Building on Innovation: The Significance of Anchor Institutions in a New Era of City Building

Murphy, Tom. Building on Innovation: The Significance of Anchor Institutions in a New Era of City Building. Washington, D.C.: Urban Land Institute, 201

Implied Class Warfare: Why Rule 23 Needs an Explicit Ascertainability Requirement in the Wake of \u3cem\u3eByrd v. Aaron’s Inc.\u3c/em\u3e

On April 16, 2015, in Byrd v. Aaron’s Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit articulated its heightened standard for Rule 23’s implied requirement that a class be ascertainable. This standard has proven to frustrate Rule 23’s historical purpose of providing small-claim plaintiffs a mechanism through which they can economically prosecute their rights, especially in the context of consumer class actions. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the heightened standard introduced by the Third Circuit in favor of a “weak” interpretation of Rule 23’s implied ascertainability requirement. This Comment argues that Rule 23 needs to be amended to explicitly include ascertainability as a requirement to class certification so that the certification process can be adjudicated consistently in federal courts. Further, this Comment argues that modeling such an amendment on the Seventh Circuit’s “weak” version of the implied ascertainability requirement will best return Rule 23 to its historical purpose

Locating IT Competencies in a Learning Organization: A Case Study of the Development of Firm Specific IT Resources at Analog Devices, Inc.

The process by which IT competencies are created and applied to develop firm specific IT resources is not well understood. Previous research on the phenomenon has operated from the resource-based view (RBV); however, conceptual problems with resource-based theory have neither been noted nor addressed by IS researchers. This study acknowledges these problems and provides a solid conceptual foundation for future studies on the RBV. The primary contribution of this study is empirical, however, as it reports on the findings of an in-depth case study of Analog Devices Inc. and the experiences of end-users and IT professionals in developing and applying business and IT competencies to build strategic IT resources. The findings of this study illustrate that ‘soft’ IT competencies are firm specific and therefore constitute a source of rent. Significantly, it was business end-users who developed and applied them, not IT professionals, as would be expected. This paper also builds on extant theory by presenting a refined theoretical model of the institutional and organizational influences found to shape the creation, development and application of IT competencies and strategic IT resources in firms. This answers recent calls for such a model and acts to guide future research in the area

Integrating Dynamic Capability and Commitment Theory for Research on IT Capabilities and Resources

Recent studies have highlighted the utility of the resource-based view (RBV) in understanding the development and application of IT capabilities and resources in organisations. Nevertheless, IS research has inadvertently carried over several fundamental problems and weaknesses with the RBV from reference disciplines. This paper proposes an integrative theory, model and research framework that draws on dynamic capabilities theory from the resource-based view of the firm in institutional economics, and commitment theory in institutional sociology, to explain and understand the process by which IT capabilities and resources are developed and applied in organizations. In so doing, this study addresses the paucity of theory on the role of IT capabilities in building and leveraging firmspecific IT resources. The study also addresses the aforementioned problems and weaknesses to build a logically consistent and falsifiable theory, with relatively superior explanatory power, for application in both variance and process-based research, whether positivist or interpretivist in orientation

Unpacking Dynamic Capabilities in the Small to Medium Software Enterprise: Process, Assets and History

Previous studies of commercial software enterprises have employed industry-level analyses, or have focused on major players in the industry. There is, therefore, a dearth of in-depth research on small-to-medium software enterprises (SMSE). The need to understand the institutional contexts and firm-specific capabilities of such firms is important, as they account for over 90% of software enterprises operating in Europe and the US. This paper adopts a dynamic capabilities perspective to help understand the social and institutional web of conditions and factors that shaped and influenced capability development in one European SMSE. The findings illustrate that a commitment to learn and to evolve this firm’s intangible knowledge assets underpinned the development of dynamic business and IT capabilities. Another contribution is this paper’s identification of—and distinction between—‘soft’ and ‘hard’ IT capabilities, which were embedded in the firm’s organizational and managerial processes. The lessons learned here are applicable to other European SMSEs, as they share similar institutional contexts with the organization studied—for example, European SMSEs can access direct and indirect R&D funding from EU and individual member states. This study is, therefore, well timed as the EU has, in 2003, set aside a significant proportion of its 16 billion euro 6th Framework R&D budget for small-to-medium enterprises. Finally, this paper presents a dynamic capabilities model that captures the firm-specific capabilities and assets of innovative SMSEs

Walking Through the Rising : from Bolton Street Tech to the Four Courts and Back

THE MILITARY ACTION OF THE I ST BATTALION OF THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS IN NORTH INNER CITY DUBLIN IN 1916. Introduction by Theo Dorgan. 52.p. ill. col. 21 cm

Self-efficacy in teaching primary physical education: reflections on research

This article comprises a think piece based upon a piece of undergraduate research that aimed to understand primary school teachers’ reflections on the physical education (PE) aspects of their Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in England and their perceived self-efficacy in the teaching of PE in primary schools.Research consistently suggests that primary teachers do not have sufficient subject and pedagogical knowledge to teach primary PE and that often their experience is an ‘introduction’ to the subject rather than a deeper understanding of, and pedagogical content knowledge of PE. Contextually, following ten years of PE and sport premium funding, and the first of the five key indicators being ‘increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport’ (Ofsted, 2024), this study was well placed to evaluate the potential impact on self-efficacy in primary school PE teaching. A lack of subject and pedagogical knowledge has been highlighted as impactful upon perceived self-efficacy as a determiner of teacher behaviour (Schnitzius et al., 2021). Self-efficacy is defined by Bandura (1986) as beliefs about one’s capability to succeed within a particular performance domain; it underpins an individual's self belief and can influence motivation and actions. Self-efficacy is impacted by personal experiences in physical exercise and sport (Simpson et al., 2011, p.3), lack of time for preparation of lessons and equipment (Duggan, 2022, pp.130-131), and lack of pedagogical and subject knowledge and competence in teaching primary PE (Harris et al., 2019, p.1). Lack of self-efficacy has been identified as a factor in burnout among PE teachers (Sas-Nowosielski and Kowalczyk, 2019, pp.186-7). Low self-efficacy can lead to avoidance behaviours and giving up quickly, whereas high self-efficacy is characterised by optimism, self belief and determination.Self-efficacy is a dynamic construct and is shaped by one's context and experiences (Naidoo and Naidoo, 2023) according to Bandura's social learning theory (1986) these are: social persuasion, mastery experiences, vicarious experience, and emotional arousal. <br/

Failure Investigation of a Helical Anchor Tie-Down System Supporting an Olympic Size Swimming Pool

Adoption of new technologies and a push for money-saving value engineering designs may produce unpredictable and unwanted results. Particularly with shrinking budgets, proposals that reduce initial costs become more appealing. However, without careful consideration and implementation, cost-reducing measures can become more expensive in the end. This paper presents a case study of geostructural forensic analysis related to the failure of a helical anchor tie-down system selected to support an Olympic size swimming pool against hydrostatic uplift forces. The selection of helical anchors over a more expensive traditional anchorage system appeared to be a smart value engineering decision for the project’s design-build construction team. However, structural failure occurred soon after construction. A review of design and construction documents revealed a myriad of mistakes leading to the failure and very costly repair of the pool’s bottom slab. The demolition and consequent restoration of the slab triggered the forensic study. The geostructural forensic analysis initially focused on the tension capacity of the anchorage system. However, review of design data indicated several critical mistakes at the anchor-to-concrete slab connections. Moreover, issues with final installation elevation, which were overlooked in the original design and construction, necessitated the need for field modification of the connection. A step-by-step summary of the forensic analysis of the tie-down support system failure is presented herein