Prestigious organizations and heterodox choice in institutionally plural contexts

In unsettled fields with multiple ideal-typical institutional logics, why do organizations tend to weaken or conform to prevalent logic order? We argue that prestige –defined as a tribute paid by field members to a select few with valued distinctive traits– plays a determinant role in explaining institutional heterodoxy (i.e., the choice to stop instantiating dominant logics or start instantiating less prevalent logics). In unsettled fields, prestigious organizations adopt institutional heterodoxy to maintain their distinctiveness because they consider logics as means rather than constraining ends and because awarding bodies cannot impose strict obedience rules. Controlling for alternative explanations, a study of 165 French industrial design agencies (1989 to 2003) provides evidence that prestige favors the decision to undertake heterodox choices. This relationship is weakened when organizations diversify their expertise, is marginally reinforced when organizations have high-status clients, and is influenced by peers' heterodox choices. We discuss contributions to the neo-institutional theory of organizational choices, the socio-cultural analysis of field's evolution, and the strategic perspective of the firm.agences de design, logiques institutionnelles, hétérodoxie

Technical aspects of a demonstration tape for three-dimensional sound displays

This document was developed to accompany an audio cassette that demonstrates work in three-dimensional auditory displays, developed at the Ames Research Center Aerospace Human Factors Division. It provides a text version of the audio material, and covers the theoretical and technical issues of spatial auditory displays in greater depth than on the cassette. The technical procedures used in the production of the audio demonstration are documented, including the methods for simulating rotorcraft radio communication, synthesizing auditory icons, and using the Convolvotron, a real-time spatialization device

the role of shock waves in modulation of galactic cosmic rays

The understanding of modulation of the galactic cosmic rays has considerably progressed by the exploration by space probes of major heliospheric structures, such as the Corotating Interaction Regions, the neutral sheet, and the compression regions of intense heliospheric magnetic fields. Also relevant in this context were the detections in the outer heliosphere of long lasting Forbush type decreases of cosmic ray intensity. The results of recent theoretical studies on the changes in intensity and energy, at different location from the Sun, induced by the passage of shocks across the heliosphere are presented. In this version of the research, the simplest cases of modulation of uGV and 2GV particles by single or several shocks during periods of positive and negative solar field polarity are reviewed. The results of the theoretical aspects of the search is reported. The comparison of the theoretical predictions with space probe data allows conclusions to be drawn on the role of shocks on the modulation on both the 11 and 22 year galactic cosmic ray cycles in the outer heliosphere and on the plausibility of the models and parameters used

Auditory alert systems with enhanced detectability

Methods and systems for distinguishing an auditory alert signal from a background of one or more non-alert signals. In a first embodiment, a prefix signal, associated with an existing alert signal, is provided that has a signal component in each of three or more selected frequency ranges, with each signal component in each of three or more selected level at least 3-10 dB above an estimated background (non-alert) level in that frequency range. The alert signal may be chirped within one or more frequency bands. In another embodiment, an alert signal moves, continuously or discontinuously, from one location to another over a short time interval, introducing a perceived spatial modulation or jitter. In another embodiment, a weighted sum of background signals adjacent to each ear is formed, and the weighted sum is delivered to each ear as a uniform background; a distinguishable alert signal is presented on top of this weighted sum signal at one ear, or distinguishable first and second alert signals are presented at two ears of a subject

Effect of Whole-Body Vibration on Speech

The effect on speech intelligibility was measured for speech where talkers reading Diagnostic Rhyme Test material were exposed to 0.7 g whole body vibration to simulate space vehicle launch. Across all talkers, the effect of vibration was to degrade the percentage of correctly transcribed words from 83% to 74%. The magnitude of the effect of vibration on speech communication varies between individuals, for both talkers and listeners. A worst case scenario for intelligibility would be the most sensitive listener hearing the most sensitive talker; one participant s intelligibility was reduced by 26% (97% to 71%) for one of the talkers

Head related transfer function pseudo-stereophony

An apparatus for producing pseudo-stereophonic sound from a monaural signal is discussed. The apparatus includes a monaural source that has a speaker placed in an anechoic room and has a sound output generated by the monaural signal. The second, third, fourth, and fifth speakers are placed in the anechoic room symmetrically about a listener. The monaural signal from the source is processed to output processed signals to each of the second, third, fourth, and fifth speakers, each speaker producing a sound output corresponding to the received processed signal. A pair of microphones is placed in the ears of the listener for receiving the sound outputs of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth speakers and producing two differentiated audio channels

Multi-channel spatialization system for audio signals

Synthetic head related transfer functions (HRTF's) for imposing reprogramable spatial cues to a plurality of audio input signals included, for example, in multiple narrow-band audio communications signals received simultaneously are generated and stored in interchangeable programmable read only memories (PROM's) which store both head related transfer function impulse response data and source positional information for a plurality of desired virtual source locations. The analog inputs of the audio signals are filtered and converted to digital signals from which synthetic head related transfer functions are generated in the form of linear phase finite impulse response filters. The outputs of the impulse response filters are subsequently reconverted to analog signals, filtered, mixed and fed to a pair of headphones

Jets and Jet Multiplicities in High Energy Photon-Nucleon Inetraction:

We discuss the theory of jet events in high-energy photon-proton interactions using a model which gives a good description of the data available on total inelastic $\gamma p$ cross sections up to $\sqrt{s}$=210 GeV. We show how to calculate the jet cross sections and jet multiplicities and give predictions for these quantities for energies appropriate for experiments at the HERA $ep$ collider and for very high energy cosmic ray observations.Comment: 12 pages + 4 figs, MAD/TH/92-8, submitted to Phys. Rev. D(Rapid Communications), figs. available on request from [email protected]