Alpine Common Property Institutions under Change: Conditions for Successful and Unsuccessful Collective Action by Alpine Farmers in the Canton of Grisons, Switzerland

The protection and sustainable management of alpine summer pastures has been stated as a goal in Swiss national law since 1996, and direct payments from the state for summer pasturing have been tied to sustainability criteria since 2000. This reflects the increasing value of the alpine cultural landscape as a public good. However, provision of this public good remains in the hands of local farmers and their local common pool resource (CPR) institutions for managing alpine pastures. These institutions are increasingly struggling to maintain their institutional arrangements, particularly regarding the work needed to maintain the pastures. This paper examines two cases of local CPR institutions for managing alpine pastures in the Swiss Canton of Grisons that manifest different institutional developments in light of changing conditions. The differences in how these institutions reacted to change and the impacts this has had on the provision of the CPR are explained by focusing on relative prices, bargaining power, and ideology as drivers of institutional change that are often neglected within common property research. Key words: summer pasture management, institutional change, bargaining power, ideology

Extending private-collective innovation: a case study

The private-collective innovation model proposes incentives for individuals and firms to privately invest resources to create public goods innovations. Such innovations are characterized by non-rivalry and non-exclusivity in consumption. Examples include open source software, user-generated media products, drug formulas, and sport equipment designs. There is still limited empirical research on private-collective innovation. We present a case study to (1) provide empirical evidence of a case of private-collective innovation, showing specific benefits, and (2) to extend the private-collective innovation model by analyzing the hidden costs for the company involved. We examine the development of the Nokia Internet Tablet, which builds on both proprietary and open source software development, and that involves both Nokia developers and volunteers who are not employed by the company. Seven benefits for Nokia are identified, as are five hidden costs: difficulty to differentiate, guarding business secrets, reducing community entry barriers, giving up control, and organizational inertia. We examine the actions taken by the management to mitigate these costs throughout the development period.

How Firms Make Friends: Communities in Private-Collective Innovation

When firms contribute to open source projects, they in fact invest into public goods which may be used by everyone, even by their competitors. This seemingly paradoxical behavior can be explained by the model of private-collective innovation where private investors participate in collective action. Previous literature has shown that companies benefit through the production process providing them with unique incentives such as learning and reputation effects. By contributing to open source projects firms are able to build a network of external individuals and organizations participating in the creation and development of the software. As will be shown in this doctoral dissertation firm-sponsored communities involve the formation of interorganizational relationships which eventually may lead to a source of sustained competitive advantage. However, managing a largely independent open source community is a challenging balancing act between exertion of control to appropriate value creation, and openness in order to gain and preserve credibility and motivate external contributions. Therefore, this dissertation consisting of an introductory chapter and three separate research papers analyzes characteristics of firm-driven open source communities, finds reasons why and mechanisms by which companies facilitate the creation of such networks, and shows how firms can benefit most from their communities.

Explicit description of generic representations for quivers of type An or Dn

We describe explicitly a generic representation for Dynkin quivers of type An or Dn for any dimension vector.

A Mathematical Model for Simplifying Representations of Objects in a Geographic Information System

The study of operations on representations of objects is well documented in the realm of spatial engineering. However, the mathematical structure and formal proof of these operational phenomena are not thoroughly explored. Other works have often focused on query-based models that seek to order classes and instances of objects in the form of semantic hierarchies or graphs. In some models, nodes of graphs represent objects and are connected by edges that represent different types of coarsening operators. This work, however, studies how the coarsening operator "simplification" can manipulate partitions of finite sets, independent from objects and their attributes. Partitions that are "simplified first have a collection of elements filtered (removed), and then the remaining partition is amalgamated (some sub-collections are unified). Simplification has many interesting mathematical properties. A finite composition of simplifications can also be accomplished with some single simplification. Also, if one partition is a simplification of the other, the simplified partition is defined to be less than the other partition according to the simp relation. This relation is shown to be a partial-order relation based on simplification. Collections of partitions can not only be proven to have a partial- order structure, but also have a lattice structure and are complete. In regard to a geographic information system (GIs), partitions related to subsets of attribute domains for objects are called views. Objects belong to different views based whether or not their attribute values lie in the underlying view domain. Given a particular view, objects with their attribute n-tuple codings contained in the view are part of the actualization set on views, and objects are labeled according to the particular subset of the view in which their coding lies. Though the scope of the work does not mainly focus on queries related directly to geographic objects, it provides verification for the existence of particular views in a system with this underlying structure. Given a finite attribute domain, one can say with mathematical certainty that different views of objects are partially ordered by simplification, and every collection of views has a greatest lower bound and least upper bound, which provides the validity for exploring queries in this regard.

Collective Voluntary Agreements and the Production of Less Polluting Products

Recently, some industries have collectively agreed not to produce models that do not meet an energy efficiency (and hence an environmental) standard. This paper presents a simple model that can be used to examine a voluntary collective agreement to limit or completely eliminate the low efficiency model of a given product (e.g., a low efficiency washing machine). We show that, when there is competition between firms, a collective agreement to limit or even eliminate production of the polluting model can actually increase profits for all firms in the industry. This suggests that a collective agreement of this type might actually be beneficial to firms, while at the same time improving environmental quality. However, the implicit enforcement that comes from the public nature of the commitment is necessary to ensure this outcome. This suggests that, by promoting such agreements, policymakers may be able to achieve substantial environmental gains with relatively little inducement. The impact on social welfare will then depend on whether these gains are sufficiently large to offset consumer losses from reductions in product variety and the associated price increases.

UNDERSTANDING NURSE CREATED COGNITIVE ARTIFACTS: PERSONALLY-CREATED-COGNITIVE-ARTIFACTS AS EXTERNAL REPRESENTATIONS OF DISTRIBUTED COGNITION

Manuscript 1: “Conceptual Analysis: Externalizing Nursing Knowledge” We use concept analysis to establish that the report tool nurses prepare, carry, reference, amend, and use as a temporary data repository are examples of cognitive artifacts. This tool, integrally woven throughout the work and practice of nurses, is important to cognition and clinical decision-making. Establishing the tool as a cognitive artifact will support new dimensions of study. Such studies can characterize how this report tool supports cognition, internal representation of knowledge and skills, and external representation of knowledge of the nurse. Manuscript 2: “Research Methods: Exploring Cognitive Work” The purpose of this paper is to describe a complex, cross-sectional, multi-method approach to study of personal cognitive artifacts in the clinical environment. The complex data arrays present in these cognitive artifacts warrant the use of multiple methods of data collection. Use of a less robust research design may result in an incomplete understanding of the meaning, value, content, and relationships between personal cognitive artifacts in the clinical environment and the cognitive work of the user. Manuscript 3: “Making the Cognitive Work of Registered Nurses Visible” Purpose: Knowledge representations and structures are created and used by registered nurses to guide patient care. Understanding is limited regarding how these knowledge representations, or cognitive artifacts, contribute to working memory, prioritization, organization, cognition, and decision-making. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the role a specific cognitive artifact knowledge representation and structure as it contributed to the cognitive work of the registered nurse. Methods: Data collection was completed, using qualitative research methods, by shadowing and interviewing 25 registered nurses. Data analysis employed triangulation and iterative analytic processes. Results: Nurse cognitive artifacts support recall, data evaluation, decision-making, organization, and prioritization. These cognitive artifacts demonstrated spatial, longitudinal, chronologic, visual, and personal cues to support the cognitive work of nurses. Conclusions: Nurse cognitive artifacts are an important adjunct to the cognitive work of nurses, and directly support patient care. Nurses need to be able to configure their cognitive artifact in ways that are meaningful and support their internal knowledge representations.

Learning -dependent plasticity of movement representations in the primate primary motor cortex

Primary motor cortex (M1) is involved in the production of voluntary movement and contains a complete functional representation, or map, of the skeletal musculature. This functional map can be altered by pathological experiences, such as peripheral nerve injury or stroke, by pharmacological manipulation, and by behavioral experience. The process by which experience-dependent alterations of cortical function occur is termed plasticity. In this thesis, plasticity of M1 functional organization as a consequence of behavioral experience was examined in adult primates (squirrel monkeys). Maps of movement representations were derived under anesthesia using intracortical microstimulation, whereby a microelectrode was inserted into the cortex to electrically stimulate corticospinal neurons at low current levels and evoke movements of the forelimb, principally of the hand. Movement representations were examined before and at several times after training on behavioral tasks that emphasized use of the fingers. Two behavioral tasks were utilized that dissociated the repetition of motor activity from the acquisition of motor skills. One task was easy to perform, and as such promoted repetitive motor activity without learning. The other task was more difficult, requiring the acquisition of motor skills for successful performance. Kinematic analysis indicated that monkeys used a consistent set of forelimb movements during pellet extractions. Functional mapping revealed that repetitive motor activity during the easier task did not produce plastic changes in movement representations. Instead, map plasticity, in the form of selective expansions of task-related movement representations, was only produced following skill acquisition on the difficult task. Additional studies revealed that, in general, map plasticity persisted without further training for up to three months, in parallel with the retention of task-related motor skills. Also, extensive additional training on the small well task produced further improvements in performance, and further changes in movement maps. In sum, these experiments support the following three conclusions regarding the role of M1 in motor learning. First, behaviorally-driven plasticity is learning-dependent, not activity-dependent. Second, plastic changes in M1 functional representations represent a neural correlate of acquired motor skills. Third, the persistence of map plasticity suggests that M1 is part of the neural substrate for the memory of motor skills. ^

Géneros discursivos de la memoria en clave literaria : los días iniciales de Joselín Cerda Rodríguez

Siendo el de las memorias un género legendario, hay que reconocer que su producción y posterior estudio ha cobrado particular auge en las últimas tres décadas. Si bien en el panorama sobre la escritura literaria en Catamarca, se conocen trabajos sobre las posibilidades de este género, están acotados a la poesía o a un texto como Niñez en Catamarca de Gustavo Gabriel Levene. Un aspecto probablemente distintivo de esta comunicación sea el corpus literario constituido por los relatos que integran Los días iniciales (1993) de Joselín Cerda Rodríguez, un escritor cuya obra constituye un caso infrecuente, por su autoafirmación étnica y por la textualización del yo en la reconstrucción de la memoria personal y colectiva. Interesa indagar: cómo el discurso construye las representaciones de la memoria personal; cuáles son las huellas del enunciador y cuáles las relaciones entre el yo autorial y el yo narrador en los enunciados narrativos; cuáles son las diferentes modalidades discursivas del género que exhibe la construcción de los textos. En relación con este último aspecto, importa considerar el plan de escritura de los relatos y la intercalación de recuerdos de infancia y de juventud, retratos físicos y morales, descripción de caracteres, evocación subjetiva y narración propiamente dicha. El abordaje previsto se encuadra en el marco teórico y metodológico provisto por el Análisis del Discurso (AD) y, en particular, sigue las propuestas de la Teoría de la Enunciación, la Lingüística del Texto y la Teoría Literaria, a partir de compatibilidades conceptuales que posibilitan integrar las distintas perspectivas teóricas. A través de este primer acercamiento al universo literario de Joselín Cerda Rodríguez se espera poder demostrar que la recuperación y preservación de la memoria personal, como colectiva constituye un punto de apoyo determinante en la plasmación de una cosmovisión singular e infrecuente.

"La familia de la construcción" : representaciones corporativas y discurso empresarial. La "historia sagrada" del Centro de Constructores y Anexos de Mar del Plata

Indudablemente, a lo largo de la historia las corporaciones empresarias han construido sus propios discursos al interior y al exterior de su campo de acción. Ello ha seguido diferentes modalidades, empero con objetivos similares al pretender legitimar su intervención pública y política en la sociedad en que se desarrollan. El artículo pone el foco de atención en la industria de la construcción a través de un análisis micro de los empresarios del sector en una ciudad de la provincia de Bs. As, donde la actividad resultó una de las ruedas maestras de su economía. A lo largo de sus años de vida, desde el Centro de Constructores y Anexos (cámara empresaria local de la industria de la construcción privada) en la ciudad de Mar del Plata se ha ido reproduciendo un determinado relato fundante que se ha convertido ya en “historia sagrada". Ello ha seguido determinados procesos de memoria colectiva, y de los actores, fortaleciendo la identidad institucional y potencializando líneas concretas de acción empresaria.

Identidades y prácticas militantes : Una mirada en torno a los proyectos políticos. Los casos del MTD-Evita y MTD- Aníbal

Argentina, desde mediados de la década de los noventa se fue convirtiendo en escenario para movilizaciones y acciones colectivas de protesta, entre las cuales se ubicaron los movimientos de trabajadores desocupados. La relevancia de estos sucesos despertó atracción en el campo científico el cual viene desarrollando investigaciones vinculadas a la historia, las condiciones de emergencia del nuevo actor colectivo (los piqueteros) y las (re)definiciones en el juego de fuerzas que supuso su ingreso en la política nacional. No obstante, en el transcurso de los últimos años están aconteciendo ciertos procesos de cambio en el escenario político nacional que generan transformaciones dentro de las organizaciones de desocupados así como, también, abren nuevas articulaciones y (re)definiciones de sus proyectos políticos con consecuencias sustanciales en la dimensión identitaria y en el accionar militante. Por tanto, el proyecto busca analizar representaciones y prácticas políticas de los militantes de organizaciones de desocupados con el propósito de indagar en la constitución de "identidades militantes". Para ello se propone reconstruir, desde la perspectiva de los militantes, los sentidos colectivos, lógicas de acción e interacciones presentes en la constitución de los proyectos políticos de las agrupaciones políticas: MTD- Evita y MTD- Aníbal Verón de Gran La Plata.