A Response to A Description of Merger Applied to the Montana State University Context

This article presents a comment on the study A Description of Merger Applied to the Montana State University Context. In simplest terms, the university system merger was designed to accomplish greater unity and effect economies of scale while guarding against mission drift. Change is disruptive but also productive if effected properly. Ultimately, restructuring success will be measured less by an organizational chart and more on our ability to build public trust, confidence and ownership in higher education

Story

Description: The story of oil set to Bush\u27s speech marking the one year anniversary of the War in Iraq. Running Time: 0:5

Allman Brothers Song Titles That Contain Women\u27s Names

A list of real and fictional song titles by the Allman Brothers

A Theoretical Framework for Sustained Strategic Alignment and an Agenda for Research

This paper addresses the question, How do organizations sustain alignment between organizational strategy and IT strategy over time? We begin our investigation of this question by reviewing the literature on alignment. From thisvantage point, we develop a model of sustained strategic alignment over time that integrates the two primary perspectives on alignment, alignment as an end state and alignment as a process. Our model is built upon the DynamicCapabilities Framework, an extension of the well-known Resource-Based View of the Firm, and explains how an organization\u27s ability to achieve a high degree ofstrategic alignment is an enduring competency that allows the organization to respond to the rapidly changing competitive environment. By developing a strategic alignment competency, organizations are able to sustain alignment over time. We conclude our paper by suggesting a research agenda to test our model of sustained strategic alignment and our theoretical propositions. Our papercontributes to research on strategic alignment by (1) integrating the end-state and process perspectives on alignment, (2) providing the Dynamic CapabilitiesFramework as a theoretical base for strategic alignment research, and (3)explaining how strategic alignment can be understood as an enduring capability that enables organizations to sustain alignment over time

Corporate Sponsorship of Academic Research: The Trend, Its Drivers, and Its Implications

Budgets are shrinking in higher education, and greater financial accountability is simultaneously being demanded of universities. One of the consequences is that internal funding for research is more difficult to access than in years past. In such an environment, corporate sponsorship is an alternative that must be considered. In this article, we describe the forces compelling business schools to seek corporate sponsorship for research. Then, we discuss why some business faculty may perceive undesirable constraints in corporate-sponsored research. We also describe the challenges that researchers often need to address in order to secure corporate sponsorship and take full advantage of it. We conclude by describing some of the implications of this paradigm shift in research funding. When corporate funding is accessed and the relationship with the sponsoring organization is managed well, incentives are aligned among researchers, universities, and corporations. Benefits also include the development of new knowledge, solutions to real-world business problems, funding for researchers and universities, enhanced teaching, and a clear demonstration of the value of academic research

Building the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound: A new resource for ecosystem recovery

Advances in online communication and digital media are changing the way ecosystem information is shared and understood. New and emerging technologies provide opportunities for networked science that can greatly benefit Puget Sound and Salish Sea ecosystem recovery through improved information flow and unprecedented access to scientific literature and data. The Encyclopedia of Puget Sound (www.eopugetsound.org) is an online resource published by the University of Washington in collaboration with the Puget Sound Partnership. Its mission is to synthesize and document the state of the science of ecosystem recovery in the region. Through a topic editor system inspired by efforts such as the Encyclopedia of Earth and Encyclopedia of Life, an editorial board of leading scientists recruits and reviews content concerning interdisciplinary topics related to Puget Sound protection and restoration. These topics include Biology: such as the status of species, habitats and foodwebs; Chemistry: marine, freshwater, sediment, pollution and stormwater; Physical environment: geology, bathymetry, cartography, meteorology, physical oceanography and hydrology; Climate change: effects on the watershed and marine environment; Ecosystem-based management: including conservation assessment and ecosystem indicators; Social sciences: such as human wellbeing, fisheries, culture, and history. The Encyclopedia was formally launched in October 2012 by the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute and receives major support from the Environmental Protection Agency. This presentation will describe the Encyclopedia’s editorial structure, its ongoing synthesis work and lessons learned during its initial startup period