An Agent-based approach to modelling integrated product teams undertaking a design activity.

The interactions between individual designers, within integrated product teams, and the nature of design tasks, all have a significant impact upon how well a design task can be performed, and hence the quality of the resultant product and the time in which it can be delivered. In this paper we describe an ongoing research project which aims to model integrated product teams through the use of multi-agent systems. We first describe the background and rationale for our work, and then present our initial computational model and results from the simulation of an integrated product team. The paper concludes with a discussion of how the model will evolve to improve the accuracy of the simulation

'Typical lawyer': clones, clients and fitness for purpose in times of change

In a time of unprecedented change, when deregulation has swollen an already competitive market and the client is king, lawyers must innovate and manage client relationships. The authors examine whether there is such thing as a 'typical lawyer' and the place of such a role within a working team

Decision-making in practice: The use of cognitive heuristics by senior managers

This thesis uses a grounded theory methodology to reveal the processes by which cognitive heuristics are used by senior managers to make decisions in a large UK local authority. The thesis is based on primary data, organisational documentation and an extensive and critical review of the pertinent literature. Primary data was generated over four years and involved detailed observation of 156 senior managers making a total of 513 decisions, together with formal interviews and informal discussions with these managers. The organisation under study provided an ideal context for this research since it offered a rich insight into management decision-making practices in diverse contexts such as social work and highways, and with varying degrees of urgency ranging from procurement decisions lasting several months to instant decisions concerning child protection. Furthermore, UK local government has been subject to drastic change in recent years, such as the introduction of private sector management practices and increased competition. This has been exacerbated by an austerity programme which means that local authorities, in common with much of the world, have to do a lot more with a lot less. The turbulent context of local government is, in Yin’s (2009) terms, an ‘exemplifying’ case study, and hence the issues raised in this study resonate far beyond the scope of this thesis. This thesis makes a number of significant contributions to knowledge. Firstly, original flow charts are developed that allow the underlying processes of heuristic decision-making to be identified, and these reveal that, whereas the academic literature treats heuristics as discrete entities, there is actually considerable interplay between them. Further, a new definition of the moral heuristic is developed, which allows researchers to view this heuristic at a higher, more conceptual level than has hitherto been possible. The thesis also extends the work of Daniel Kahneman and demonstrates that the role of the unconscious in decision-making is more complex than previously thought. For instance, intuitive heuristics can be used consciously and choice-based heuristics can be used unconsciously. It is also argued that the underlying processes of ‘classical’ theory are better explained by the degree of consciousness involved when making a decision, and not by the commonly accepted normative/behavioural distinction made by Herbert Simon and others. As such, this thesis represents an important contribution to the decision-making literature

Dissolution of FB-Line Cabinet Sweepings

Three FB-Line samples were received by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) for characterization and evaluation for suitability for HB-Line dissolution. These samples are part of a larger sampling/evaluation program in support of FB-Line deinventory efforts. The samples studied were identified as MC04-147- HBL, MC04-148-HBL, and FBL-SWP-04-016-HBL (N). The first sample, MC04-147-HBL, is a portion of FB-Line Packaging and Stabilization (P&S) materials. The second sample, MC04-148-HBL, is a sweeping from Cabinet 6-8, which is not representative of the mechanical line. The third sample, FBL-SWP-04-016-HBL (N), is an FB-Line North cabinet sweeping. The samples were described by FB-Line personnel as containing plutonium oxide (PuO{sub 2}) which had not been high-fired. This description was generally confirmed by solids analysis and off gas measurements. All three samples were dissolved in 8 M HNO{sub 3}/0.1 M KF at 90-100 C leaving minor amounts of solid residue. During dissolution, sample MC04-147 did not generate hydrogen gas. Sample MC04-148 generated modest amounts of gas, which contained 4.0 to 4.7 volume percent (vol %) hydrogen (H{sub 2}) at a ratio of up to 8.4 x 10{sup -5} mol H{sub 2}/g sample. Sample FBL-SWP-04-016-HBL (N) was nearly completely soluble in 8 M HNO{sub 3}and produced a very small amount of gas. Apparently, the CaF{sub 2} in that sample dissolves and provides sufficient fluoride to support the dissolution of other components

Typical Lawyer! Clones, clients and fitness for purpose in times of change

The legal sector is experiencing ‘a time of unprecedented change with consumer demands, technology and the regulatory system fundamentally changing the way that legal services are delivered’ (Solicitor’s Regulation Authority, 2013). The deregulation of the sector, meaning that non-lawyers can now own and manage legal services firms, has swollen an already competitive market, and, more than ever, the client is king. Lawyers must be able to innovate and manage client relationships, and the issue of team working is becoming increasingly relevant. In this paper the authors combine their knowledge and expertise in management and law respectively to further explore this issue. During Author B’s time in legal practice she observed a paucity of ‘creative types’ and hypothesised that the recruitment process was likely to prevent the progress of such people into law firms. Some years later, the authors taught two cohorts of students attending a UK University management programme. The students, who all managed lawyers, comprised a mix of lawyers and non-lawyers, such as human resources and finance professionals. The authors observed a distinctly different approach between the lawyers and the non-lawyers. The observations referred to above ignited a desire in the authors to explore: (i) whether there is a ‘typical lawyer’ in terms of a lawyer’s preferred role in a team, (ii) if so, the impact this may have on the ability of law firms to manage client relationships and to innovate in times of change and increased competition, and (iii) how these findings might inform the education, training and recruitment of those working in the legal services sector. The authors used the Belbin model, which Author B had encountered in legal practice, to undertake a small pilot study of preferred team roles within the legal profession. Students in the two cohorts mentioned above each completed a Belbin questionnaire, and when the results were analysed, it became clear that there may indeed be implications for the sector and a need for further research into this topic

Exploring Perceptions of Academic Management Roles in the Undergraduate Student Experience

This article explores key roles and responsibilities undertaken by academics working in the UK higher education in relation to the student experience. Based on a case study of a large, modern university, we explore perceptions of three management roles that academics perform alongside their academic duties; namely programme leader, year tutor and personal tutor. Drawing on Brookfield’s (1995) four-lens framework, these roles are examined from multiple actors’ perspectives: students, peers, educational researchers, and autobiographical experiences. This study makes an important theoretical contribution by applying Brookfield’s four-lens framework not previously used in researching academic life, whilst empirically it offers insights into how each management role is enacted, and related to various aspects of the student experience. These unique theoretical and empirical insights have implications for enhancing the student experience and support academics into the enactment of management roles

Grounded Theory through the lenses of interpretation and translation

This paper explores interpretation and translation issues that arose during a grounded theory study of the Greek health sector. It highlights problems that were encountered when working in two languages and demonstrates how these were overcome. This is important because Grounded Theory (GT) research, in cross-cultural contexts, is associated with the linguistic challenges of conceptualisation. The authors offer their suggestions on how to conduct a GT research project within a diverse team based upon their experiences of undertaking such a study. Our paper supports Glaser’s work and contributes to GT methodology by offering guidance on how interpretation and translation can be incorporated in a multi-lingual research design with system and rigour to provide extra levels of constant comparison. Hence, this paper will be of value to future researchers who are working in diverse teams and/or are undertaking studies in multiple languages

Prologue - In search of decent work

‘Decent work’. The very phrase conjures up a range of images and interpretations. But what does it mean for practitioners? What does it mean for academics? Much has been spoken, and even more has been written, but there is still little consensus as to how these questions can be answered. This book aims to offer some answers by exploring the increasingly relevant topic of decent work from a range of perspectives. This initial chapter introduces readers to the purpose, rationale and structure of the book. It offers a description of the concept of decent work, and introduces readers to the work of the Decent Work and Productivity Research Centre of Manchester Metropolitan University