Teamwork and organizational innovation: the moderating role of the HRM context

Evidence is accumulating on the role of teams in shaping a variety of business outcomes, but our knowledge on the effect of teamwork on organizational innovation is still evolving. This study examines whether the extent to which two staff groups are organized in teams (production staff and management/administrative staff) affects organizational innovation and whether human resource management (HRM) systems, which can be of facilitating or con- straining nature, enhance the teamwork/innovation relationships. Hypotheses were tested with lagged and longitudinal data derived from 18 to 45 organizations from the UK manufacturing sector. Results suggest that the more widespread the use of teamwork in organizations, the higher the level of organizational innovation. Furthermore, this effect depends, particularly for production teams, on the overall quality of the HRM systems that exist in their organizations. Teamwork/innovation relationships are further moderated (for management and administrative teams) by an HRM practice that provides teams with time for thoughtful reflection. Thus, HRM systems can be of more or less facilitating or constraining nature for teams in organizations

Nodulation of legumes on new light land. 4. Rhizobial strains for pasture establishment

LEGUMES are the basis of improved pastures in Western Australia. Successful establishment of these legumes depends on the presence in the soil of suitable bacteria which will invade the roots and develop nodules in which nitrogen fixation is carried out. The nitrogen compounds produced are utilised by the plants, making them independent of soil nitrogen. At the end of the season, the decomposition of the plant residues improves soil fertility

Nodulation of legumes on new light land. 1. Survival of rhizobia on inoculated pelleted seed held for varying periods before sowing into dry soil

MOST of the light land areas being opened up in Western Australia are very sparsely populated with the rhizobial bacteria so essential for successful legume establishment. Seed inoculation is therefore a necessity. Farmers often have to resort to dry sowing because of the large acreages being planted or late opening rains

Inoculation and lime pelleting of leguminous seeds

MOST of the extensive areas of new land being brought into cultivation in Western Australia are very sparsely populated with the rhizobial root nodule bacteria which are essential for successful legume pasture establishment. These bacteria, therefore, must be introduced into the soil where, under favourable conditions, they will develop nodules on the roots (Fig. 1)

Nodulation of legumes on new light land. 2. Protection of rhizobia from the toxic action of superphosphate and trace elements

VAST areas of new light land being developed in Western Australia are deficient in trace elements such as copper, zinc and molybdenum as well as in phosphorus. These fertilisers are known to be damaging to the rhizobial bacteria inoculated on the seed unless they are protected by lime pelleting

Nodulation of legumes on new light land. 3. The effect of Rogor seed treatment on legume nodulation

SEED treatment with systemic insecticides is widely used for the control of insect pests. However, when seed inoculation is necessary for pasture establishment, seed treatment with insecticide is not advisable. A field experiment conducted at Badgingarra Research Station in 1964 showed that the systemic insecticide Rogor was very damaging to the applied rhizobia even when the treated seed was held for a month before inoculation

Homo neanderthalensis and the evolutionary origins of ritual in Homo sapiens

There is a large, if disparate, body of archaeological literature discussing specific instantiations of symbolic material culture and the possibility of ritual practices in Neanderthal populations. Despite this attention, however, no single synthesis exists that draws upon cognitive, psychological and cultural evolutionary theories of ritual. Here, we review the evidence for ritual-practice among now-extinct Homo neanderthalensis, as well as the necessary cognitive pre-conditions for such behaviour, in order to explore the evolution of ritual in Homo sapiens. We suggest that the currently available archaeological evidence indicates that Neanderthals may have used ‘ritualization’ to increase the successful transmission of technical knowledge across generations—providing an explanation for the technological stability of the Middle Palaeolithic and attesting to a survival strategy differing from near-contemporary H. sapiens. / This article is part of the theme issue ‘Ritual renaissance: new insights into the most human of behaviours’