variety on take-all disease and yield in a following second wheat crop was evaluated in crop rotation field trials. This work demonstrated that there are significant differences between current elite wheat varieties screened for the TAB trait and that there are probably multiple genetic sources of the trait. Take-all disease was lower and yields generally higher in a second wheat crop after a low TAB first wheat. The susceptibility of fifty elite hexaploid wheat varieties and thirty-four T. monococcum accessions to take-all was evaluated in third wheat field trials. Both T. aestivum (variety Hereford) and T. monococcum (MDR031 and MDR046) genotypes with some partial resistance to take-all were identified. A seedling pot test method as a screen for resistance was also explored but the results were found not to be closely related to the susceptibility of adult plants in field trials. The implications of these new findings for the control of take-all and further research are discussed.This project was funded by a CASE PhD studentship from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), with industrial support from HGCA

Expression of RUNX1 correlates with poor patient prognosis in triple negative breast cancer

The RUNX1 transcription factor is widely recognised for its tumour suppressor effects in leukaemia. Recently a putative link to breast cancer has started to emerge, however the function of RUNX1 in breast cancer is still unknown. To investigate if RUNX1 expression was important to clinical outcome in primary breast tumours a tissue microarray (TMA) containing biopsies from 483 patients with primary operable invasive ductal breast cancer was stained by immunohistochemistry. RUNX1 was associated with progesterone receptor (PR)-positive tumours (P<0.05), more tumour CD4+(P<0.05) and CD8+(P<0.01) T-lymphocytic infiltrate, increased tumour CD138+plasma cell (P<0.01) and more CD68+macrophage infiltrate (P<0.001). RUNX1 expression did not influence outcome of oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive or HER2-positive disease, however on univariate analysis a high RUNX1 protein was significantly associated with poorer cancer-specific survival in patients with ER-negative (P<0.05) and with triple negative (TN) invasive breast cancer (P<0.05). Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis of cancer-specific survival showed a trend towards significance in ER-negative patients (P<0.1) and was significant in triple negative patients (P<0.05). Of relevance, triple negative breast cancer currently lacks good biomarkers and patients with this subtype do not benefit from the option of targeted therapy unlike patients with ER-positive or HER2-positive disease. Using multivariate analysis RUNX1 was identified as an independent prognostic marker in the triple negative subgroup. Overall, our study identifies RUNX1 as a new prognostic indicator correlating with poor prognosis specifically in the triple negative subtype of human breast cancer