Human resource management implications of new forms of organizing

Adopting a process view, we explore the personnel (HRM) implications of new forms of organizing (NFOs). We review the characteristics of NFOs and explain how they require a renewed HRM approach. We illustrate the HRM approach with preliminary results from a European comparative study, and comment on the challenges ahead.Human resource management;

Epidemiology of ovine Johne's disease 2 - pasture contamination level and age susceptibility.

To develop pasture management strategies for control of ovine Johne’s disease, research was conducted in a flock of 840 sheep to determine whether age of sheep and pasture contamination levels affect ovine Johne’s disease. Lambs (median age 5.5 months at the start of the trial) were highly susceptible to infection and should not be exposed to high levels of contamination or a proportion will develop severe infection leading to death. Of great benefit to industry was the finding that hoggets and adult sheep were relatively resistant to the clinical effects of OJD. Even though infection occurred, ewes rarely succumbed to the disease while hoggets were more resistant than lambs. This means that hoggets (median age in this study 22.5 months) and adult sheep can be used to graze contaminated pasture with less risk of clinical impact compared to lambs, and so these classes of sheep can be used to prepare pasture for lambs. Pasture spelling should also be useful. Conventional wire strand fences do not prevent spread of infection so disease control needs to be based on an area-wide approach

Epidemiology of ovine Johne's disease 2 - pasture contamination level and age susceptibility.

To develop pasture management strategies for control of ovine Johne’s disease, research was conducted in a flock of 840 sheep to determine whether age of sheep and pasture contamination levels affect ovine Johne’s disease. Lambs (median age 5.5 months at the start of the trial) were highly susceptible to infection and should not be exposed to high levels of contamination or a proportion will develop severe infection leading to death. Of great benefit to industry was the finding that hoggets and adult sheep were relatively resistant to the clinical effects of OJD. Even though infection occurred, ewes rarely succumbed to the disease while hoggets were more resistant than lambs. This means that hoggets (median age in this study 22.5 months) and adult sheep can be used to graze contaminated pasture with less risk of clinical impact compared to lambs, and so these classes of sheep can be used to prepare pasture for lambs. Pasture spelling should also be useful. Conventional wire strand fences do not prevent spread of infection so disease control needs to be based on an area-wide approach

Development of a rapid cost effective test for ovine Johne's Disease based on testing of pooled faeces : final report.

This project was undertaken to develop and evaluate a rapid, cost-effective, flock test for Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in pooled faecal samples, based on hybridisation-capture polymerase chain reaction (HC-PCR). However, a simpler direct technique (DPCR) was found to be more sensitive than HC-PCR. About 67% of culture positive pooled faecal samples were positive when tested using DPCR. In a blind trial, 83% of 12 farms identified by culture of pooled faecal samples were detected using DPCR. The cost of DPCR is no greater than that of other flock detection strategies. The test is suitable for use in the National Ovine Johne’s Disease Control and Evaluation Program. A constraint exists in that Veterinary Committee does not recognise the results of DNA-based tests for M. paratuberculosis as being definitive. The costs of follow-up testing to confirm infection are high. Recommendations are made to improve the test and reduce its cost

Clay Mineralogy and Illite Crystallinity in the Late Devonian to Early Mississippian Woodford Shale in the Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma, USA

Commonly the thermal maturity of the Late Devonian to Early Mississippian Woodford shale found on the flanks of the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma is determined by vitrinite reflectance, values ranging from 0.3-1.5%. Using phyllosilicate minerals, specifically diagenetic mixed layer illite/smectite and diagenetic illite, an understanding of the extent and processes leading to the thermal maturation may be developed. Analysis by XRD of the clay mineralogy of the Woodford shale found kaolinite and mixed layer illite/smectite with \u3c5% smectite and R≥3 stacking order. Modeling of the Woodford shale also suggests the percentage of smectite present in mixed layer illite/smectite to be \u3c5% and commonly \u3c2.5%. Deconvolution of the illite (001) peak supports the low smectite content and high illite crystallinity. The long range ordered illite, R≥3, and high illite crystallinity values are indicative of diagenesis to anchizone conditions suggesting a higher thermal maturity relative to previously measured values of vitrinite reflectance

Getting heard? How employees learn to gain senior management attention in inclusive strategy processes

Research Summary Recent trends toward inclusive strategy processes raise the issue of how employees acquire the discursive competence necessary to gain senior management attention. Building on the emergent dynamic attention-based view's (DABV) emphasis on communicative interaction, we ethnographically track an inclusive strategy process in a large insurance company. We find that employees typically failed to gain CEO attention because they lacked the discursive competence to integrate their operational knowledge with the CEO's corporate themes. Employees acquired this competence by both experiential and vicarious learning. The CEO promoted employee learning more effectively by specific coaching than by generic coaching. We contribute primarily to the DABV by showing how interactions are sites for learning as well as communications and that communication channels can be both expandable and transparent. Managerial Summary The benefits of increased employee inclusion in strategy processes depend upon participants being truly heard. This study of an inclusive strategy process in a large insurance company shows that top management attention to employee contributions cannot be assumed. Employees often fail to pitch ideas in a manner that top managers can work with. Employees learn to pitch ideas effectively both by receiving direct feedback from top management and by observing feedback on other employees' contributions. Top managers must also learn how to coach effectively, engaging with the specifics of employees' contributions rather than offering general advice. Designs for new inclusive strategy processes should include opportunities for top managers to improve their coaching and for employees to learn from both direct feedback and indirect observation

While corporate UK was for Remain, their business strategies tell a different story

While corporate UK was strongly opposed to Brexit, their strategies tell a slightly different story, write Michael Mayer, Julia Hautz, Christian Stadler and Richard Whittington. In contrast to their European counterparts, British businesses have long looked for markets primarily outside of Europe

A close look at British business: Was it destined to leave the EU?

While corporate UK was strongly opposed to Brexit, their strategies tell a slightly different story, write Michael Mayer, Julia Hautz, Christian Stadler and Richard Whittingto

Was British business destined to leave the EU?

Was British business destined to leave the EU? While corporate UK was strongly opposed to Brexit, their strategies tell a slightly different story, write Michael Mayer, Julia Hautz, Christian Stadler and Richard Whittington. Always good to start with a confession: we are what Brexiteers call Remoaners. As Michael Bloomberg says, "it is really hard to understand why a country that was doing ..