Value creation and change in social structures: the role of entrepreneurial innovation from an emergence perspective

Aim: Our aim is to develop a more complete understanding of how processes that entrepreneurs perform interact with wider society and the causal effects of society on entrepreneurial behaviour and vice versa. We aim to show how entrepreneurial agency is put into effect in relation to the disruption of social structure and social change. This has implications for innovation and entrepreneurship policy and practice, and for entrepreneurship theory. We also investigate the role of ‘value’ in these processes. Contribution to the literature Our central argument is that emergent forms (or ‘emergents’) may be short lived (ephemeral) but have causal power on the performance of the actors in the system of inter-relationships in the innovation ecosystem. The emphasis on inter-related social processes and ontological stratification provides theoretical development of extant entrepreneurship theory on new venture creation (by explaining process), effectuation (by linking individualism and holism) and opportunity recognition (by deconstructing opportunity into anticipation, ontology and process). Methodology The paper takes an 'emergence' perspective as a way to understand entrepreneurial processes that give rise to innovation. The anticipation of value and the inter-relationship with social and organisational structures are fundamental to this perspective. A longitudinal analysis of a case study of the development of a new business model within an entrepreneurial firm is described. The case is followed through seven phases in which the relationship between process and emergent ontological status is shown to have destabilising and stabilising effects which produce emergent properties. Results and Implications One methodological contribution is framing how to conceptualise the empirical evidence. Emergents have causal effects on the anticipations of value inherent in their particular system of innovation. This causality is manifest as the attraction of resource in the firm; the stabilisation of the emergent constitutes strategy in the enterprise. A key role of the entrepreneurs in our case study was the creation and maintenance of evolving ontological materiality, as meaningful to themselves and to those with whom they interacted. In simple terms, they made things meaningful to people who mattered

Curriculum for Excellence : A cross-sector investigation of Scottish teachers mathematical befliefs of problem solving

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A study of Scottish teachers' beliefs about the interplay of problem solving and problem posing in mathematics education

The Scottish Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) advocates that the learning and teaching of mathematical problem solving is no longer compartmentalised but is an overarching feature designed to improve higher order thinking skills at all levels by focusing on conceptual understanding. Comitantly, a growing body of literature acknowledges the interrelated educational benefits of mathematical problem posing within classrooms. Teachers’ beliefs are considered powerful indicators of professional practice and can articulate the positionality of teachers with regards to curricula reform. Despite their significance, research into the implementation of mathematical problem solving and mathematical problem posing is, as yet, under-researched particularly in Scotland. The main purpose of this study was to investigate Scottish teachers’ beliefs and espoused instructional practices of mathematical problem solving and mathematical problem posing. More prosaically, it explored beliefs regarding the nature of mathematics, the learning of mathematics and the teaching of mathematics. A mixed methods explanatory design consisting of an online questionnaire followed by semi-structured interviews was selected as the instruments to measure and capture espoused beliefs and reported practices. This study involved a representative sample of 478 participants (229 primary and 249 secondary mathematics practitioners respectively) generated from 21 local education authorities in Scotland. A supplementary feature of the online questionnaire, which harvested 87 volunteered comments, augmented the data collection process. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyse quantitative data with thematic coding used to organise and interrogate qualitative data. Factor analysis identified three distinct belief systems consistent with a dominant learner-centred approach (i.e. social constructivist, problem solving and collaborative orientation), mainly learner-centred approach (i.e. social constructivist, problem solving and static transmission orientation) and dominant teacher-centred approach (i.e. static and mechanistic transmission orientation). In other words, teachers’ deep-rooted beliefs do not align to one particular group of belief systems but are embedded mutually within a cluster. A mixture of positive, negative and inconsistent beliefs is reported. Significant dissonance exists between the sectors. Characteristics impacting on beliefs include grade and highest level of qualification in the field of education. This study suggests that the conceptualisation and operationalisation of mathematical problem solving and problem posing may be circumscribed in practice and that primary teachers hold stronger mathematical beliefs than secondary mathematics teachers. Several reasons help to illuminate these findings including a lack of pedagogical content knowledge, ineffective manifestations of mathematical creativity, low mathematics teaching self-efficacy and an over dominant national assessment culture. Implications and recommendations for policy and ITE are discussed

Instantaneous Capture and Mineralization of Flue Gas Carbon Dioxide: Pilot Scale Study

Multiple CO2 capture and storage (CCS) processes are required to address anthropogenic CO2 problems. However, a method which can directly capture and mineralize CO2 at a point source, under actual field conditions, has advantages and could help offset the cost associated with the conventional CCS technologies. The mineral carbonation (MC), a process of converting CO2 into stable minerals (mineralization), has been studied extensively to store CO2. However, most of the MC studies have been largely investigated at laboratory scale. Objectives of this research were to develop a pilot scale AMC (accelerated mineral carbonation) process and test the effects of flue gas moisture content on carbonation of fly ash particles. A pilot scale AMC process consisting of a moisture reducing drum (MRD), a heater/humidifier, and a fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) was developed and tested by reacting flue gas with fly ash particles at one of the largest coal-fired power plants (2120 MW) in the USA. The experiments were conducted over a period of 2 hr at ~ 300 SCFM flow-rates, at a controlled pressure (115.1 kPa), and under different flue gas moisture contents (2-16%). The flue gas CO2 and SO2 concentrations were monitored before and during the experiments by an industrial grade gas analyzer. Fly ash samples were collected from the reactor sample port from 0-120 minutes and analyzed for total inorganic carbon (C), sulfur (S), and mercury (Hg). From C, S, and Hg concentrations, %calcium carbonate (CaCO3), %sulfate (SO42-), and %mercury carbonate (HgCO3) were calculated, respectively. Results suggested significant mineralization of flue gas CO2, SO2, and Hg within 10-15 minutes of reaction. Among different moisture conditions, ~16% showed highest conversion of flue gas CO2 and SO2 to %CaCO3 and %SO42- in fly ash samples. For example, an increase of almost 4% in CaCO3 content of fly ash was observed. Overall, the AMC process is cost-effective with minimum carbon footprint and can be retrofitted to coal fired power plants (existing and/or new) as a post-combustion unit to minimize flue gas CO2, SO2, and Hg emissions into the atmosphere. Used in conjunction with capture and geologic sequestration, the AMC process has the potential to reduce overall cost associated with CO2 separation/compression/transportation/pore space/brine water treatment. It could also help protect sensitive amines and carbon filters used in flue gas CO2 capture and separation process and extend their life

Posture, Movement, and Aircraft Passengers: An Investigation into Factors Influencing In-Flight Discomfort

BACKGROUND: Aircraft passengers’ physical activity levels are often limited during flight for extended periods of time, which can have serious impact on health, comfort, and passenger experience. However, several factors, such as limited personal space and social factors, can make movement difficult.OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to identify participant behaviour and postures during medium to long-haul flights and their effect on location and severity of physical discomfort. This work investigated how aircraft passengers’ comfort ratings changed over time and explored the association between postures and comfort ratings during flight. The study also explored the association between performing in-flight exercises and factors limiting participants’ abilities to complete these exercises. METHOD: Twenty-nine participants sat in an aircraft simulated cabin for 180 minutes and periodically performed in-seat exercises. They also completed a questionnaire providing data on demographic information, self-reported discomfort scores for multiple areas of the body, which types of exercises participants performed, and qualitative comments about discomfort. Self-reported comfort ratings were measured at 20-min intervals and posture identification was conducted by analysing the video recordings. RESULTS: Six postures were identified, and it was observed that individual participants changed posture at least once and up to nine times during the three-hour period. Body part areas with the highest reported scores of discomfort ratings were: back of the neck, back-left shoulder, back-right shoulder, back-left buttock, and lower back. Participants reported that they had difficulty in performing recommended in-flight exercises due to limited space. CONCLUSIONS: Limited space in aircraft seating restricts passenger movement. Some body areas are more prone to discomfort

Increasing Servers’ Tips: What Managers Can Do and Why They Should Do It

Tipping is generally regarded in the industry as more of a server concern than a managerial one. For this reason, it is the rare restaurant executive or manager who tries to actively influence the level of his or her servers’ tip incomes. I believe that is a mistake --that restaurant executives and managers can and should increase their servers’ tip incomes. First, I present several tactics that servers can use to increase their own tips. Then, I describe the role that executives and managers can play in encouraging servers’ use of these tactics. Finally, I explain how executives and managers will benefit from encouraging servers to try these tactics

Sustaining entrepreneurial business: a complexity perspective on processes that produce emergent practice

This article examines the management practices in an entrepreneurial small firm which sustain the business. Using a longitudinal qualitative case study, four general processes are identified (experimentation, reflexivity, organising and sensing), that together provide a mechanism to sustain the enterprise. The analysis draws on concepts from entrepreneurship and complexity science. We suggest that an entrepreneur’s awareness of the role of these parallel processes will facilitate their approaches to sustaining and developing enterprises. We also suggest that these processes operate in parallel at multiple levels, including the self, the business and inter-firm networks. This finding contributes to a general theory of entrepreneurship. A number of areas for further research are discussed arising from this result

Panspermia, Past and Present: Astrophysical and Biophysical Conditions for the Dissemination of Life in Space

Astronomically, there are viable mechanisms for distributing organic material throughout the Milky Way. Biologically, the destructive effects of ultraviolet light and cosmic rays means that the majority of organisms arrive broken and dead on a new world. The likelihood of conventional forms of panspermia must therefore be considered low. However, the information content of dam-aged biological molecules might serve to seed new life (necropanspermia).Comment: Accepted for publication in Space Science Review