scholarly journals Emotion in animal contests

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1939) ◽  
pp. 20201715
Author(s):  
Andrew Crump ◽  
Emily J. Bethell ◽  
Ryan Earley ◽  
Victoria E. Lee ◽  
Michael Mendl ◽  
...  

Emotions encompass cognitive and behavioural responses to reward and punishment. Using contests as a case-study, we propose that short-term emotions underpin animals' assessments, decision-making and behaviour. Equating contest assessments to emotional ‘appraisals', we describe how contestants appraise more than resource value and outcome probability. These appraisals elicit the cognition, drive and neurophysiology that governs aggressive behaviour. We discuss how recent contest outcomes induce long-term moods, which impact subsequent contest behaviour. Finally, we distinguish between integral (objectively relevant) and incidental (objectively irrelevant) emotions and moods (affective states). Unlike existing ecological models, our approach predicts that incidental events influence contest dynamics, and that contests become incidental influences themselves, potentially causing maladaptive decision-making. As affective states cross contexts, a more holistic ethology (incorporating emotions and moods) would illuminate animal cognition and behaviour.

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 837-852
Author(s):  
Wilbrie Fourie ◽  
Merwe Oberholzer ◽  
Pieter Buys

The aim of this study was to design a case study where a number of management accounting evaluation techniques, namely performance measurement (short-term focus), capital investment evaluation (long-term focus) and risk, have been identified to compare the financial results of different scenarios between Boer goat, mutton breeds and beef cattle farming. The contribution of the study is that it simplifies the decision-making regarding the choice between the types of red meat farming used for different scenarios, namely farm size and available capital. Compliant software that have been developed, allow the user to compile unique scenarios and make decisions according to that. The value of this should be determined by taking into account that there are, as for other livestock types in South Africa, no readily available market indicators for the Boer goat currently. This deficiency leads to price uncertainty that makes it difficult to determine the value of the Boer goat industry.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Rebecca Tallam Jepchirchir ◽  
Dr. Florence Memba

Purpose: This research project aimed at investigating the management of strategic change at Geothermal Development Company.Methodology: This study adopted a case study since the unit of analysis was biased to one organization that is GDC. Face to face interviews were carried out.  Permission from the organization was sought and consent from individual heads of divisions was also requested through a formal letter. The data obtained from the interview guide was analyzed qualitatively.Results: From the study, the researcher found that GDC change management as a critical decision making for the institution. In addition leadership in GDC strongly influences change.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Management should address the challenge of insufficient resources to facilitate strategy implementation. The management of GDC should also be forecasting on the long term strategic change and minimize creation of short term forecasts that requires change that will not take them to the forecasted long term objectives.


Author(s):  
Feng Zhou ◽  
Jianxin (Roger) Jiao

Traditional user experience (UX) models are mostly qualitative in terms of its measurement and structure. This paper proposes a quantitative UX model based on cumulative prospect theory. It takes a decision making perspective between two alternative design profiles. However, affective elements are well-known to have influence on human decision making, the prevailing computational models for analyzing and simulating human perception on UX are mainly cognition-based models. In order to incorporate both affective and cognitive factors in the decision making process, we manipulate the parameters involved in the cumulative prospect model to show the affective influence. Specifically, three different affective states are induced to shape the model parameters. A hierarchical Bayesian model with a technique called Markov chain Monte Carlo is used to estimate the parameters. A case study of aircraft cabin interior design is illustrated to show the proposed methodology.


2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 77-85
Author(s):  
Harmen Janse ◽  
Kees van der Flier

Haiti was struck by a heavy earthquake in 2010 and international aid poured into the country. News reports in 2011 were not very positive about the results of post-disaster reconstruction: “The relief efforts are only putting Haiti on life-support instead of evolving into the next stage of development”. One of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in Haiti was Cordaid, implementing a ‘transitional shelter strategy’ to support the transformation of neigh-bourhoods from a state of life-support into a state of self-sustaining development. The strategy was implemented in both a rural and an urban area. The main feature of the strategy was the provision of structures that could be adapted from simple shelters to permanent houses. Since the results of the strategy were mixed and ambiguous, a comparative case study was conducted to evaluate the shelter strategy in both areas. The objective was to draw lessons about what has to be taken into account when formulating future urban shelter strategies. The case study is discussed in this article. The main finding from the case study is that producing the intended number of shelters within the financial and time budgets that were set (efficiency), was more difficult in the urban area than in the rural area. But the conditions for linking relief and development (effectiveness) are more favourable in the urban context. NGOs may achieve long-term (effective) results in the urban context when a lower efficiency can be justified. That is why NGOs need to engage in a debate about the extent to which they are able to focus on long-term shelter or housing strategies. The important element in the debate is communication with the donors who are often focused on short-term relief measures. However urban areas cannot be rebuilt with only short-term interventions. The link between relief and development has to be made by a process-orientated approach focusing on capacities of local participants.


Kybernetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virupaxi Bagodi ◽  
Biswajit Mahanty

PurposeManagerial decision-making is an area of interest to both academia and practitioners. Researchers found that managers often fail to manage complex decision-making tasks and system thinkers assert that generic structures known as systems archetypes help them to a great deal in handling such situations. In this paper, it is demonstrated that decision makers resort to lowering of goal (quick-fix) in order to resolve the gap between the goal and current reality in the “drifting the goals” systems archetype.Design/methodology/approachA real-life case study is taken up to highlight the pitfalls of “drifting the goals” systems archetype for a decision situation in the Indian two-wheeler industry. System dynamics modeling is made use of to obtain the results.FindingsThe decision makers fail to realize the pitfall of lowering the goal to resolve the gap between the goal and current reality. It is seen that, irrespective of current less-than-desirable performance, managers adopting corrective actions other than lowering of goals perform better in the long run. Further, it is demonstrated that extending the boundary and experimentation results in designing a better service system and setting benchmarks.Practical implicationsThe best possible way to avoid the pitfall is to hold the vision and not lower the long term goal. The managers must be aware of the pitfalls beforehand.Originality/valueSystems thinking is important in complex decision-making tasks. Managers need to embrace long-term perspective in decision-making. This paper demonstrates the value of systems thinking in terms of a case study on the “drifting the goals” systems archetype.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Hamilton ◽  
Diane Brown

Libraries are taking on new roles in a disaster and with that comes strategic responsibilities beyond traditional asset recovery activities. In the past, library disaster plans have emphasized recovery of materials. Here, the emphasis is on continuing business operations. Libraries have become the centers of communication for their communities in a crisis. This article will demonstrate the essential role of libraries before, during and after a disaster, both short term and long term and how to get a seat at the table with community planners by demonstrating the functions that are critical to recovery. A literature review and case study are used to develop these recommendations. A critical success factor is to use a disaster preparation methodology that includes a business continuity plan.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 6651-6667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Tang ◽  
Guy Schurgers ◽  
Hanna Valolahti ◽  
Patrick Faubert ◽  
Päivi Tiiva ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Arctic is warming at twice the global average speed, and the warming-induced increases in biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emissions from Arctic plants are expected to be drastic. The current global models' estimations of minimal BVOC emissions from the Arctic are based on very few observations and have been challenged increasingly by field data. This study applied a dynamic ecosystem model, LPJ-GUESS, as a platform to investigate short-term and long-term BVOC emission responses to Arctic climate warming. Field observations in a subarctic tundra heath with long-term (13-year) warming treatments were extensively used for parameterizing and evaluating BVOC-related processes (photosynthesis, emission responses to temperature and vegetation composition). We propose an adjusted temperature (T) response curve for Arctic plants with much stronger T sensitivity than the commonly used algorithms for large-scale modelling. The simulated emission responses to 2 °C warming between the adjusted and original T response curves were evaluated against the observed warming responses (WRs) at short-term scales. Moreover, the model responses to warming by 4 and 8 °C were also investigated as a sensitivity test. The model showed reasonable agreement to the observed vegetation CO2 fluxes in the main growing season as well as day-to-day variability of isoprene and monoterpene emissions. The observed relatively high WRs were better captured by the adjusted T response curve than by the common one. During 1999–2012, the modelled annual mean isoprene and monoterpene emissions were 20 and 8 mg C m−2 yr−1, with an increase by 55 and 57 % for 2 °C summertime warming, respectively. Warming by 4 and 8 °C for the same period further elevated isoprene emission for all years, but the impacts on monoterpene emissions levelled off during the last few years. At hour-day scale, the WRs seem to be strongly impacted by canopy air T, while at the day–year scale, the WRs are a combined effect of plant functional type (PFT) dynamics and instantaneous BVOC responses to warming. The identified challenges in estimating Arctic BVOC emissions are (1) correct leaf T estimation, (2) PFT parameterization accounting for plant emission features as well as physiological responses to warming, and (3) representation of long-term vegetation changes in the past and the future.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-39
Author(s):  
Daniel Burda ◽  
Frank Teuteberg

Firms are required to consciously retain information in an effort to ensure compliance with legal and business needs. However, sustained accessibility to digital information cannot be taken for granted as it is threatened by expeditiously changing technologies associated with the risk of obsolete soft- and hardware. As part of an effort to ensure long-term access to digital information, digital preservation (DP) provides effective means. But still little is known about DP in firms. In this study the authors aim to provide insights into a firm’s DP needs, capabilities and decision making mechanisms by conducting a multiple case study through the lens of organizational information processing theory. The results indicate that a lack of decision making procedures and responsibilities impedes the alignment between DP needs and capabilities, which seems to foster a culture of information hoarding. Based on the authors’ empirical insights about DP in firms they derive an explanatory model and provide five managerial recommendations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 01003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesley Beek ◽  
Bart Letitre ◽  
H. Hadiyanto ◽  
S. Sudarno

The Water as Leverage project aims to lay a blueprint for urban coastal areas around the world that are facing a variety of water-related issues. The blueprint is based upon three real case studies in Bangladesh, India and Indonesia. The case of Indonesia focuses on Semarang, a city that faces issues like flooding, increased water demand, and a lack of wastewater treatment. In this report I summarise the different techniques available to tackling these issues. Along with this I provide a cost-benefit analysis to support decision makers. For a short term it is recommended to produce industrial water from (polluted) surface water as a means to offer an alternative to groundwater abstraction. On a long term it is recommended to install additional wastewater and drinking water treatment services to facilitate better hygiene and a higher quality of life.


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