Creativity and learning through electronic group causal mapping

This paper proposes, and begins to evaluate, a format of brainstorming-type activity which aims to release the creativity of participants and encourage them to learn about a wider range of issues in more detail. The format does this through providing a two-stage brainstorming session. After the first brainstorm, participants have an opportunity to both piggy-back off other peoples ideas (i.e. create new ideas by synthesising other peoples' ideas into their own perspectives), and share causal links to build a causal map with the brainstormed ideas. Five causal mapping sessions with organisations have been analysed. Findings suggest that ideas shared when piggy-backing are often highly creative and unique for the participant who shared them. Also piggy-backing and causal linking seem to provide effective opportunities for individual learning as participants have time to reflect upon other peoples' perspectives and share their own views on those.

Differential moderating effect of locus of control on effect of driving experience in young male and female drivers

Investigations of relationships between the specific personality variable, locus of control (LOC, Rotter, 1966) and driver behaviour or accidents have returned contrasting results. Review suggests dependence on gender or experience characteristics of participants, suggesting these factors interact with LOC to influence driving. Relationships were investigated in terms of influence on the eight driving styles of the Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI, Taubman-Ben-Ari, Mikulincer & Gillarth, 2004) in young drivers (18-29 years). Gender and LOC differences in driving styles previously related to accidents were proposed. It was also proposed that driving experience influences driving style, and LOC influences effect of driving experience. Gender differences were found for dissociative, anxious, patient, risky, angry and high velocity styles. Women had more external LOC than men, and driver stress styles increased with more external LOC, but reduced with increased driving experience, but so did patient style. High velocity style increased with experience. Controlling for LOC revealed important gender differences in effect of experience: positive effects for men (reducing angry and high velocity, increasing carefulness) and negative effects for women (increasing angry and higher velocity, reducing carefulness). Findings suggest negative influence of high internal LOC on young men in terms of its interaction with experience.

Approximating differentiable relationships between delay embedded dynamical systems with radical basis functions

This thesis is about the study of relationships between experimental dynamical systems. The basic approach is to fit radial basis function maps between time delay embeddings of manifolds. We have shown that under certain conditions these maps are generically diffeomorphisms, and can be analysed to determine whether or not the manifolds in question are diffeomorphically related to each other. If not, a study of the distribution of errors may provide information about the lack of equivalence between the two. The method has applications wherever two or more sensors are used to measure a single system, or where a single sensor can respond on more than one time scale: their respective time series can be tested to determine whether or not they are coupled, and to what degree. One application which we have explored is the determination of a minimum embedding dimension for dynamical system reconstruction. In this special case the diffeomorphism in question is closely related to the predictor for the time series itself. Linear transformations of delay embedded manifolds can also be shown to have nonlinear inverses under the right conditions, and we have used radial basis functions to approximate these inverse maps in a variety of contexts. This method is particularly useful when the linear transformation corresponds to the delay embedding of a finite impulse response filtered time series. One application of fitting an inverse to this linear map is the detection of periodic orbits in chaotic attractors, using suitably tuned filters. This method has also been used to separate signals with known bandwidths from deterministic noise, by tuning a filter to stop the signal and then recovering the chaos with the nonlinear inverse. The method may have applications to the cancellation of noise generated by mechanical or electrical systems. In the course of this research a sophisticated piece of software has been developed. The program allows the construction of a hierarchy of delay embeddings from scalar and multi-valued time series. The embedded objects can be analysed graphically, and radial basis function maps can be fitted between them asynchronously, in parallel, on a multi-processor machine. In addition to a graphical user interface, the program can be driven by a batch mode command language, incorporating the concept of parallel and sequential instruction groups and enabling complex sequences of experiments to be performed in parallel in a resource-efficient manner.

An assessment of the industry cluster approach as a tool for local economic development:the case of the new media industry in Birmingham

Industry cluster policies are a current trend in local economic development programmes and represent a major shift from traditional approaches. This trend has been coupled by an increasing interest in new media industry as a significant focus for regional development strategies. In England clusters and new media industry have therefore come to be seen as important tools in promoting local and regional economic development. This study aimed to ascertain the success of these policies. In order to achieve the aims of the study, the Birmingham new media industry was chosen for the study. In addition to an extensive review of the literature, semi-structured interviews were conducted with new media firms and Business Support Agencies (BSAs) offering programmes to promote the development of the new media industry cluster. The key findings of the thesis are that the concerns of new media industry when choosing their location do not conform to the industry cluster theory. Moreover, close proximity in geographical location of the industries does not mean there is collaboration and any costs saved as a result of close proximity to similar firms are at present seen as irrelevant because of the type of products they offer. Building trust between firms is the key in developing the new media industry cluster and the BSAs can act as a broker and provide neutral ground to develop it. The key policy recommendations are that new media industry is continually changing and research must continuously track and analyse cluster dynamics in order to be aware of emerging trends and future developments that can positively and negatively affect the cluster. Policy makers need to keep in mind that there is no uniform tool kit to foster the different sectors in cluster development. It is also important for them to be winning support and trust of new media firms since this is key in the success of the cluster. When cluster programs are introduced they must explain their benefits to industries more effectively in order to encourage them to participate in programmes. The general conclusions of the thesis are that clusters are a potentially important tool in local economic development policy and that the new media industry has a considerable growth potential. The kinds of relationships which cluster theory suggests develop between do not, as yet, appear to exist within the new media cluster. There are however, steps that the BSAs can take to encourage their development. Thus, the BSAs need to ensure that they establish an environment that enables growth of the industry.

The impact on agriculture of the drawdown of shallow watertables

The promoters of the large groundwater developments implemented in the 1970's paid little attention to the effects of pumping on soil moisture. A field study, conducted in 1979 in the Tern Area of the Shropshire Groundwater Scheme, revealed that significant quantities of the available moisture could be removed from the root zone of vegetation when drawdown of shallow watertables occurred. Arguments to this effect, supported by the field study evidence, were successfully presented at the Shropshire Groundwater Scheme public inquiry. The aim of this study has been to expand the work which was undertaken in connection with the Shropshire Groundwater Scheme, and to develop a method whereby the effects of groundwater pumping on vegetation can be assessed, and hence the impacts minimised. Two concepts, the critical height and the soil sensitivity depth, formulated during the initial work are at the core of the Environmental Impact Assessment method whose development is described. A programme of laboratory experiments on soil columns is described, as is the derivation of relationships for determining critical heights and field capacity moisture profiles. These relationships are subsequently employed in evaluating the effects of groundwater drawdown. In employing the environmental assessment technique, digitised maps of relevant features of the Tern Area are combined to produce composite maps delineating the extent of the areas which are potentially sensitive to groundwater drawdown. A series of crop yield/moisture loss functions are then employed to estimate the impact of simulated pumping events on the agricultural community of the Tern Area. Finally, guidelines, based on experience gained through evaluation of the Tern Area case study, are presented for use in the design of soil moisture monitoring systems and in the siting of boreholes. In addition recommendations are made for development of the EIA technique, and further research needs are identified.

Gold mineralisation in the Caledonides of the British Isles with special reference to the Dolgellau Gold-belt, North Wales and the Southern Uplands, Scotland. Available in 2 volumes.

Two aspects of gold mineralisation in the Caledonides of the British Isles have been investigated: gold-telluride mineralisation at Clogau Mine, North Wales; and placer gold mineralisation in the Southern Uplands, Scotland. The primary ore assemblage at Clogau Mine is pyrite, arsenopyrite, cobaltite, pyrrhotine, chalcopyrite, galena, tellurbismuth, tetradymite, altaite, hessite, native gold, wehrlite, hedleyite, native bismuth, bismuthunite and various sulphosalts. The generalised paragenesis is early Fe, Co, Cu, As and S species, and later minerals of Pb, Bi, Ag, Au, Te, Sb. Electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) of complex telluride-sulphide intergrowths suggests that these intergrowths formed by co-crystallisation/replacement processes and not exsolution. Minor element chemical variation, in the sulphides and tellurides, indicates that antimony and cadmium are preferentially partitioned into telluride minerals. Mineral stability diagrams suggest that during gold deposition log bf aTe2 was between -7.9 and -9.7 and log bf aS2 between -12.4 and -13.8. Co-existing mineral assemblages indicate that the final stages of telluride mineralisation were between c. 250 - 275oC. It is suggested that the high-grade telluride ore shoot was the result of remobilisation of Au, Bi, Ag and Te from low grade mineralisation elsewhere within the vein system, and that gold deposition was brought about by destabilisation of gold chloride complexes by interaction with graphite, sulphides and tellurbismuth. Scanning electron microscopy of planer gold grains from the Southern Uplands, Scotland, indicates that detailed studies on the morphology of placer gold can be used to elucidate the history of gold in the placer environment. In total 18 different morphological characteristics were identified. These were divided on an empirical basis, using the relative degree of mechanical attrition, into proximal and distal characteristics. One morphological characteristic (a porous/spongy surface at high magnification) is considered to be chemical in origin and represent the growth of `new' gold in the placer environment. The geographical distribution of morphological characteristics has been examined and suggests that proximal placer gold is spatially associated with the Loch Doon, Cairsphairn and Fleet granitoids. Quantitative EPMA of the placer gold reveals two compositional populations of placer gold. Examination of the geographical distribution of fineness suggests a loose spatial association between granitoids and low fineness placer gold. Also identified was chemically heterogeneous placer gold. EPMA studies of these heterogeneities allowed estimation of annealing history limits, which suggest that the heterogeneities formed between 150 and 235oC. It is concluded, on the basis of relationships between morphology and composition, that there are two types of placer gold in the Southern Uplands: (i) placer gold which is directly inherited from a hypogene source probably spatially associated with granitoids; and (ii) placer gold that has formed during supergene processes.

Encouraging innovation in business relationships:a research note

How do buyer–supplier relationships affect innovation? This study suggests that the relational exchange norms of flexibility, information sharing, and solidarity (the bright side) encourage buyer innovation. However, negative (dark side) aspects of relationships with suppliers—loss of supplier objectivity, increasing buyer expectations, and supplier opportunism—may accompany the bright side and subsequently reduce buyer innovation. The study reports on the simultaneous effects of the bright and dark sides on innovation and the resultant effect on supplier performance as evaluated from the buyer's perspective. Using data from the travel and computer industry, regression models reveal that the bright side encourages buyer innovation. Buyers reciprocate this support by enhancing their supplier evaluations. The findings indicate that rising buyer expectations—supposedly a dark side of relational exchange—encourage innovation, while loss of supplier objectivity reduces relationship performance. These findings imply that the bright and dark sides are not mutually exclusive dimensions of good versus bad behavior.

Engineering education for the 21st century:scholarship, synergy and student success

Starting with the question “How can University level Engineering Education be developed in such a way so as to enhance the quality of the student learning experience?”, this discussion paper proposes an approach to engineering education developed by a senior engineering educator working alongside a pedagogical researcher in an attempt to engage colleagues in contemporary debates about the issues currently faced across the Sector. Such issues include difficulties with recruiting students onto programmes as well as high levels of student attrition and failure. Underpinned by three distinctive concepts: Synergy, Variety & Relationships (S+V+R), the approach brings together pedagogic and engineering epistemologies in an empirically grounded framework in such a way so as to provide an accessible and relevant learning approach that, if followed, engenders student success [S2]. Specifically developed with the intention of increasing retention and positively impacting student success [S2], the S+V+R=S2 approach provides a scholarly and Synergetic (S) approach to engineering education that is both innovative and exciting. Building on the argument that Variety (V) in education is pivotal to promoting originality and creativity in learning and teaching, this paper shows how, by purposefully developing a range of learning and teaching approaches, student engagement and thus success can be increased. It also considers the importance of Relationships (R) in higher education, arguing that belonging and relationships are crucial factors impacting student experiences. When taken together (Synergy, Variety and Relationships) and applied within an Engineering Education context, students are provided with a unique learning environment – one that both promotes individual success and improves organisational effectiveness. The uniqueness of the approach is in the synthesis of these three concepts within an Engineering Education epistemology.

Case study as a research strategy : investigating extreme weather resilience of construction SMEs in the UK

Determining an appropriate research methodology is considered as an important element in a research study; especially in a doctoral research study. It involves approach to the entire process of a research study, starting from theoretical underpinnings and spanning to data collection and analysis, and extending to developing the solutions for the problems investigated. Research methodology in essence is focused around the problems to be investigated in a research study and therefore varies according to the problems investigated. Thus, identifying the research methodology that best suits a research in hand is important, not only as it will benefit achieving the set objectives of a research, but also as it will serve establishing the credibility of the work. Research philosophy, approach, strategy, choice, and techniques are inherent components of the methodology. Research strategy provides the overall direction of the research including the process by which the research is conducted. Case study, experiment, survey, action research, grounded theory and ethnography are examples for such research strategies. Case study is documented as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. Case study was adopted as the overarching research strategy, in a doctoral study developed to investigate the resilience of construction Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the UK to extreme weather events. The research sought to investigate how construction SMEs are affected by EWEs, respond to the risk of EWEs, and means of enhancing their resilience to future EWEs. It is argued that utilising case study strategy will benefit the research study, in achieving the set objectives of the research and answering the research questions raised, by comparing and contrasting with the alternative strategies available. It is also claimed that the selected strategy will contribute towards addressing the call for improved methodological pluralism in construction management research, enhancing the understanding of complex network of relationships pertinent to the industry and the phenomenon being studied.

Aligning employee service recovery performance with brand values:the role of brand-specific leadership

This study investigates the effects of brand-specific leadership on employees' brand-aligned service recovery performance (SRP). In order to do so, we empirically test a conceptual model of relationships between brand-specific transformational leadership (TFL) and transactional leadership (TRL), trust in leader and in corporate brand, brand identification, and SRP from employees' perspectives. It is the first study to incorporate trust in corporate brand into the framework. Results from a study of 246 customer-contact employees show that brand-specific TFL has a positive impact on all variables studied, while brand-specific TRL is ineffective in fostering brand-building behaviours. More specifically, brand-specific TFL's effects on employee SRP are mediated by trust in the leader, trust in the corporate brand, and brand identification. Implications and future research directions are discussed. © 2013 Copyright Taylor & Francis.

Creative self-efficacy and individual creativity in teams:cross-level interactions with team informational resources

We propose a cross-level perspective on the relation between creative self-efficacy and individual creativity in which team informational resources, comprising both shared “knowledge of who knows what” (KWKW) and functional background diversity, benefit the creativity of individuals more with higher creative self-efficacy. To test our hypotheses, we conducted a multi-level study with 176 employees working in 34 research and development teams of a multinational company in 4 countries. In support of our hypotheses, the link between creative self-efficacy and individual creativity was more positive with greater shared KWKW, and this interactive effect was pronounced for teams of high rather than low functional background diversity. We discuss implications for the study of creative self-efficacy in team contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Case study as a research strategy:investigating extreme weather resilience of construction SMEs in the UK

Determining an appropriate research methodology is considered as an important element in a research study; especially in a doctoral research study. It involves approach to the entire process of a research study, starting from theoretical underpinnings and spanning to data collection and analysis, and extending to developing the solutions for the problems investigated. Research methodology in essence is focused around the problems to be investigated in a research study and therefore varies according to the problems investigated. Thus, identifying the research methodology that best suits a research in hand is important, not only as it will benefit achieving the set objectives of a research, but also as it will serve establishing the credibility of the work. Research philosophy, approach, strategy, choice, and techniques are inherent components of the methodology. Research strategy provides the overall direction of the research including the process by which the research is conducted. Case study, experiment, survey, action research, grounded theory and ethnography are examples for such research strategies. Case study is documented as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. Case study was adopted as the overarching research strategy, in a doctoral study developed to investigate the resilience of construction Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the UK to extreme weather events. The research sought to investigate how construction SMEs are affected by EWEs, respond to the risk of EWEs, and means of enhancing their resilience to future EWEs. It is argued that utilising case study strategy will benefit the research study, in achieving the set objectives of the research and answering the research questions raised, by comparing and contrasting with the alternative strategies available. It is also claimed that the selected strategy will contribute towards addressing the call for improved methodological pluralism in construction management research, enhancing the understanding of complex network of relationships pertinent to the industry and the phenomenon being studied.

Co-constructed caring research and intellectual disability:an exploration of friendship, intimacy and being human

For this paper, emotional and socio-political questions lie at the heart of relationships in understanding intellectual disability and what it is to be a human. While the sexual and intimate is more often than not based on a private and personal relationship with the self and (an)other, the sexual and intimate life of intellectually disabled people is more often a ‘public’ affair governed by parents and/or carers, destabilizing what we might consider ethical and caring practices. In the socio-political sphere, as an all-encompassing ‘care space’, social intolerance and aversion to difficult differences are played out, impacting upon the intimate lives of intellectually disabled people. As co-researchers (one intellectually disabled and one ‘non-disabled’), we discuss narratives from a small scale research project and our personal reflections. In sociological research and more specifically within disability research it is clear that we need to keep sex and intimacy on the agenda, yet also find ways of doing research in a meaningful, caring and co-constructed way.

Az üzleti kapcsolatok menedzsmentjének gondolati modellje. És ez miért lehet fontos a vállalati vezetők számára? (The conceptual model of management of business relations – and why it may be important for the corporate executives?)

A szerzők cikkükben az üzleti marketinget és a gazdaságszociológiai megközelítést ötvözve vizsgálják az üzleti kapcsolatok irányításának néhány problémáját. Gondolati modelljük figyelembe veszi a kapcsolatra vonatkozó külső és belső szabályokat, a kapcsolatban érintettek percepcióit és cselekvéseit. Az üzleti kapcsolat menedzsmentje alatt elsősorban tervező, szervező és ellenőrző tevékenységeket értenek, amelyek attól függően alakulnak, hogy egy kapcsolat létrehozása, fenntartása vagy változtatása-e a cél. Reményeik szerint az általuk javasolt gondolati modell alkalmazása a társadalmi összetevők világosabb felismerésében segítheti az üzleti élet résztvevőit. Dolgozatuk célja az üzleti kapcsolatok menedzsmentjét megkönnyítő gondolati modell felállítása. A modell operacionalizálása és empirikus tesztelése meghaladja jelen írásuk kereteit és egy esetleges jövőbeni kutatás témája lehet. ____________ The purpose of this article is to create and demonstrate such a conceptual model, which might assist in the more efficient management of business relationships. The peculiarity of the way of thinking proposed by the authors is that it takes into account the complexity of business relationships and its social embeddedness. Thus they make an attempt to systematize the key components of business relationships, their processes, economic and social characteristics. The authors would like to approach this from the point of view of the management of the business relationship, trusting that the deeper understanding of the complexity of business relationships and the consistent consideration of this complexity may contribute to the more successful management of relationships.

A study of the relationship between parental self-efficacy and indicators of school involvement exhibited by Hispanic parents of elementary school children

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Hispanic parents' sense of self-efficacy at various degrees of acculturation to the United States and specific indicators of school involvement in their elementary school children's education. It assessed the effects of acculturation on the level of parental self-efficacy and their degree of school involvement. The theoretical framework guiding this investigation was Bandura's theory of self-efficacy which advocates that the amount of effort a person devotes to the accomplishment of a specific outcome is related to a person's beliefs in their capabilities regardless of actual competencies.^ The research method involved a correlational design measuring levels of parental self-efficacy, acculturation, degree of school involvement and related demographic characteristics. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the degree of relationships existing between the predictor variables of self-efficacy and level of acculturation, and level of school involvement. The data was subjected to a path analysis to test the validity of the causal model advanced in this study specifying a positive relationship between the constructs of acculturation, parental self-efficacy and level of school involvement.^ A total of 109 Hispanic parents of students enrolled in five elementary public schools in Dade County, Florida, were selected for participation in the study. Results revealed a significant positive correlation r =.23, p $<$.05 between level of parental self-efficacy and number of hours parents spent helping their children with homework. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between acculturation and level of self-efficacy r =.21, p $<$.05. Statistically significant positive correlations were also found between acculturation and such indicators of parental school involvement as participation in parent-teacher conferences r =.20, p $<$.05, volunteering at school, r =.22, p $<$.05, attendance at school sponsored sports activities r =.26, p $<$.01, and volunteering in field-trips r =.28, p $<$.01.^ The multiple regression analysis equation predicting level of homework assistance provided by parents and self-efficacy was statistically significant, F(2,106) = 3.59, p $<$.03. The beta weights revealed that self-efficacy contributed the most to the prediction of homework assistance by parents, B =.258, p $<$.009. In turn, the variable of acculturation was the most significant predictor of number of school based parent involvement activities, B =.281, p $<$.05 level. The path analysis confirmed the results obtained in the multiple regression analyses, establishing self-efficacy as having a direct effect on the level of homework assistance provided by parents. Conversely, the variable of acculturation had a direct effect on the number of school based parent involvement activities. ^