Create-ing Business: Understanding Professional Tension in an Advertising Agency

The purpose of this research is to concentrate on aspects of organisation culture in an advertising agency and how they help us in understanding professional tensions and conflicts. To do so I have looked within advertising agencies and endeavoured to understand their organisational dynamics. Advertising business is known for stress and tension (Kover and Goldberg, 1995). From the tension of 'pitching' Is a key step in winning a client account, here several agencies are invited to respond in person to the advertise brief. This is an important stage to demonstrate potential and add value to the product or client. Based on aesthetic values the client the makes a judgement to pass the responsibility to pass the responsibility to develop an advertisement for the product for a client to the development of an advert, the agency goes through a variety of stages where conflict, stress, internal politics and tension influence the outcome. One such tension which this research attempts to understand is the ongoing professional tussle between the creative division of an advertising agency and management. This tension between the two bodies has been studied by advertising research however these studies have only attempted to describe the conflicts that exist as well as suggest what the advertising industry can do in an attempt to tackle these scenarios. Alternatively this research applies concepts of Organisational Behaviour (OB) such as culture and identity to grasp the reasons behind this professional tension. It also recognises a strong link between identity and culture. Therefore the research challenges the common view of organisational culture, that is, it portrays culture as a form of normative control unlike the conventional notion of culture as the means of unison and conformity without resistance within an organisation. This approach will examine what role culture plays in the professional lives of an advertising agency. To analyse the role of culture as a form of control I developed a methodology that targets multiple facets of organisational culture. This research is based on a case study of an Aotearoa, New Zealand based advertising agency (pseudonym Organisation B). It involved the use of various research approaches including story or narrative analysis and rich pictures to capture the core assumptions, values and beliefs that sometimes surfaced as resistance within this agency. As a result of completing this case study I achieved some understanding of reasons that may trigger tension within an agency. I learnt of the normative and bureaucratic forms of controls used within this contemporary organisation and the rationale behind their development which I have referred to as the overarching story of Organisation B. This research also provides a new dimension to advertising research by focusing on the role of organisational culture and identity in fostering professional conflicts within an agency. This research has emphasized the role of organisational culture as a control mechanism for those in management positions. In this particular agency this is achieved via the development of a 'laid back' and 'casual' culture which is carefully designed by the owners of the business thus providing them an opportunity to curtail any resistance originating within the culture. Nevertheless, members of this agency continue to channel their resistance by striving towards the ideal creative identity. The implications of the findings to the larger advertising industry suggest that: i) Growing advertising agencies need to consider fractional views embedded in their organisational structures and realise that cultural change does not happen in isolation. ii) The research also proposes that having a strong culture is not synonymous to success and unity among a workforce. iii) There is a need to maintain a balance between creativity and strategic planning, as they are both crucial in an advertising industry

Create-ing Business: Understanding Professional Tension in an Advertising Agency

The purpose of this research is to concentrate on aspects of organisation culture in an advertising agency and how they help us in understanding professional tensions and conflicts. To do so I have looked within advertising agencies and endeavoured to understand their organisational dynamics. Advertising business is known for stress and tension (Kover and Goldberg, 1995). From the tension of 'pitching' Is a key step in winning a client account, here several agencies are invited to respond in person to the advertise brief. This is an important stage to demonstrate potential and add value to the product or client. Based on aesthetic values the client the makes a judgement to pass the responsibility to pass the responsibility to develop an advertisement for the product for a client to the development of an advert, the agency goes through a variety of stages where conflict, stress, internal politics and tension influence the outcome. One such tension which this research attempts to understand is the ongoing professional tussle between the creative division of an advertising agency and management. This tension between the two bodies has been studied by advertising research however these studies have only attempted to describe the conflicts that exist as well as suggest what the advertising industry can do in an attempt to tackle these scenarios. Alternatively this research applies concepts of Organisational Behaviour (OB) such as culture and identity to grasp the reasons behind this professional tension. It also recognises a strong link between identity and culture. Therefore the research challenges the common view of organisational culture, that is, it portrays culture as a form of normative control unlike the conventional notion of culture as the means of unison and conformity without resistance within an organisation. This approach will examine what role culture plays in the professional lives of an advertising agency. To analyse the role of culture as a form of control I developed a methodology that targets multiple facets of organisational culture. This research is based on a case study of an Aotearoa, New Zealand based advertising agency (pseudonym Organisation B). It involved the use of various research approaches including story or narrative analysis and rich pictures to capture the core assumptions, values and beliefs that sometimes surfaced as resistance within this agency. As a result of completing this case study I achieved some understanding of reasons that may trigger tension within an agency. I learnt of the normative and bureaucratic forms of controls used within this contemporary organisation and the rationale behind their development which I have referred to as the overarching story of Organisation B. This research also provides a new dimension to advertising research by focusing on the role of organisational culture and identity in fostering professional conflicts within an agency. This research has emphasized the role of organisational culture as a control mechanism for those in management positions. In this particular agency this is achieved via the development of a 'laid back' and 'casual' culture which is carefully designed by the owners of the business thus providing them an opportunity to curtail any resistance originating within the culture. Nevertheless, members of this agency continue to channel their resistance by striving towards the ideal creative identity. The implications of the findings to the larger advertising industry suggest that: i) Growing advertising agencies need to consider fractional views embedded in their organisational structures and realise that cultural change does not happen in isolation. ii) The research also proposes that having a strong culture is not synonymous to success and unity among a workforce. iii) There is a need to maintain a balance between creativity and strategic planning, as they are both crucial in an advertising industry

Generation Y as Digital Consumer:A Conceptual Framework for Mobile Marketing in India

Among the emerging economies, India is the most promising market for Generation Y, because majority of Indian’s population belongs to this segment (those born between 1980 and 2000). These individuals are tech-savvy and extensively use mobile phones. This study aims to uncover the role of mobile phone that has emerged along with the evolution of Generation Y. The digitized consumers of this generation need to be understood in light of the importance of family, friends and peers. This will help us determine the purchase of products and brands via mobile phones while understanding the characteristics of these individuals. A total of 10 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 72 respondents were conducted in three Indian leading cities: Mumbai, Bangalore, and Ahmedabad. The study found that Generation Y widely use mobile phone, get influenced by the peers, family and friends and get involved with the brands via phone. Generation Y also focus on personalization, security and sharing; while they emerge as digital consumers

NaV channel variants in patients with painful and nonpainful peripheral neuropathy

Objective: To examine the incidence of nonsynonymous missense variants in SCN9A (NaV1.7), SCN10A (NaV1.8), and SCN11A (NaV1.9) in patients with painful and nonpainful peripheral neuropathy. Methods: Next-generation sequencing was performed on 457 patient DNA samples provided by the Peripheral Neuropathy Research Registry (PNRR). The patient diagnosis was as follows: 278 idiopathic peripheral neuropathy (67% painful and 33% nonpainful) and 179 diabetic distal polyneuropathy (77% painful and 23% nonpainful). Results: We identified 36 (SCN9A), 31 (SCN10A), and 15 (SCN11A) nonsynonymous missense variants, with 47.7% of patients carrying a low-frequency (minor allele frequency <5%) missense variant in at least 1 gene. The incidence of previously reported gain-of-function missense variants was low (≤3%), and these were detected in patients with and without pain. There were no significant differences in missense variant allele frequencies of any gene, or SCN9A haplotype frequencies, between PNRR patients with painful or nonpainful peripheral neuropathy. PNRR patient SCN9A and SCN11A missense variant allele frequencies were not significantly different from the Exome Variant Server, European American (EVS-EA) reference population. For SCN10A, there was a significant increase in the alternate allele frequency of the common variant p.V1073A and low-frequency variant pS509P in PNRR patients compared with EVS-EA and the 1000 Genomes European reference populations. Conclusions: These results suggest that identification of a genetically defined subpopulation for testing of NaV1.7 inhibitors in patients with peripheral neuropathy is unlikely and that additional factors, beyond expression of previously reported disease “mutations,” are more important for the development of painful neuropathy than previously discussed

NaV channel variants in patients with painful and nonpainful peripheral neuropathy

Objective: To examine the incidence of nonsynonymous missense variants in SCN9A (NaV1.7), SCN10A (NaV1.8), and SCN11A (NaV1.9) in patients with painful and nonpainful peripheral neuropathy. Methods: Next-generation sequencing was performed on 457 patient DNA samples provided by the Peripheral Neuropathy Research Registry (PNRR). The patient diagnosis was as follows: 278 idiopathic peripheral neuropathy (67% painful and 33% nonpainful) and 179 diabetic distal polyneuropathy (77% painful and 23% nonpainful). Results: We identified 36 (SCN9A), 31 (SCN10A), and 15 (SCN11A) nonsynonymous missense variants, with 47.7% of patients carrying a low-frequency (minor allele frequency <5%) missense variant in at least 1 gene. The incidence of previously reported gain-of-function missense variants was low (≤3%), and these were detected in patients with and without pain. There were no significant differences in missense variant allele frequencies of any gene, or SCN9A haplotype frequencies, between PNRR patients with painful or nonpainful peripheral neuropathy. PNRR patient SCN9A and SCN11A missense variant allele frequencies were not significantly different from the Exome Variant Server, European American (EVS-EA) reference population. For SCN10A, there was a significant increase in the alternate allele frequency of the common variant p.V1073A and low-frequency variant pS509P in PNRR patients compared with EVS-EA and the 1000 Genomes European reference populations. Conclusions: These results suggest that identification of a genetically defined subpopulation for testing of NaV1.7 inhibitors in patients with peripheral neuropathy is unlikely and that additional factors, beyond expression of previously reported disease “mutations,” are more important for the development of painful neuropathy than previously discussed

Create-ing Business: Understanding Professional Tension in an Advertising Agency

The purpose of this research is to concentrate on aspects of organisation culture in an advertising agency and how they help us in understanding professional tensions and conflicts. To do so I have looked within advertising agencies and endeavoured to understand their organisational dynamics. Advertising business is known for stress and tension (Kover and Goldberg, 1995). From the tension of 'pitching' Is a key step in winning a client account, here several agencies are invited to respond in person to the advertise brief. This is an important stage to demonstrate potential and add value to the product or client. Based on aesthetic values the client the makes a judgement to pass the responsibility to pass the responsibility to develop an advertisement for the product for a client to the development of an advert, the agency goes through a variety of stages where conflict, stress, internal politics and tension influence the outcome. One such tension which this research attempts to understand is the ongoing professional tussle between the creative division of an advertising agency and management. This tension between the two bodies has been studied by advertising research however these studies have only attempted to describe the conflicts that exist as well as suggest what the advertising industry can do in an attempt to tackle these scenarios. Alternatively this research applies concepts of Organisational Behaviour (OB) such as culture and identity to grasp the reasons behind this professional tension. It also recognises a strong link between identity and culture. Therefore the research challenges the common view of organisational culture, that is, it portrays culture as a form of normative control unlike the conventional notion of culture as the means of unison and conformity without resistance within an organisation. This approach will examine what role culture plays in the professional lives of an advertising agency. To analyse the role of culture as a form of control I developed a methodology that targets multiple facets of organisational culture. This research is based on a case study of an Aotearoa, New Zealand based advertising agency (pseudonym Organisation B). It involved the use of various research approaches including story or narrative analysis and rich pictures to capture the core assumptions, values and beliefs that sometimes surfaced as resistance within this agency. As a result of completing this case study I achieved some understanding of reasons that may trigger tension within an agency. I learnt of the normative and bureaucratic forms of controls used within this contemporary organisation and the rationale behind their development which I have referred to as the overarching story of Organisation B. This research also provides a new dimension to advertising research by focusing on the role of organisational culture and identity in fostering professional conflicts within an agency. This research has emphasized the role of organisational culture as a control mechanism for those in management positions. In this particular agency this is achieved via the development of a 'laid back' and 'casual' culture which is carefully designed by the owners of the business thus providing them an opportunity to curtail any resistance originating within the culture. Nevertheless, members of this agency continue to channel their resistance by striving towards the ideal creative identity. The implications of the findings to the larger advertising industry suggest that: i) Growing advertising agencies need to consider fractional views embedded in their organisational structures and realise that cultural change does not happen in isolation. ii) The research also proposes that having a strong culture is not synonymous to success and unity among a workforce. iii) There is a need to maintain a balance between creativity and strategic planning, as they are both crucial in an advertising industry

Membrane remodeling by novel regulators of the recycling endosome: the RME-1 and AMPH-1 partnership

Endocytic recycling is the process where by molecules traffic from endosomes back to the plasma membrane. This process is crucial for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and cell polarity. C. elegans RME-1 and its mammalian homolog mRme-1/EHD1 are required for exit of cargo from the recycling endosome. The mechanism by which they control cargo exit has led to a proposal that they may function in formation of carrier tubules that break off from the recycling endosome. Recent studies suggested parallels of EHD family to the Dynamin GTPase superfamily of mechanoenzymes which function in membrane fission at the clathrin coated pit. Through a bioinformatics based screen we identified an interaction between RME-1 and AMPH-1, the only C. elegans member of Amphiphysin/BIN1 family of BAR-domain proteins. In mammalian neuronal synapses, Amphiphysin family proteins regulate the recruitment and activity of Dynamin for formation of vesicles. We established that AMPH-1 co localizes with RME-1 on recycling endosomes in vivo, amph-1 deletion mutants are defective in recycling endosome morphology and function and that AMPH-1 and RME-1 cooperatively promote the recycling of transmembrane cargo. in vitro we found that purified recombinant AMPH-1/RME-1 co-assemble on membranes to produce short, coated tubules which are qualitatively distinct from those produced by either protein alone. We have established that AMPH-1 and RME-1 serve as a novel membrane tubulation and possibly fission machinery at the recycling endosome, an interaction that is conserved in mammals. We also investigated the function of a serine/threonine kinase of the germinal center kinase family (GCK-2) which is known to bind two Rabs, RAB-10 and RAB-8, which function in endocytic recycling. We established that GCK-2 is a novel effector of RAB-8 in regulating RME-1 labeled recycling endosomes. In select functions, it may serve as a RAB-10 effector. This may be an example of RABs being sequentially activated by binding the same effector. This study identifies a novel function for a germinal center kinase proteins whose only known function relates to the MAPK signaling cascade. We recently established an interaction between GCK-2 and AMPH-1. We hypothesize that this interaction could serve as a hub which ties together the major recycling endosome interactions mapped for RME-1/AMPH-1 as well as with RAB-8/RAB-10.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical references (p. 292-304)by Saumya Pan

Genetic algorithm-enhanced rank aggregation model to measure the performance of pulp and paper industries

Performance measurement is a complex but important task required in all sectors. The problem however arises when usage of different methods for performance assessment provides different results. Under such circum-stances when there is a difference of opinions, rank aggregation methods can be used to provide the best solution to decision-makers (DMs). Such approaches, also known as data fusion approaches, combine ranked lists from various methods to generate a consensus. In this study, a novel rank aggregation method is proposed for addressing the problem of conflicting MCDM ranking results. The suggested method uses genetic algorithm (GA) to minimize the Euclidean distance between the ideal ranking and the ranking computed by multiple MCDM methods. This model is embedded into a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (HMCDM) approach, which is divided into three distinct phases. The first phase identifies the most efficient alternatives; the second analyses the rankings obtained through various MCDM methods; and finally, a compromise ranking result is generated. The proposed approach is employed to measure the performance of Indian Pulp and Papermaking Industries (IPPI).Web of Science172art. no. 10854