626 research outputs found
Walmart\u27s Sustainability Journey: Andy Ruben and the Design of Organizational Structures and Systems (B)
The case âAndy Ruben and the Design of Strategic Goals and Processesâ flows from the previous discussion, by moving from the development of an ambitious vision to the challenges of adopting strategic policies and processes to reach those aspirations in practice. This case puts students into the role of Andy Ruben, Walmartâs first Vice-President for Sustainability , asking them to make concrete decisions about what should be done, in what order, and by what process if they were to implement an ambitious corporate sustainability strategy. In the case, Ruben confronts specific choices about how to define the responsibilities of the new sustainability office at Walmart in his efforts to lead the organization toward achieving Lee Scottâs vision. In Case B, we review the basic decisions Ruben made while building the resultant sustainability office
âSoft Powerâ and the negotiation of legitimacy : collective meaning making in a teacher team
This article interrogates the âsoft powerâ of teacher teamwork by probing the ways in which authority conditions the appropriation of institutional motives through collective meaning making. The study analyzes the interaction of a teacher-leader and a science teacher team across two settings of professional development organized to promote curricular reform in their U.S. secondary school. The premise of the analysis draws on frameworks from cultural-historical theories, sociological perspectives, and social semiotics to view authority as the outcome of relations of power and control. The analysis reveals how the negotiation of legitimacy in interaction functions to open up or close down possibilities for acquiring motives appropriate to subject matter, teaching, and student learning in teachersâ professional practice. The article makes a novel contribution to post-Vygotskian theoretical development in its presentation of authority as an attribute of the dialectical relationship of person and society in the production of institutionalized objects
Sustainable Change: Education for Sustainable Development in the Business School
This paper examines the implementation of education for sustainable development (ESD) within a business school. ESD is of growing importance for business schools, yet its implementation remains a challenge. The paper examines how barriers to ESD's implementation are met through organisational change as a sustainable process. It evaluates change brought about through ESD in a UK-based business school, through the lens of Beer and Eisenstat's three principles of effective strategy implementation and organisational adaptation, which state: 1) the change process should be systemic; 2) the change process should encourage open discussion of barriers to effective strategy implementation and adaptation; and 3) the change process should develop a partnership among all relevant stakeholders. The case incorporates, paradoxically, both elements of a top-down and an emergent strategy that resonates with elements of life-cycle, teleological and dialectic frames for process change. Insights are offered into the role of individuals as agents and actors of institutional change in business schools. In particular, the importance of academic integrity is highlighted for enabling and sustaining integration. Findings also suggest a number of implications for policy-makers who promote ESD, and for faculty and business school managers implementing, adopting and delivering ESD programmes
Mental models, cognitive style, and organisational learning : the development of shared understanding in organisations
Organisational learning is seen by many to be a key determinant of organisational
performance. This is demonstrated by the growth of the 'learning company' concept
(Pedler et al. 1991), and by the suggestion that the ability to learn faster than one's
competitors is the only sustainable competitive advantage (DeGeus 1988). Consequently,
organisations need to integrate and maximise the knowledge and learning of their
individuals, and central to the learning process in firms is an effective means of
transferring knowledge and learning between individuals and their organisation as a whole.
Mental models (individual and shared) have been postulated as a mechanism through
which this occurs (Senge 1990a; Kim 1993; Hayes and Allinson 1998). An individual
mental model can be characterised as a simplification or representation of understanding of
an idea, notion, process or system which provides the cognitive framework in which that
individual's knowledge in respect of that issue is stored, whilst shared (group or
organisational) mental models can be characterised as the common elements that exist
between individual mental models. Both of these have been theoretically linked with
individual and organisational learning.
Literature in respect of individual and organisational learning, mental models and a
third issue cognitive style is reviewed. Cognitive style represents the way individuals
obtain, store and operationalise knowledge, and is included here as it is recognised as
potentially affecting how learning and mental models interact (Hayes and Allinson 1998).
A research model is posited which integrates key theory in respect of these three concepts,
and research undertaken in two phases is presented. Phase One focused upon the
representation of individual and shared mental models through semi-structured causal
interviews with senior mangers in participant organisations, whilst Phase Two involved
organisation wide surveys of these models, aspects of learning and cognitive style. Results
obtained suggest that the complexities of an organisation, its environment, learning and
mental models all mitigate against the identification of a simple relationship between these
constructs. However some of the sources of these complexities are identified and
suggested, and it is posited that the progression of work addressing organisational learning
would best be served through a case study approach addressing the sources of complexity
and effectiveness of learning in relation to specific mental models and within
organisations
Science capital in primary PGCE students:Factors influencing its development and its impact on science teaching
Science capital has been seen to influence pupilsâ subject choice and attitudes to science. However, as often non-subject specialists, how does a primary teacherâs science capital impact on their attitude to, confidence in and teaching of the subject? This article describes a pilot study research with primary PGCE trainees at two HEIs. The results to date identify science capital differences in gender, but also how their own school science experience remains a big influence on traineesâ attitudes and confidence
Walmart\u27s Sustainability Journey: Defining Sustainable Products (B)
In âDefining Sustainable Products (A),â we examine Walmartâs search for a systemic solution to define a sustainable product precisely. In this case, Matt Kistler, who succeeded Andy Ruben as the company sustainability leader in 2007, knows that the company is lagging behind on its espoused goal of selling sustainable products. The case asks students step into Kistlerâs shoes as he leads Walmartâs sustainability office through a systematic review of the different models and frameworks available for measuring the sustainability of products presently in use. Eventually, the students face a decision about what Walmart should do to make systemic progress with regard to measuring and selling sustainable products. In âDefining Sustainable Products (B),â we examine the situation three years later, as Walmart assesses the progress made in achieving its goal of selling sustainable products
An application specific low bit-rate video compression system geared towards vehicle tracking.
Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.The ability to communicate over a low bit-rate transmission channel has become the order of the day. In the past, transmitted data over a low bit-rate transmission channel, such as a wireless link, has
typically been reserved for speech and data. However, there is currently a great deal of interest being shown in the ability to transmit streaming video over such a link. These transmission channels are
generally bandwidth limited hence bit-rates need to be low. Video on the other hand requires large amounts of bandwidth for real-time streaming applications. Existing Video Compression standards
such as MPEG-l/2 have succeeded in reducing the bandwidth required for transmission by exploiting redundant video information in both the spatial and temporal domains. However such compression
systems are geared towards general applications hence they tend not to be suitable for low bit-rate applications. The objective of this work is to implement such a system. Following an investigation in the field of video compression, existing techniques have been adapted and integrated into an application specific low bit-rate video compression system. The implemented system is application specific as it has been designed to track vehicles of reasonable size within an otherwise static scene. Low bit-rate video is achieved by separating a video scene into two areas of interest, namely the background scene and objects that move with reference to this background. Once the background has been compressed and
transmitted to the decoder, the only data that is subsequently transmitted is that that has resulted from the segmentation and tracking of vehicles within the scene. This data is normally small in comparison with that of the background scene and therefore by only updating the background periodically, the resulting average output bit-rate is low. The implemented system is divided into two parts, namely a still image encoder and decoder based on a Variable Block-Size Discrete Cosine Transform, and a context-specific encoder and decoder that tracks vehicles in motion within a video scene. The encoder system has been implemented on the
Philips TriMedia TM-1300 digital signal processor (DSP). The encoder is able to capture streaming video, compress individual video frames as well as track objects in motion within a video scene. The decoder on the other hand has been implemented on the host PC in which the TriMedia DSP is plugged. A graphic user interface allows a system operator to control the compression system by
configuring various compression variables. For demonstration purposes, the host PC displays the decoded video stream as well as calculated rate metrics such as peak signal to noise ratio and resultant bit-rate. The implementation of the compression system is described whilst incorporating application examples and results. Conclusions are drawn and suggestions for further improvement are offered
Survey evaluations of University of British Columbia residentsâ education and attitudes regarding palliative care and physician assisted death
Background: Little prior research has been conducted regarding resident physiciansâ opinions on the subject of Physician Assisted Death (PAD), despite past surveys ascertaining the attitudes of practicing physicians towards PAD in Canada. We solicited British Columbia residentsâ opinions on the amount of education they receive about palliative care and physician assisted death, and their attitudes towards the implementation of PAD.Methods: We conducted a cross sectional, anonymous online survey with the resident physicians of British Columbia, Canada. Questions included: close-ended questions, graded Likert scale questions, and comments. Results: Among the respondents (n=299, response rate 24%), 44% received â„5 hours of education in palliative care, 40% received between zero and four hours of education, and 16% reported zero hours. Of all respondents, 75% had received no education about PAD and the majority agreed that there should be more education about palliative care (74%) and PAD (85%). Only 35% of residents felt their program provided them with enough education to make an informed decision about PAD, yet 59% would provide a consenting patient with PAD. Half of the respondents believed PAD would ultimately be provided by palliative care physicians.Interpretation: Residents desire further education about palliative care and PAD. Training programs should consider conducting a thorough needs assessment and implementing structured education to meet this need
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