Gross National Happiness Education in Bhutanese Schools: Understanding the Experiences and Efficacy Beliefs of Principals and Teachers

Since 2010, the Bhutanese education system has emphasised values education through its own unique approach known as 'Educating for Gross National Happiness' (referred to as GNH Education). This policy outcome emerged from the concern, shared by some Bhutanese leaders and educators, over the apparent deterioration of human values among youth in Bhutan. GNH Education was regarded by the Government of the day as critical for the sustained development of Bhutan. With GNH Education in place, the intention was that GNH values and principles would eventually be deeply embedded in the consciousness of every youth in Bhutan through implementation of an holistic approach to student development led by principals and teachers as key change agents. This study investigated the nature of principals' and teachers' self- and collective efficacy beliefs with respect to capabilities for GNH Education. Also of interest were their lived experiences, as they were involved in implementing GNH Education in its early stages and their relationships to different facets of GNH Education school contexts. Knowledge generated from this study was intended to contribute to an understanding of how schools (principals and teachers) have responded to the GNH Education challenge in local and national contexts

The Emergence of Group Dynamics from Contextualised Social Processes: A Complexity-Oriented Grounded-Theory Approach

A formal group, within a University, is typically created to accomplish work goals through on-going coordination, combination, and integration of member resources. Group behaviour emerges from the confluence of individual and social forces and behaviours enacted to pursue desired goals. Interactions between group members in context create patterns of group processes and behaviours, and how these patterns change over time creates group dynamics. However, group dynamics do not simply reflect intra-group processes; they also reflect influences that arise from larger contexts within which the group is embedded. Group behaviour can, therefore, be argued to reflect emergent self-organisation, sensitivity to time and initial conditions, and causal ambiguity, properties associated with complex, dynamic and adaptive systems. Much of the research into group dynamics and behaviour (especially experimental social psychology research employing a positivist reductionist theoretical perspective) has tended not to look at groups through such a complexity lens. The research reported in this thesis was intended to push into this frontier. The fundamental question addressed in this thesis is: 'What occurs during group interactions associated with the emergence and maintenance of different types of group dynamics and how do those dynamics tend to unfold over time?' I argue in this thesis that a deep and contextual understanding of the complexity of group dynamics can be achieved using an interpretivist/constructivist perspective coupled with a grounded theory approach employing methodologies that permit the deeper exploration of the meaning of individual as well as collective group behaviours. To achieve the depth of learning needed in this research, I focused on a single long-standing group, a committee that existed within a larger university. I gathered qualitative data using three distinct data gathering strategies: (1) participant observation of the group at its regular monthly meetings over a 12- month period; (2) semi-structured interviews with current and former individual group members; and (3) the review of historical documents (e.g., minutes of meetings, discussion papers) relevant to the group's initial genesis and evolution over the time period prior to this research as well as my own field notes amassed over the duration of the study. I employed MAXQDA 11 Plus to support my analyses of the qualitative data amassed using these three strategies and to aid the development of grounded theory that accounted for the group's contextual dynamics. The results of this study revealed that when the focal group was addressing routine group tasks, systematic and consistent patterns of behaviour were observed. However, when the group was exposed to or perceived an internal or external shock, some interesting and unexpected emergent patterns of behaviour were observed. These behaviours could be traced to the desire for a select few members to maintain the historically based group identity, function, and direction. This maintenance process was accomplished through the application of varying types of power to offset possible bifurcation. For example, one class of such behaviours focused on 'leadership hijacking', where control over the group's consideration of an issue was taken over by a person who was not the discussion leader but for whom that issue was 'hot' and perceived to be strongly threatening. Of the number of external shocks observed, the interplay between the university's and other larger contextual agendas and the group's agenda was visible and often vigorous. This type of shock caused confrontation and escalation behaviours to emerge with the goal, once again, to maintain the historically based group identity and agenda. The addition of data gathered from semi-structured interviews with current and former group members and the review of historical documents relevant to the group provided further evidence relevant to how members strived to maintain the historically based group agenda through the application of their unique brand of group dynamics. In some cases, depending upon the issue at hand, the maintenance of this historically based group agenda centred upon one group member and, in other cases, involved the creation of shorter- and longer-term coalitions. Thus, an understanding of the dynamics of interaction within this group was achieved through close examination of the various contexts within which the group was embedded as well as the contexts of the individual group members. The results support the need to employ a complex adaptive systems perspective when trying to unpack group dynamics as they play out in real time. This research also reinforces the value of adopting an interpretivist perspective to enhance the depth of this learning

Sequencing three crocodilian genomes to illuminate the evolution of archosaurs and amniotes

The International Crocodilian Genomes Working Group (ICGWG) will sequence and assemble the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) and Indian gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) genomes. The status of these projects and our planned analyses are described

Basic science232. Certolizumab pegol prevents pro-inflammatory alterations in endothelial cell function

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a major comorbidity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a leading cause of death. Chronic systemic inflammation involving tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) could contribute to endothelial activation and atherogenesis. A number of anti-TNF therapies are in current use for the treatment of RA, including certolizumab pegol (CZP), (Cimzia ®; UCB, Belgium). Anti-TNF therapy has been associated with reduced clinical cardiovascular disease risk and ameliorated vascular function in RA patients. However, the specific effects of TNF inhibitors on endothelial cell function are largely unknown. Our aim was to investigate the mechanisms underpinning CZP effects on TNF-activated human endothelial cells. Methods: Human aortic endothelial cells (HAoECs) were cultured in vitro and exposed to a) TNF alone, b) TNF plus CZP, or c) neither agent. Microarray analysis was used to examine the transcriptional profile of cells treated for 6 hrs and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysed gene expression at 1, 3, 6 and 24 hrs. NF-κB localization and IκB degradation were investigated using immunocytochemistry, high content analysis and western blotting. Flow cytometry was conducted to detect microparticle release from HAoECs. Results: Transcriptional profiling revealed that while TNF alone had strong effects on endothelial gene expression, TNF and CZP in combination produced a global gene expression pattern similar to untreated control. The two most highly up-regulated genes in response to TNF treatment were adhesion molecules E-selectin and VCAM-1 (q 0.2 compared to control; p > 0.05 compared to TNF alone). The NF-κB pathway was confirmed as a downstream target of TNF-induced HAoEC activation, via nuclear translocation of NF-κB and degradation of IκB, effects which were abolished by treatment with CZP. In addition, flow cytometry detected an increased production of endothelial microparticles in TNF-activated HAoECs, which was prevented by treatment with CZP. Conclusions: We have found at a cellular level that a clinically available TNF inhibitor, CZP reduces the expression of adhesion molecule expression, and prevents TNF-induced activation of the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, CZP prevents the production of microparticles by activated endothelial cells. This could be central to the prevention of inflammatory environments underlying these conditions and measurement of microparticles has potential as a novel prognostic marker for future cardiovascular events in this patient group. Disclosure statement: Y.A. received a research grant from UCB. I.B. received a research grant from UCB. S.H. received a research grant from UCB. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Yours, Mine or Ours: What Counts as Innovation?

In this paper, I argue that research and development organizations (R&DOs) have particular perspectives on what counts as an innovation whereas the potential adopting users usually have quite different often diverse perspectives. If these 'worldviews' do not overlap or speak to each other, then what R&DOs consider innovative might constitute a waste of time and resources from the potential users' perspective, thereby negating the entire adoption process. Using complex systems theory and storytelling concepts, I argue that innovation emerges from the confluence of diverse stories. If, however, the dominant perspectives informing these stories originate from within an R&DO (in-house storytelling), then innovation will occur in a vacuum. Stories from potential adoption contexts external to an R&DO (out-of-house storytelling) need to be integrated into the innovation process at all stages whereupon out-of-house stories are actively sought out and brought into the R&DO (inward flow) and in-house stories are actively shared within relevant external contexts (outward flow). Juxtaposing in-house and out-of-house stories provides a co-evolving emergent pathway for innovation. The R&DO focuses its energy on needs/issues highlighted in out-of-house stories, thereby co-constructing the context for innovation and potential adoption. Those providing out-of-house stories become primed for innovation through an understanding of in-house stories, thereby co-constructing the adoption context. This paper integrates complex systems and storytelling concepts to provide a unique perspective on the innovation process; a process that explicitly harnesses the complex interactive dynamics between R&DOs and adopter contexts

'Learnership' in complex organisational textures

This paper focuses on developing an integrative view of leadership and organisational learning in the context of dynamic and non-linear organisational complexity. The outcome of this development is a new conceptualisation termed 'learnership'. The concept and process of 'learnership' is seen as an evolving meld of leadership and learning where responsibility for learning and for leading is progressively diffused from a few central individuals to a critical mass of organisational members, all of whom become mutually embedded in the learning process, leading where needed, following where needed, but always with a sensitive eye on the complex texture of the learning environment they inhabit. The usefulness of the concept of 'learnership' for organisations is discussed and some diagnostic trigger questions for sensing readiness and capability for 'learnership' diffusion are presented

Evaluating research quality meta-criteria for management and organisational research

Principles of complexity science are used to develop a framework of meta-criteria for evaluating the quality, coherence and value of management and organisational research. The framework can be applied to any social or behavioural science investigation. The over-arching meta-criterion is ‘convincingness’ of the research, from start to finish. ‘Convincingness’ is an emergent property influenced by 12 inter-related meta-criteria, each targeting an aspect of research groundwork, design, execution or closure. A skeletal mindmap is provided that can help researchers and reviewers apply the framework. The meta-criteria are designed to move researchers’ thinking beyond the boundaries of specific research traditions or paradigms and their localised assumptions and definitions of research validity. This should facilitate balanced and appropriately contextualised judgments of research quality

Illustrating statistical procedures finding meaning in quantitative data

This book occupies a unique position in the field of statistical analysis in the behavioural and social sciences in that it targets learners who would benefit from learning more conceptually and less computationally about statistical procedures and the software packages that can be used to implement them. This book provides a comprehensive overview of this important research skill domain with an emphasis on visual support for learning and better understanding. The primary focus is on fundamental concepts, procedures and interpretations of statistical analyses within a single broad illustrative research context. The book covers a wide range of descriptive, correlational and inferential statistical procedures as well as more advanced procedures not typically covered in introductory and intermediate statistical texts. It is an ideal reference for postgraduate students as well as for researchers seeking to broaden their conceptual exposure to what is possible in statistical analysis

Examining the effects of substitutes for leadership on performance outcomes

The study examined the role of substitutes for leadership within Australian local councils. Data from 177 local council employees indicated significant positive effects of some substitutes for leadership on performance outcomes. Furthermore, some substitutes for leadership moderated the effects of transactional leadership behaviours on performance outcomes, whereas another subcomponent of substitutes for leadership moderated the effects of social processes of leadership on performance outcomes. In addition, some substitutes for leadership partially mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and performance outcomes. Theoretical and managerial implications following on from this study are discussed

Consumers Frequent Use of Internet Banking: Empirical Evidence from Australia

This study sets out to explore the factors that influence consumer's frequent use of internet banking in Australia. Consumers' frequent use of internet banking as a post-purchase behavioural pattern that has been neglected as most of the existing studies focus on either consumer adoption or pre-adoption behavioural patterns. More and more service businesses are finding that the acquisition of new customers is difficult and started to realise that understanding consumers' frequent use of internet banking as an effective strategy for retaining the existing customer base. This study is a response to a gap in existing literature which requires the application of more integrated theory testing and the identification of factors that influence the frequent use of internet banking in hierarchical order of importance to consumers. A conceptual framework is developed based on theoretical models related to the technology acceptance and diffusion of innovations theories. Data were collected from 372 internet banking users using a cross-sectional mall intercept survey in the Western Sydney region. Exploratory factor analysis was performed for factor clarification on five key scales related to the use of internet banking service delivery based on technology, channel, social, value for money and frequent use factors. The final components that emerged were employed in hierarchical logistic regression analysis to test the proposed framework. Value for money, channel and technology factors were found, in that order, to be influential in predicting consumers' frequent use of internet banking