CRIATIVIDADE E INOVAÇÃO DEFINIDAS POR TRABALHADORES

Creativity and innovation are now required given the new configurations in work processes, in organizational formats, in physical and intangible technologies, as well as in products and markets. In parallel with the growing centrality and interest in the phenomena of creativity and innovation, a broadening of its concepts is observed. The inflation and trivialization of uses tend to make them self-explanatory and not very enlightening regarding situations to which they apply and the associated effects. The lack of conceptual clarity thus contributes both to undermining policies to promote creativity and innovation in organizations, as well as to hinder the employees' adherence to such policies. The study aimed to characterize the key elements of workers' informal definitions of creativity and innovation, and identify their alignment with definitions and theoretical perspectives. The study included 231 workers from Portuguese-, Spanish-, and Basque-speaking countries, aged 22-75 years. The qualitative data analysis software ATLAS.ti 7 was used for coding and categorization. One point of convergence with the specialized literature was that creativity and innovation strongly associated with novelty in the development of an idea / product / process / service. Creativity, however, is defined more in terms of dispositional factors rather than contextual and situational factors, diverging from current theoretical perspectives. Planning as a key aspect for organizational innovation development is practically absent from the workers' definitions. It discusses some impacts of these settings for organizational management practices.Tanto la creatividad como la innovación son necesarias si tenemos en cuenta las nuevas configuraciones en los procesos del trabajo, en los formatos organizacionales, en las tecnologías físicas e intangibles, así como en los productos y mercados. Al tiempo que se produce una mayor centralidad e interés en el fenómeno de la creatividad y la innovación, asistimos a un desarrollo de sus conceptos asociados.  La inflación y trivialización en sus usos tienden a hacerlos autoexplicativos y sin capacidad para ilustrarnos sobre aquellas situaciones a las que hacen referencia y sus efectos asociados. La falta de claridad conceptual contribuye a socavar políticas que promuevan la creatividad e innovación en las organizaciones y dificultan la implicación de los trabajadores en dichas politicas. El objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar los elementos principales que forman parte de las definiciones informales de creatividad dadas por los trabajadores e identificar su pertenencia a distintas definiciones y perspectivas teóricas existentes en la literatura sobre el tema. En este estudio participaron 231 trabajadores de lengua portuguesa, española y vasca, entre 22 y 75 años de edad. Para la categorización y codificación de los datos se utilizó el atlas Ti 7, versión 1.8. Una característica convergente con la bibliografía especializada fue que la creatividad y la innovación se encontraban fuertemente asociadas a novedad en el desarrollo de una idea/producto/proceso/servicio. La creatividad, sin embargo, era definida más en términos de factores disposicionales que de factores contextuales y situacionales, distanciándose de las perspectivas teóricasA criatividade e inovação passam a ser requeridas em virtude das novas configurações nos processos de trabalho, nos formatos organizacionais, nas tecnologias físicas e intangíveis, e ainda nos produtos e mercados. Em paralelo à crescente centralidade e interesse pelos fenômenos de criatividade e de inovação, observa-se o alargamento de seus conceitos. A inflação e banalização de usos tendem a torná-los autoexplicáveis e pouco elucidativos de situações a que se aplicam e dos efeitos associados. A ausência de clareza conceitual contribui, assim, tanto para fragilizar as políticas de promoção da criatividade e inovação nas organizações, quanto para dificultar a adesão dos trabalhadores a tais políticas. O estudo objetivou caracterizar os elementos-chave das definições livres de criatividade e inovação de trabalhadores e a identificação de seu alinhamento a definições e perspectivas teóricas presentes na literatura sobre o tema. Participaram do estudo 231 trabalhadores de países de língua portuguesa, espanhola e euskera, com idade entre 22 a 75 anos de idade. Fez-se uso do software de análise de dados qualitativos Atlas TI 7 versão 1.8 para codificação e categorização.  Um ponto de convergência com a literatura especializada foi que a criatividade e inovação apresentaram-se fortemente associadas à novidade no desenvolvimento de uma ideia/produto/processo/serviço. A criatividade, no entanto, é definida mais em termos de fatores disposicionais que de fatores contextuais e situacionais, distanciando-se das perspectivas teóricas atuais.   O planejamento como um aspecto-chave para o desenvolvimento da inovação organizacional está praticamente ausente das definições dos trabalhadores. Analisam-se os impactos dessas definições para as práticas de gestão organizacional.

family interactions and the involvement of adolescents in bullying situations from a bioecological perspective

Abstract Exposure to school bullying is a situation experienced in children and adolescents' routine and a few bullying complex conditions have not yet been sufficiently explored. Thus, this study's objective aimed at synthesizing empirical evidence concerning the relationship between bullying and family variables in a theoretical model. Adopting a mixed design, the total sample included 2,354 students from 11 public schools who participated in the quantitative stage study. Data were collected using two scales. In the quantitative stage 55 students were randomly selected for semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that positive family interactions have a protective power in relation to bullying and victimization, while negative family interactions increase the risk of students becoming involved in such situations. The factors that influence students' involvement in school bullying belonged to the analytical components of the Bioecological Model. The outcome helped a better understanding of bullying and provided empirical support for family inclusion in the issue

Improved lignocellulosic biomass yield of RAV1 engineered poplars in a SRC field trial

Background Plantations of Populus spp, Salix spp. or Eucalyptus spp. are established to produce wood in a reduced space and a short time. Poplars are cultivated with cycles of 15-18 years to obtain saw timber and peeler logs, and when grown for biomass production as short-rotation coppice (SRC), cutting back/coppicing cycles are reduced to 2?5-years intervals. Syllepsis is among the valuable traits that can be targeted to enhance biomass yield of SRCs. Syllepsis, i.e. the outgrowth of lateral buds into branches the same season in which they form without an intervening rest period, increases carbon fixation and allocation in the shoot and hence the general growth of the tree. A high degree of sylleptic branching is known to be positively correlated with biomass yield when these plantations are grown under optimal conditions [1]. In 2012 we established in Madrid (Spain) a SRC field trial with genetically engineered poplars, previously shown to develop sylleptic branches when cultivated in growth chambers, under optimal conditions [2]. The aim of starting up this field trial was to test whether a plastic trait as syllepsis was maintained over time under natural conditions and eventually resulted in an enhanced biomass production Methods In vitro culture rooted cuttings were initially potted in 3.5L containers with blond peat and grown in the greenhouse as previously described [2]. The field trial was established in July 2012 in the experimental plot, and included five groups of hybrid poplar Populus tremula x P. alba INRA clone 717 1B, the wild-type genotype as control, transgenic events #37 and #60 carrying the 35S::3xHA:CsRAV1 cassette (3xHA:CsRAV1 OX), and events #1 and #22 carrying the 35S::PtaRAV1-hpiRNA cassette (PtaRAV1&2 KD). 30 individuals per group were planted into three blocks of 10 plants each. The experimental plot area was 204 m2 , and the plantation density 10000 trees/ha. It consisted of 12 x 17 rows with a tree spacing 2 x 0.5 m. The border rows were occupied by P. x euramericana clone I-214 individuals, planted as 25 cm-long cuttings. Irrigation and weed/pests control were applied, and the first coppicing cycle was done after the second growing season [3]. Several productivity determinants (stem height and diameter, syllepsis and phenology) were monitored, wood anatomy and chemistry analyzed, and aerial biomass yield and calorific value determined. Results and Conclusions CsRAV1 over-expressing event #60 showed an advantageous performance in the field regarding stem diameter and biomass production after the first coppicing cycle. In this event, sylleptic branches grew from the main shoot during the first growing seasons, after the plantation establishment and after coppicing. None of the other traits under study such as phenology, wood anatomy and chemistry were noticeably altered when compared to the wild type genotype. These results show that in woody species RAV1 is a highly valuable target gene that can be used as biotechnological tool to enhance biomass yield of poplar SRC plantations without detrimental side-effects in tree development and characteristics

Impact fro RAV1 engineering on biomass production of a poplat SRC field trial

Plantations of Populus spp, Salix spp, or Eucalyptus spp. are established to produce wood. Poplars are cultivated with cycles of 15-18 years to obtain saw timber and peeler logs and, when grown for biomass production as short-rotation coppice (SRC), cutting back/coppicing cycles are reduced to 2-5-years intervals. Syllepsis and winter dormancy are among the valuable traits that can be targeted to enhance biomass yield of SRCs. Syllepsis, i.e. the outgrowth of lateral buds into branches the same season in which they form without an intervening rest period, increases carbon fixation and allocation in the shoot and hence the general growth of the tree. A high degree of sylleptic branching is known to be positively correlated with biomass yield when these plantations are grown under optimal conditions. In 2012 we established in Madrid (Spain) a SRC field trial with genetically engineered poplars, previously shown to develop sylleptic branches when cultivated in growth chambers, under optimal conditions. The aim of starting up this field trial was to test whether a plastic trait as syllepsis was maintained over the time under natural conditions and eventually resulted in an enhanced biomass production. During two growing seasons after the establishment year, we have monitored the evolution of several productivity determinants (stem dimensions, syllepsis, phenology). After a first coppicing cycle, we have analyzed the anatomy and chemistry of the wood of these trees, and have determined their aerial biomass yield and calorific value. We will discuss whether RAV1 may become a target gene to be used as biotechnological tool to enhance biomass yielof poplar SRC plantations

Explorando o eurocentrismo nos manuais portugueses de História

In this article, we present an analytical approach developed under the investigation project “Race” and Africa in Portugal: a study about history school manuals. We particularly explore the construction of a Eurocentric view of national/European history resulting from an epistemology based on a teleological conception of historical time and the design of a geography based on the dichotomy center/peripheries. In order to do so, we propose three analytical lines: (i) the employment of space/time for the construction of a logical historical narrative; (ii) the use of the national democratic State as the paradigm of political, social and economic administration; (iii) the naturalization of relations of power and violence, as a way of producing a narrative depoliticized of certain crucial processes (such as slavery or Christianization). Next, we analyze the implications of this framework for education, by arguing that the prevalence of a positivist epistemology – which proposes an approach that compensates for difference through inclusion and other versions of history – is incapable of challenging and transforming the offi cial Eurocentric narratives. We conclude with the proposition of an empiric approach for the study of school manuals that considers the diversity of actors involved in its production and circulation, and also the multiplicity of text readings.Neste artigo, apresentamos uma abordagem analítica desenvolvida no âmbito do projecto de investigação “Raça” e África em Portugal: um estudo sobre manuais escolares de história. Em particular, exploramos a construção de uma visão eurocêntrica da história nacional/europeia resultante de uma epistemologia assente numa concepção teleológica do tempo histórico e no desenho de uma geografi a que se baseia na dicotomia centro/periferias. Para tal, propomos três linhas analíticas: (i) o emprego do espaço/tempo para a construção de uma narrativa histórica lógica; (ii) o uso do Estado nacional democrático como paradigma de administração política, social e económica; (iii) a naturalização de relações de poder e violência, de forma a produzir uma narrativa despolitizada de certos processos cruciais (como a escravatura ou a cristianização). De seguida, analisamos as implicações deste enquadramento para a educação, argumentando que a prevalência de uma epistemologia positivista – que propõe uma abordagem compensatória à diferença, por meio da inclusão de outras versões da história – é incapaz de desafi ar e transformar as narrativas eurocêntricas ofi ciais. Concluímos com a proposta de uma abordagem empírica para o estudo dos manuais escolares que considere a diversidade de actores envolvidos na sua produção e circulação e a multiplicidade de leituras dos textos

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION AS DEFINED BY WORKER

ABSTRACT Creativity and innovation are now required given the new configurations in work processes, in organizational formats, in physical and intangible technologies, as well as in products and markets. In parallel with the growing centrality and interest in the phenomena of creativity and innovation, a broadening of its concepts is observed. The inflation and trivialization of uses tend to make them self-explanatory and not very enlightening regarding situations to which they apply and the associated effects. The lack of conceptual clarity thus contributes both to undermining policies to promote creativity and innovation in organizations, as well as to hinder the employees' adherence to such policies. The study aimed to characterize the key elements of workers' informal definitions of creativity and innovation, and identify their alignment with definitions and theoretical perspectives. The study included 231 workers from Portuguese-, Spanish-, and Basque-speaking countries, aged 22-75 years. The qualitative data analysis software ATLAS.ti 7 was used for coding and categorization. One point of convergence with the specialized literature was that creativity and innovation strongly associated with novelty in the development of an idea / product / process / service. Creativity, however, is defined more in terms of dispositional factors rather than contextual and situational factors, diverging from current theoretical perspectives. Planning as a key aspect for organizational innovation development is practically absent from the workers' definitions. It discusses some impacts of these settings for organizational management practices