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The strategic use of historical narratives: a theoretical framework
History has long been recognised as a strategic and organisational resource. However, until recently, the advantage conferred by history was attributed to a firm’s ability to accumulate heterogeneous resources or develop opaque practices. In contrast, we argue that the advantage history confers on organisations is based on understanding when the knowledge of the past is referenced and the reasons why it is strategically communicated. We argue that managers package this knowledge in historical narratives to address particular organisational concerns and audiences. As well, we show that different historical narratives are produced with the goal of achieving different organisational outcomes. The success of an organisation is thus dependent on the ability of its managers to skilfully develop historical narratives that create a strategic advantage
The strategic use of historical narratives: a theoretical framework
History has long been recognised as a strategic and organisational resource. However, until recently, the advantage conferred by history was attributed to a firm’s ability to accumulate heterogeneous resources or develop opaque practices. In contrast, we argue that the advantage history confers on organisations is based on understanding when the knowledge of the past is referenced and the reasons why it is strategically communicated. We argue that managers package this knowledge in historical narratives to address particular organisational concerns and audiences. As well, we show that different historical narratives are produced with the goal of achieving different organisational outcomes. The success of an organisation is thus dependent on the ability of its managers to skilfully develop historical narratives that create a strategic advantage
Controls on the spatial distribution of natural pipe outlets in heavily degraded blanket peat
Natural soil pipes are recognised as a common geomorphological feature in many peatlands, and they can discharge large quantities of water and sediment. However, little is known about their morphological characteristics in heavily degraded peat systems. This paper presents a survey of pipe outlets in which the frequency and extent of natural soil pipes are measured across a heavily gullied blanket peat catchment in the Peak District of northern England. Over a stream length of 7.71 km we determined the occurrence and size of 346 pipe outlets, and found a mean frequency of 22.8 km−1 gully bank. Topographic position was an important control on the size and depth of pipe outlets. Aspect had a large influence on pipe outlet frequency, with southwest and west- facing gully banks hosting more than 43% of identified pipe outlets. Pipe outlets on streambanks with signs of headward retreat were significantly larger and closer to the peat surface compared to pipe outlets that issued onto uniform streambank edges. We suggest that larger pipe frequencies are observed on gully banks that are more susceptible to desiccation cracking, and propose that future peatland restoration works could prioritise mitigating against pipe formation by revegetating and reprofiling south and west facing gully banks
An efficient semiparametric maxima estimator of the extremal index
The extremal index , a measure of the degree of local dependence in
the extremes of a stationary process, plays an important role in extreme value
analyses. We estimate semiparametrically, using the relationship
between the distribution of block maxima and the marginal distribution of a
process to define a semiparametric model. We show that these semiparametric
estimators are simpler and substantially more efficient than their parametric
counterparts. We seek to improve efficiency further using maxima over sliding
blocks. A simulation study shows that the semiparametric estimators are
competitive with the leading estimators. An application to sea-surge heights
combines inferences about with a standard extreme value analysis of
block maxima to estimate marginal quantiles.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures. Minor edits made to version 1 prior to journal
publication. The final publication is available at Springer via
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10687-015-0221-
Cambodian Higher Education Governance: The Politics of Global Summitry and Clientelism
This chapter uses the concepts of “global summitry” and “clientelism” to theorize higher education governance in Cambodia. After reviewing the history of higher education since the 1960s, the chapter analyzes the country’s experiences amid regional attempts to harmonize standards, degree structures, quality assurance systems, and credit systems in Southeast Asia. Rather than explicit intervention into Cambodia’s higher education sector as has been historically common, the contemporary order transmits policy and governance practices through various regional and international forums, creating a seemingly homogenous system of higher education. External influence through global summitry, however, must be paired with a recognition of the prevalence of clientelism. By exploring the case of the Accreditation Council of Cambodia, higher education governance is shown to reproduce the engrained system of clientelism, empowering elites and contributing further to systems of informal patronage. The chapter concludes with recent (up to April 2016) developments in higher education governance, offering some observations and obstacles for future development in the sector
The Energy Landscape, Folding Pathways and the Kinetics of a Knotted Protein
The folding pathway and rate coefficients of the folding of a knotted protein
are calculated for a potential energy function with minimal energetic
frustration. A kinetic transition network is constructed using the discrete
path sampling approach, and the resulting potential energy surface is
visualized by constructing disconnectivity graphs. Owing to topological
constraints, the low-lying portion of the landscape consists of three distinct
regions, corresponding to the native knotted state and to configurations where
either the N- or C-terminus is not yet folded into the knot. The fastest
folding pathways from denatured states exhibit early formation of the
N-terminus portion of the knot and a rate-determining step where the C-terminus
is incorporated. The low-lying minima with the N-terminus knotted and the
C-terminus free therefore constitute an off-pathway intermediate for this
model. The insertion of both the N- and C-termini into the knot occur late in
the folding process, creating large energy barriers that are the rate limiting
steps in the folding process. When compared to other protein folding proteins
of a similar length, this system folds over six orders of magnitude more
slowly.Comment: 19 page
The pressure exerted on the tracheal wall by two endotracheal tube cuffs: A prospective observational bench-top, clinical and radiological study
Potential for La Crosse virus segment reassortment in nature
The evolutionary success of La Crosse virus (LACV, family Bunyaviridae) is due to its ability to adapt to changing conditions through intramolecular genetic changes and segment reassortment. Vertical transmission of LACV in mosquitoes increases the potential for segment reassortment. Studies were conducted to determine if segment reassortment was occurring in naturally infected Aedes triseriatus from Wisconsin and Minnesota in 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2007. Mosquito eggs were collected from various sites in Wisconsin and Minnesota. They were reared in the laboratory and adults were tested for LACV antigen by immunofluorescence assay. RNA was isolated from the abdomen of infected mosquitoes and portions of the small (S), medium (M) and large (L) viral genome segments were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced. Overall, the viral sequences from 40 infected mosquitoes and 5 virus isolates were analyzed. Phylogenetic and linkage disequilibrium analyses revealed that approximately 25% of infected mosquitoes and viruses contained reassorted genome segments, suggesting that LACV segment reassortment is frequent in nature
The founder-cell transcriptome in the Arabidopsis apetala1 cauliflower inflorescence meristem
What we talk about when we talk about "global mindset": managerial cognition in multinational corporations
Recent developments in the global economy and in multinational corporations have placed significant emphasis on the cognitive orientations of managers, giving rise to a number of concepts such as “global mindset” that are presumed to be associated with the effective management of multinational corporations (MNCs). This paper reviews the literature on global mindset and clarifies some of the conceptual confusion surrounding the construct. We identify common themes across writers, suggesting that the majority of studies fall into one of three research perspectives: cultural, strategic, and multidimensional. We also identify two constructs from the social sciences that underlie the perspectives found in the literature: cosmopolitanism and cognitive complexity and use these two constructs to develop an integrative theoretical framework of global mindset. We then provide a critical assessment of the field of global mindset and suggest directions for future theoretical and empirical research
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