Antecedents and Consequences of Leaders’ Security Orientation

Organizations’ leaders are responsible for ensuring that firms’ proprietary assets are protected from expropriation. Firms are increasingly targets of large-scale proprietary assets breaches that jeopardize their ability to financially benefit from their innovation activities. Some firms have proactively built capabilities that allow them to protect their proprietary assets, while leaders are more security oriented and therefore do more to protect their organizations from proprietary assets breaches? Current research on leaders’ role in the protection of proprietary assets is lacking at the strategic level because most studies on organizational security have emphasized employee-level behaviors (e.g., da Veiga & Eloff, 2010, Lee, Lee & Lee, 2002; Straub & Nance, 1990). Exploring leaders’ role in proprietary asset protection is important given their role in strategic decision-making. Accordingly, research should examine leaders’ security orientation influence on firm outcomes, including the drivers of orientations and consequences for strategic choice and organizational performance. This dissertation examines the concept of leaders’ security orientation (LSO) and its influence on choice of strategic alliance and innovation strategies, as well as on firm performance. I sought to achieve three objectives with this dissertation. First, I aimed to conceptualize LSO and measure it using a comprehensive, multi-dimension scale. Second, I explored the firm, managerial, and industry level drivers of LSO. Third, I examined the link between LSO and firms’ choices of equity and non-equity strategic alliances, exploitative and exploratory innovation, as well as firm performance. I drew insights from upper echelons, institutional, strategic sensemaking, and prospect theories. I explored the above relationships using customized datasets drawn from different sources. I found several predictors and consequences of LSO at the managerial, firm, and industry levels, including executive technological interpretation as a threat, knowledge intensity and global presence, among others. The consequences of LSO included equity-based strategic alliances, exploitative innovation, and firm performance. I also tested and found evidence to support a mediating effect of LSO on firm performance through equity-based strategic alliances as well as a mediating effect of LSO on firm performance through exploitative innovation

System of Systems Architecture Generation and Evaluation Using Evolutionary Algorithms

Evolutionary algorithms and computational intelligence represent a developing technology and science that provides great potential in the area of system and system-of-systems architecture generation, categorization and evaluation. Classical system engineering analysis techniques have been used to represent a system architecture in a manner that is compatible with evolutionary algorithms and computational intelligence techniques. This paper focuses on specific system relationship configurations and attributes that are required to successfully aggregate the best-fit function in a fuzzy associative memory that is used in an evolutionary algorithm to generate and evaluate system architectures

System of Systems: Power and Paradox

Systems concepts and artifacts provide the basis for enumerable sources of power and wealth in our modern world. Culture, art and science all are based on established systems of behavior, values and thought. The current environment is densely populated with physical system artifacts that are used in every aspect of human life. The ubiquitous nature of existing systems has generated a strong interest in using an existing set of systems as the basis for a system of systems. Further interest in the system-of-systems approach is stimulated by rapid development, deployment and expansion of new and existing systems. While successful system and system-of-systems production provides the basis of great power, many system development activities result in failure. The paradox is that while many individual systems work well as a single system, they fail when incorporated as a component of a system of systems. Successful system-of-systems characteristics and attributes are explored in this paper

Acceptance and commitment therapy delivered in a dyad after a severe traumatic brain injury: a feasibility study

Objective: There is a high prevalence of complex psychological distress after a traumatic brain injury but limited evidence of effective interventions. We examined the feasibility of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy after a severe traumatic brain injury using the criteria, investigating a therapeutic effect, and reviewing the acceptability of measures, treatment protocol, and delivery method (in a dyad of two clients and a therapist). Method: Two male outpatients with severe traumatic brain injury and associated psychological distress jointly engaged in a seven session treatment program based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles. Pre- and post-treatment measures of mood, psychological flexibility, and participation were taken in addition to weekly measures. Results: The intervention showed a therapeutic effect with one participant, and appeared to be acceptable for both participants with regard to program content, measures, and delivery mode by in a dyad. One participant showed both significant clinical and reliable change across several outcome measures including measures of mood and psychological flexibility. The second participant did not show a reduction in psychological inflexibility, but did show a significant drop in negative affect. Significant changes pre- to post-treatment for measures of participation were not indicated. Qualitatively, both participants engaged in committed action set in accordance with their values. Conclusions: This study suggests that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy may be feasible to be delivered in a dyad with individuals who have a severe traumatic brain injury. A further test of its potential efficacy in a phase II clinical trial is recommended

Virtual Rituals: Community, Emotion, and Ritual in Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games—A Quantitative Test and Extension of Structural Ritualization Theory

Millions of people worldwide immerse themselves in massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). These games generate large, diverse communities that engage in rituals within the game, completing missions or quests. What role do these MMORPG rituals play in commitment to these gaming communities? To address this question, we extend structural ritualization theory to explain the impact of ritual events and emotion on commitment to community in the game World of Warcraft. Our findings suggest that players focused on inanimate resources are less committed than players who focus on social aspects of the ritual events inside the game. We also find that emotional investment is a good predictor of commitment to community

Elastic Pekeris waveguide normal mode solution comparisons against laboratory data

Following the derivation presented by Press and Ewing [Geophysics 15, 426-446 (1950)], a normal mode solution for the Pekeris waveguide problem with an elastic bottom is outlined. The analytic solution is benchmarked against data collected in an experiment performed at the Naval Research Laboratory [Collis et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 122, 1987-1993 (2007)]. Comparisons reveal a close match between the analytic solution and experimental data. Results are strongly dependent on the accuracy of the horizontal wavenumbers for the modes, and horizontal wavenumber spectra are compared against those from the experimental data. (C) 2012 Acoustical Society of AmericaNational Science Foundation Division of Graduate Education [DGE-0638719

System Evaluation and Description Using Abstract Relation Types (ART)

Two abstract relation types (ART) are developed to represent, describe and establish a computational framework for a system. An abstract relation type is closely related to and builds upon two fundamental ideas. The first idea is the binary relation and structural modeling techniques developed by John N. Warfield. The second idea is the concept of abstract data types. These two ideas are combined to create an abstract relation type that provides a structured representation and computational method for systems and system components. The complete system description approach is based on six abstract relation types: context, concept, functions, requirements, architecture, and test (CCFRAT). When combined with digraphs and other graphical representations of the matrix form, ART provides a powerful tool for the communication of complex system interactions to large system design teams

Composition of dissolved organic matter within a lacustrine environment

Freshwater dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a complex mixture of chemical components that are central to many environmental processes, including carbon and nitrogen cycling. However, questions remain as to its chemical characteristics, sources and transformation mechanisms. Here, we employ 1- and 2-D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to investigate the structural components of lacustrine DOM from Ireland, and how it varies within a lake system, as well as to assess potential sources. Major components found, such as carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM) are consistent with those recently identified in marine and freshwater DOM. Lignin-type markers and protein/peptides were identified and vary spatially. Phenylalanine was detected in lake areas influenced by agriculture, whereas it is not detectable where zebra mussels are prominent. The presence of peptidoglycan, lipoproteins, large polymeric carbo- hydrates and proteinaceous material supports the substantial contribution of material derived from microorganisms. Evidence is provided that peptidoglycan and silicate species may in part originate from soil microbes

Emerging regulatory paradigms in glutathione metabolism

One of the hallmarks of cancer is the ability to generate and withstand unusual levels of oxidative stress. In part, this property of tumor cells is conferred by elevation of the cellular redox buffer glutathione. Though enzymes of the glutathione synthesis and salvage pathways have been characterized for several decades, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of their independent and coordinate regulatory mechanisms. Recent studies have further revealed that overall central metabolic pathways are frequently altered in various tumor types, resulting in significant increases in biosynthetic capacity, and feeding into glutathione synthesis. In this review, we will discuss the enzymes and pathways affecting glutathione flux in cancer, and summarize current models for regulating cellular glutathione through both de novo synthesis and efficient salvage. In addition, we examine the integration of glutathione metabolism with other altered fates of intermediary metabolites, and highlight remaining questions about molecular details of the accepted regulatory modes

A Generic, Adaptive Systems Engineering Information Model I

This paper proposes a new network centric architecture that can be used by first responders to effectively respond to crisis situations. The powerful network-centric concept originally developed for and mainly used in the military environment, can be effectively used for civilian security and emergency response missions. This paper also proposes the use of a swarm of intelligent robots as a part of the network-centric architecture to aid the first responders. The swarm of robots works in tandem with the first responders and provides them with the necessary information on a real time basis. The proposed network centric architecture with a swarming robot entity is explained in detail using C4ISR framework. The proposed architecture if implemented successfully will result in solving crisis situations, may it be natural calamity or terrorist attacks, more efficiently and effectively