The 8th flow - common understanding

Projects are a form of engineered-to-order (ETO) production which require that the definition of Value becomes part of the production process. Project production requires the inclusion of the product design, the design process, and the production process to be integrated in order to fully benefit from waste reduction and process improvement. In construction, project production is more challenging because of the temporal, transient, and fragmented nature of the project team and the supporting supply chain. This requires a form of ‘interoperability’ between the supply chain organisations, the particular teams involved, the commissioning clients and other stakeholders. It is proposed that this ‘interoperability’ is a form of common understanding and that this understanding needs to be defined, developed, and nurtured across the project execution as a flow in the same way that other flows are managed. Building on the seven flow model proposal reported by Koskela and Howell (1999), this paper proposes a common understanding as an eighth flow and suggests how it might be managed. The paper classifies the concept of common understanding as a soft flow and shows that although it is a fresh insight it actually has roots in lean production. The identity of common understanding as the eighth flow arises from a number of funded research projects in which the difficulties of lean construction implementation were investigated

The structural transition of the production system: Regional policy in common understanding

Several scientists, politicians are perceiving a fundamental shift in the structure of the production process and the political regulation-system governing that process. Others claim that there?s nothing worth mentioning about this rage, and posit the continuation of long known cyclical and secular trends. There is a general lack of common understanding and accurate definition in the debate among and between politicians and academics. Neither the concept of ?globalisation? nor that of ?regionalisation? seems to be an accurate ?description? nor an ?explanation? of the structural transformations of the European economy. Yet these vague nominations do have real implications for the perception and situation-definition of the mass and their leaders. Using theoretical tools as the ?Rule of Anticipated Reactions?, ?Hidden Faces of Power?, ?non-decision-making? etc., the proposition is that the ?invisible hands? of market-law and (supra-)state policies have altered the bargaining positions of ?states? and organisations favouring business. The debate about the ?retreat? or ?withering away? of the state, vs. scientists pleading to ?bring the state back in? the analysis, is noticeable in most countries. But the ?objective data? used is unsuitable: they cannot measure accurately the transition under research. The current discussion cannot reveal the importance of the concept of ?structural power? in social relationships: the shifting balance of power between states and markets and between labour and capital. Because of the current division of social sciences, individual disciplines cannot capture thoroughly the transition of the economic system. This transition consists of the shift away from a ?Fordist Regulation? towards ?Something Else?. This transition has farreaching consequences for the neo-corporatist organisation of the ?European? economies and the underlying social differentiation. It is endangering the necessary social cohesion and hindering the supple functioning of the labour market. The classic ?European? Keynesian Welfare State, is undergoing strong incentives, perhaps dictates, towards drastic adjustment. The conditions imposed by mobile capital, both financial and productive, are narrowing the policy-options of national and regional governments: the decrease of difference. At least, this is what is proclaimed in popular discours, in contrast to different findings of scientific research. The modern version of ?beggar-they-neighbour?, the competitive provision of investment-incentives, the involuntarily condescending attitude towards the captains of industry ... are disciplining the labour-force and leading to unemployment and poverty. Because of the delegation of important parts of the socio-economical policy-domains towards the regional government, these too are forced to play the game. Intra-Union and even intra-state social dumping, sometimes for the sake of the European subsidy-policy, are complicating an ?regional understanding?. How can the regions answer this common threat without resulting in a ?mutually assured destruction?? How can they counter these ?structural adjustment plans? without a suitable adequate institutional apparatus on the Union level? What is known in political geography as the ?jumping of scales? is changing the relationship between different policy-levels. The ?regional question? at the turn of the Century is a difficult one: how can the regions defy the obligations of the global production system without rendering a community of regions impossible before it is constructed.

Extended Inclusive Fitness Theory bridges Economics and Biology through a common understanding of Social Synergy

Inclusive Fitness Theory (IFT) was proposed half a century ago by W.D. Hamilton to explain the emergence and maintenance of cooperation between individuals that allows the existence of society. Contemporary evolutionary ecology identified several factors that increase inclusive fitness, in addition to kin-selection, such as assortation or homophily, and social synergies triggered by cooperation. Here we propose an Extend Inclusive Fitness Theory (EIFT) that includes in the fitness calculation all direct and indirect benefits an agent obtains by its own actions, and through interactions with kin and with genetically unrelated individuals. This formulation focuses on the sustainable cost/benefit threshold ratio of cooperation and on the probability of agents sharing mutually compatible memes or genes. This broader description of the nature of social dynamics allows to compare the evolution of cooperation among kin and non-kin, intra- and inter-specific cooperation, co-evolution, the emergence of symbioses, of social synergies, and the emergence of division of labor. EIFT promotes interdisciplinary cross fertilization of ideas by allowing to describe the role for division of labor in the emergence of social synergies, providing an integrated framework for the study of both, biological evolution of social behavior and economic market dynamics.Comment: Bioeconomics, Synergy, Complexit

An exploration of knowledge and understanding – the eighth flow

The argument for understanding Lean construction as a socio-technical field is growing and the need to better consider the role of human beings within construction systems is becoming the dominant factor in project success. Many current attributes of lean already focus on people and on human engagement approaches but the field of lean construction addresses project environments that are often complex and highly variable. The authors argue that the successful delivery of these projects relies on the creation of a common understanding of the project objectives within the diverse value systems of project participants and wider society. Additionally, many of the new ways of working that lean thinking brings already support the creation of a common understanding and could be harnessed to better effect. Based on a literature review and supported by case study examples the authors explore the nature of knowledge and understanding and position them within an eight flow model for construction production. The findings indicate a need to reconsider the development of a common understand for each project due to the tacit nature of experiential knowledge held within the project team and the specificity and complexity of the project environment. As a result effort is required to generate and maintain a common understanding throughout the project duration. The continued attention and action required to maintain this common understanding elevates it to a flow of equal status to those identified in Koskela’s flow production model thus increasing the number of flows to eight. A significant lean construction case study is revisited and examined to identify interventions undertaken to achieve this generation and management of common understanding thus demonstrating that this development already exists, albeit intuitively, as an element of “lean thinking”

Toward a common understanding of ocean multi-use

The “open ocean” has become a highly contested space as coastal populations and maritime uses soared in abundance and intensity over the last decades. Changing marine utilization patterns represent a considerable challenge to society and governments. Maritime spatial planning has emerged as one tool to manage conflicts between users and achieve societal goals for the use of marine space; however, single-sector management approaches are too often still the norm. The last decades have seen the rise of a new ocean use concept: the joint “multi-use” of ocean space. This paper aims to explain and refine the concept of ocean multi-use of space by reviewing the development and state of the art of multi-use in Europe and presenting a clear definition and a comprehensive typology for existing multi-use combinations. It builds on the connectivity of uses and users in spatial, temporal, provisional, and functional dimensions as the underlying key characteristic of multi-use dimensions. Combinations of these dimensions yield four distinct types of multi-use with little overlap between them. The diversity of types demonstrates that there is no one-size-fits-all management approach, but rather that adaptive management plans are needed, focusing on achieving the highest societal benefit while minimizing conflicts. This work will help to sharpen, refine and advance the public and academic discourse over marine spatial planning by offering a common framework to planners, researchers and users alike, when discussing multi-use and its management implications

The urban East Midlands in 2008

The aim of this evidence base is to highlight key challenges and build a common understanding of the performance of the urban East Midlands on a range of demographic, economic, labour market, physical and environmental indicators

Literacy in a digital world : searching for common understanding

The increasing penetration of digital technologies in society. involves substantial changes in literacy practices that need not be marginalised as "digital literacy". The Subject of this research is the 'investigation of emerging changes in ‘literacy' in a digitally mediated, world, viewed. From the, perspective of the individual's, understandings, of the changes taking place. To explore the extent. to which understandings are common the research worked with diverse' populations. Three groups of different age ranges (school age, professional adults and retired people) and cultural contexts (Mexico, Spain, and the UK) were interviewed. The data set was analysed according to three perspectives: participants' understandings of how their practices have changed; critical understandings of their practices including the contexts in which they take place; and understandings of their own identity as "literate” individuals. The research approach was qualitative drawing on semi-structured interviews and iterative- analysis of the data. 'While some of the findings confirm tendencies already observed in the literature, others, such as a sense of non-alignment with cultures of transparency, the lack of perception of the self as creator of artefacts, or tensions between convenience and critical positions) provoke reflection and contribute to a fuller understanding of the nature of literacy in a digital world. The key implications of the report's findings for educational' policy and pedagogical practice include the idea that literacy cannot be viewed as a static set of skills. the fact that the evidence presented here. suggests, that there is no clear demarcation between “digital literacy" and "literacy" and the idea that pedagogical practice should take into account the degree of integration of technologies into learners lives. The report identifies a need for educational policy, and pedagogical practice to focus on the development" of 'meta-literacy', or understandings of what literacy and literacies involve

Charge centers in CaF2_2: Ab initio calculation of elementary physical properties

Charge centers in ionic crystals provide a channel for elementary interaction between electromagnetic radiation and the lattice. We calculate the electronic ground state energies which are needed to create a charge center -- namely a $F$- and a $H$-center. In well agreement with common understanding the $F$-center results in being accompanied by a small lattice distortion whereas the $H$-center is accompanied by a very large lattice deformation. Opposite to the common understanding the additional positive charge in the charge center results rather to be localized on a F$_4^{3-}$ complex than on a F$_2^-$-complex. From the ground states of the charge centers we derive binding energies, diffusion barriers and agglomeration energies for $M$-center formation. These microscopic quantities are of fundamental interest to understand the dynamic processes which are initiated if the crystals interact with extreme intense deep ultra violet radiation. We further derive the equilibrium concentrations of charge centers in grown crystals.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev. B in Aug. 2006, 11 Fig

Enforcing Courtesy: Default Judgments and the Civility Movement

We have much less of a sense of shared values than we used to have. There was a common understanding of how you acted. You zealously represented your client, but you had respect for the other side and treated them with dignity. Afterward, you\u27d all go out for a drink. Can we ever again achieve this level of professionalism? I hope so