The relevance of shared experiences : a multi-level study of collective efficacy as a moderator of job control in the stressor-strain relationship

Karasek's Job Demand-Control model proposes that control mitigates the positive effects of work stressors on employee strain. Evidence to date remains mixed and, although a number of individual-level moderators have been examined, the role of broader, contextual, group factors has been largely overlooked. In this study, the extent to which control buffered or exacerbated the effects of demands on strain at the individual level was hypothesized to be influenced by perceptions of collective efficacy at the group level. Data from 544 employees in Australian organizations, nested within 23 workgroups, revealed significant three-way cross-level interactions among demands, control and collective efficacy on anxiety and job satisfaction. When the group perceived high levels of collective efficacy, high control buffered the negative consequences of high demands on anxiety and satisfaction. Conversely, when the group perceived low levels of collective efficacy, high control exacerbated the negative consequences of high demands on anxiety, but not satisfaction. In addition, a stress-exacerbating effect for high demands on anxiety and satisfaction was found when there was a mismatch between collective efficacy and control (i.e. combined high collective efficacy and low control). These results provide support for the notion that the stressor-strain relationship is moderated by both individual- and group-level factors.

Matching image sets via adaptive multi convex hull

Traditional nearest points methods use all the samples in an image set to construct a single convex or affine hull model for classification. However, strong artificial features and noisy data may be generated from combinations of training samples when significant intra-class variations and/or noise occur in the image set. Existing multi-model approaches extract local models by clustering each image set individually only once, with fixed clusters used for matching with various image sets. This may not be optimal for discrimination, as undesirable environmental conditions (eg. illumination and pose variations) may result in the two closest clusters representing different characteristics of an object (eg. frontal face being compared to non-frontal face). To address the above problem, we propose a novel approach to enhance nearest points based methods by integrating affine/convex hull classification with an adapted multi-model approach. We first extract multiple local convex hulls from a query image set via maximum margin clustering to diminish the artificial variations and constrain the noise in local convex hulls. We then propose adaptive reference clustering (ARC) to constrain the clustering of each gallery image set by forcing the clusters to have resemblance to the clusters in the query image set. By applying ARC, noisy clusters in the query set can be discarded. Experiments on Honda, MoBo and ETH-80 datasets show that the proposed method outperforms single model approaches and other recent techniques, such as Sparse Approximated Nearest Points, Mutual Subspace Method and Manifold Discriminant Analysis.

Physical activity recognition from accelerometer data using a multi-scale ensemble method

Accurate and detailed measurement of an individual's physical activity is a key requirement for helping researchers understand the relationship between physical activity and health. Accelerometers have become the method of choice for measuring physical activity due to their small size, low cost, convenience and their ability to provide objective information about physical activity. However, interpreting accelerometer data once it has been collected can be challenging. In this work, we applied machine learning algorithms to the task of physical activity recognition from triaxial accelerometer data. We employed a simple but effective approach of dividing the accelerometer data into short non-overlapping windows, converting each window into a feature vector, and treating each feature vector as an i.i.d training instance for a supervised learning algorithm. In addition, we improved on this simple approach with a multi-scale ensemble method that did not need to commit to a single window size and was able to leverage the fact that physical activities produced time series with repetitive patterns and discriminative features for physical activity occurred at different temporal scales.

Multi-shot person re-identification via relational stein divergence

Person re-identification is particularly challenging due to significant appearance changes across separate camera views. In order to re-identify people, a representative human signature should effectively handle differences in illumination, pose and camera parameters. While general appearance-based methods are modelled in Euclidean spaces, it has been argued that some applications in image and video analysis are better modelled via non-Euclidean manifold geometry. To this end, recent approaches represent images as covariance matrices, and interpret such matrices as points on Riemannian manifolds. As direct classification on such manifolds can be difficult, in this paper we propose to represent each manifold point as a vector of similarities to class representers, via a recently introduced form of Bregman matrix divergence known as the Stein divergence. This is followed by using a discriminative mapping of similarity vectors for final classification. The use of similarity vectors is in contrast to the traditional approach of embedding manifolds into tangent spaces, which can suffer from representing the manifold structure inaccurately. Comparative evaluations on benchmark ETHZ and iLIDS datasets for the person re-identification task show that the proposed approach obtains better performance than recent techniques such as Histogram Plus Epitome, Partial Least Squares, and Symmetry-Driven Accumulation of Local Features.

Professional development and social networks in digital content industry micro businesses

This study explores the professional development strategies of digital content professionals in Australian micro businesses. This thesis presents the argument that as these professionals are working in cutting edge creative fields where digital technology drives ongoing change, formal education experiences may be less important than for other professionals, and that specific types of online and face-to-face socially mediated informal learning strategies may be critical to currency. This thesis documents the findings of a broad survey of industry professionals' learning needs and development strategies, in conjunction with rich data from in-depth interviews and social network analyses.

Transmedia Practice : A Collective Approach

This volume introduces a collective approach that positions transmedia as a dynamic phenomenon which undergoes constant innovation as it absorbs current trends and advances in its constituent disciplines. The first section, 'Sustaining Future Practices', explores emerging models for defining stakeholder needs, understanding resource requirements and measuring the value and success of transmedia productions. The focus then shifts to 'Intersecting Contexts of Transmedia Practices', which uses the juxtaposition of a diverse collection of case studies to transcend not only the debates about how to define transmedia, but also the professional and disciplinary boundaries that impose artificial constraints upon the way transmedia projects are approached and understood. This inter-disciplinary dialogue aims to promote an ongoing conversation on the challenges and opportunities associated with sustaining this vital creative industry.

The knowledge base of subject-matter experts in teaching : A case study of a professional scientist as a beginning teacher

One method of addressing the shortage of science and mathematics teachers is to train scientists and other science-related professionals to become teachers. Advocates argue that as discipline experts these career changers can relate the subject matter knowledge to various contexts and applications in teaching. In this paper, through interviews and classroom observations with a former scientist and her students, we examine how one career changer used her expertise in microbiology to teach microscopy. These data provided the basis for a description of the teacher’s instruction which was then analysed for components of domain knowledge for teaching. Consistent with the literature, the findings revealed that this career changer needed to develop her pedagogical knowledge. However, an interesting finding was that the teacher’s subject matter as a science teacher differed substantively from her knowledge as a scientist. This finding challenges the assumption that subject matter is readily transferable across professions and provides insight into how to better prepare and support career changers to transition from scientist to science teacher.

What’s Mime got to do with it?

What has Mime got to do with Corporate Communication? As a professional Mime artist on both stage and screen for more than 25 years, the author has been adapting and applying the techniques of Mime to the corporate communication context over a number of years, coaching corporate CEO’s, Executives and Managers, representing both public and private sector corporations and organisations. This unusual inter-contextual skill transfer is the subject of both a book and series of VODCasts by the author (currently in the final stages of completion), which form part of the author’s Doctoral Research and from which this paper is substantially drawn. The author’s professional background is multi-disciplinary – encompassing theatre, television, media, music, tertiary education and corporate training contexts. It is also inter-disciplinary – concerned with the commonality of different artistic mediums and forms and how, where and why these professional disciplines: intersect; interact, and inform each other – and therefore how they support each other - rather than losing creative/professional opportunities because of areas where they might conflict. This paper examines in particular the physicality of presentation and communication – beyond ‘generic’ body-language analysis. It involves the analysis, manipulation and stylisation of human physicality to support and enhance individual inter-professional communication, and how mime performance skills specifically, inform that process. This paper discusses:- • how mime skills clarify and enhance inter-professional communication. • what adaptations need to be applied in that context • getting a ‘performance’ from ‘non-performers’

Interpretation of association rules in multi-tier structures

Dealing with the large amount of data resulting from association rule mining is a big challenge. The essential issue is how to provide efficient methods for summarizing and representing meaningful discovered knowledge from databases. This paper presents a new approach called multi-tier granule mining to improve the performance of association rule mining. Rather than using patterns, it uses granules to represent knowledge that is implicitly contained in relational databases. This approach also uses multi-tier structures and association mappings to interpret association rules in terms of granules. Consequently, association rules can be quickly assessed and meaningless association rules can be justified according to these association mappings. The experimental results indicate that the proposed approach is promising

Informed systems approach : new directions for organizational learning

The Informed Systems Approach offers models for advancing workplace learning within collaboratively designed systems that promote using information to learn through collegial exchange and reflective dialogue. This systemic approach integrates theoretical antecedents and process models, including the learning theories of Peter Checkland (Soft Systems Methodology), which advance systems design and informed action, and Christine Bruce (informed learning), which generate information experiences and professional practices. Ikujiro Nonaka’s systems ideas (SECI model) and Mary Crossan’s learning framework (4i framework) further animate workplace knowledge creation through learning relationships engaging individuals with ideas.

Unidentified vehicle in multi-vehicle accident - failure to notify Nominal Defendant no bar to proceedings against it

In Kumar v Suncorp Metway Insurance Limited [2004] QSC 381 Douglas J examined s37 of the Motor Accident Insurance Act 1994 (Qld) in the context of an accident involving multiple insurers when a notice of accident had not been given to the Nominal Defendant

Building community coalitions for the promotion of physical activity: 10,000 steps Rockhampton

The 10,000 Steps Rockhampton project is a multi-strategy community-wide, physical activity intervention based on the simultaneous implementation of five strategies, each identified as 'best practice' for the promotion of physical activity. Several community partners were engaged to develop and implement the strategies during the first eighteen months of the project. These included: the local media (TV, newspaper and radio); the local Division of General Practice and other health professional groups; the Heart Foundation and ‘Just Walk It’; the local council; and several large worksites. A local physical activity task force was also formed to administer a 'micro-grants' scheme, and to guide the development of community based strategies. The presentation will focus on the critical elements involved in developing and maintaining relationships with community partners. These include identification and ‘courting’ of potential partners, strategies for keeping them engaged, and the challenges of maintaining the balance between ‘top-down’ (evidence-based) and ‘bottom-up’ (community-driven) strategies. Data on implementation and uptake of the key strategies will also be presented. These include: 1) process data on the number of health

Barriers to implementing eHealth : a multi-dimensional perspective

This paper strives to identify barriers that hamper eHealth implementation from different perspectives. The benefits offered by eHealth and the need for eHealth preparedness is first discussed. This is followed by a discussion on the integral components of a robust eHealth infrastructure. Then, the barriers to eHealth such as technical interoperability issues, lack of holistic approach and technology disconnect are explained in detail. Finally, solutions to promote better adoption of eHealth through government policies, standardisation and training are also discussed.

The 3rd Knowledge Cities World Summit Proceedings

FROM KCWS 2010 Ch airs and Summit Proceeding Ed ito rs ‘Knowledge’ is a resource, which relies on the past for a better future. In the 21st century, more than ever before, cities around the world depend on the knowledge of their citizens, their institutions and their firms and enterprises. The knowledge image, the human competence and the reputation of their public and private institutions and corporations profiles a city. It attracts investment, qualified labour and professionals, as well as students and researchers. And it creates local life spaces and professional milieus, which offer the quality of life to the citizens that are seeking to cope with the challenges of modern life in a competitive world. Integrating knowledge-based development in urban strategies and policies, beyond the provision of schools and locations for higher education, has become a new ambitious arena of city politics. Coming from theory to practice, and bringing together the manifold knowledge stakeholders in a city and preparing joint visions for the knowledge city is a new challenge for city managers, urban planners and leaders of the civic society . It requires visionary power, creativity, holistic thinking, the willingness to cooperate with all groups of the local civil society, and the capability to moderate communication processes to overcome conflicts and to develop joint action for a sustainable future. This timely Melbourne 2010 – The Third Knowledge City World Summit makes an important reminder that ‘knowledge’ is the key notion in the 21st Century development. Considering this notion, the summit aims to shed light on the multi-faceted dimensions and various scales of building the ‘knowledge city’ and on ‘knowledge-based development’ paradigms. At this summit, the theoretical and practical maturing of knowledge-based development paradigms will be advanced through the interplay between the world’s leading academic’s theories and the practical models and strategies of practitioners’ and policy makers’ drawn from around the world. As chairs of The Melbourne 2010 Summit, we have compiled this summit proceeding in order to disseminate the knowledge generated and shared in Melbourne with the wider research, governance, and practice communities. The papers in the proceedings reflect the broad range of contributions to the summit. They report on recent developments in planning and managing knowledge cities and ICT infrastructure, they assess the role of knowledge institutions in regional innovation systems and of the intellectual capital of cities and regions; they describe the evolution of knowledge-based approaches to urban development in differing cultural environments; they finally bridge the discourse on the knowledge city to other urban development paradigms such as the creative city, the ubiquitous city or the compact city. The diversity of papers presented shows how different scholars from planning cultures around the world interpret the knowledge dimension in urban and regional development. All papers of this proceeding have gone through a double-blind peer review process and been reviewed by our summit editorial review and advisory board members. We cordially thank the members of the Summit Proceeding Editorial Review and Advisory Board for their diligent work in the review of the papers. We hope the papers in this proceeding will inspire and make a significant contribution to the research, governance, and practice circles.

Toward a deeper understanding of branching dialogue systems

This practice-based exegesis examines the field of writing interactive branching dialogues within video games from the perspective of a professional game writer. Leanne analyses both existing critically-acclaimed titles and her own personal works to create a taxonomy for critique that expands upon the current understanding of games as a literary medium. The final project of the exegesis purposely applies the elements of her new taxonomy in an ineffective manner, making explicit the outcomes and pitfalls of writing multi-layered, tiered dialogues and how tacit assumptions made during the writing process can negatively impact player agency.