Transferring management knowledge from the west to the Balkans: dilemmas, diversity, and the need for congruence.

The paper presents and discusses the insights resulting from an evaluative study of a collaborative educational initiative which was essentially set up to enable the process of transferring Western management knowledge into the region of Serbia and Montenegro. Drawing on insights from the literature associated with this kind of international ventures, and utilising a critical framework for a value-centred evaluation of complex social arrangements, we have identified a number of closely interrelated tensions within the collaborative project. These tensions and concerns reflect the issues of pedagogy and participation, the problem of disconnection from local practice; signs of ideological invasion and linguistic imperialism; and problematic nature of western management knowledge and its de-contextualisation in these specific circumstances. Analysis and discussion have resulted in some practical and constructive recommendations for changes in the current conduct and process of the initiative. The key argument is to refocus attention from a mechanistic input-output mode of knowledge transfer towards acknowledging diversity, power asymmetries and inherent complexity in this type of social interventions, and facilitating collaborative learning and open dialogue among the involved actors

Leaf energy balance modelling as a tool to infer habitat preference in the early angiosperms

Despite more than a century of research, some key aspects of habitat preference and ecology of the earliest angiosperms remain poorly constrained. Proposed growth ecology has varied from opportunistic weedy species growing in full sun to slow-growing species limited to the shaded understorey of gymnosperm forests. Evidence suggests that the earliest angiosperms possessed low transpiration rates: gas exchange rates for extant basal angiosperms are low, as are the reconstructed gas exchange rates for the oldest known angiosperm leaf fossils. Leaves with low transpirational capacity are vulnerable to overheating in full sun, favouring the hypothesis that early angiosperms were limited to the shaded understorey. Here, modelled leaf temperatures are used to examine the thermal tolerance of some of the earliest angiosperms. Our results indicate that small leaf size could have mitigated the low transpirational cooling capacity of many early angiosperms, enabling many species to survive in full sun. We propose that during the earliest phases of the angiosperm leaf record, angiosperms may not have been limited to the understorey, and that some species were able to compete with ferns and gymnosperms in both shaded and sunny habitats, especially in the absence of competition from more rapidly growing and transpiring advanced lineages of angiosperms

Instrumentation for Measurement of Gas Permeability of Polymeric Membranes

A mass spectrometric 'Dynamic Delta' method for the measurement of gas permeability of polymeric membranes has been developed. The method is universally applicable for measurement of the permeability of any gas through polymeric membrane materials. The usual large sample size of more than 100 square centimeters required for other methods is not necessary for this new method which requires a size less than one square centimeter. The new method should fulfill requirements and find applicability for industrial materials such as food packaging, contact lenses and other commercial materials where gas permeability or permselectivity properties are important

An investigation of microstructural characteristics of contact-lens polymers

The free volume and gas permeability in several contact lens specimens were measured as part of a Space Commercialization Program. Free volume was measured using positron lifetime spectroscopy, while permeability for O2, N2, CO2 gases was measured using mass spectrometry and polarography. Permeability for all gases increases with the mean free volume cell size in the test samples. As might be expected, the specimens with the highest free volume fraction also exhibit the lowest Rockwell Hardness Number. An interesting corollary is the finding that the presence of fluorine atoms in the lens chemical structure inhibits filling up of their free volume cells. This is expected to allow the lenses to breathe freely while in actual use

Visitor Center Staff Training: A U.S Assessment

As the first step toward developing benchmarks for travel counselor training, the authors identify the methods and characteristics of existing travel counselor-training programs in the U.S. Responses from 30 out of 50 state tourism agencies indicate that 12 different methods of training are emplyed; however, usage and satisfaction with these various training methods vary

Authentic Experiences Assessment Instrument: The Case of Millennial Students and Cultural Attractions in Central Florida

Three types of authenticity were chosen to analyze cultural attractions—they were: staged or real authenticity, sensory authenticity, and existential authenticity. A group of millennium students that visited Orlando’s cultural attractions from the University of Central Florida were part of this study. Results show that the term “culture” is unclear among students. Also gender might play a role in determining what is perceived as “authenticity.” In general the focus group discussion had a consensus that these three types of authenticity were the right ones to measured cultural attractions, people, and behaviors

Employee representation and partnership in the non-union sector: a paradox of intention?

Non-union forms of employee representation have become increasingly prominent in UK workplaces in the last 15 years. In addition, partnership working has been encouraged by New Labour, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the Confederation of British Industry and the TUC as a route to higher commitment and higher individual and organisational performance. These trends have been further encouraged by recent European Union legislation. This article seeks to examine the implied linkages between non-union employee representative mechanisms and partnership working and their influence on the effectiveness of employee voice as a conduit of high performance. The article is based on a case study organisation from within the UK finance sector, and data are drawn from semistructured interviews with managers and staff and a survey of employee attitudes. The article concludes that employers’ attempts to utilise a non-union partnership framework for organisational gain are severely constrained by structural limitations on effective employee voice

Feeding your child from two to six

"File: Nutrition, 6/82/6M""Good eating habits can help promote good health and happiness for your child. Lifetime eating habits usually are formed in early childhood. Parents can help develop good habits by make mealtime pleasant and relaxed. It can be a time to enjoy a variety things and to learn about food."--First paragraphMildred S. Bradsher (Food and Nutrition Specialist), Ruth C. Upchurch (Food and Nutrition Specialist

Seeds to sprouts

"File: Food and Nutrition, 3/79/8M""Seeds contain nutrients such as proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins. When seeds have an environment to germinate and start to grow they become sprouts. Sprouts may have more vitamins than the seeds from which they come."--First paragraph.Mildred Bradsher (State Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist), Ruth C. Upchurch (State Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist

Facts and fallacies about food

"File: Food and Nutrition, 6/79/6M""Nutrition, is a subject we hear much about these days. Many books and magazines tell of new diets, new cures, and miracle foods. How much of this is good information and how much is just a fad - soon to be replaced by a new fad?"--First paragraph.Ruth C. Upchurch (Food and Nutrition Specialist), Mildred S. Bradsher (Food and Nutrition Specialist