Complexity and Knowledge in Organisational Context: Concepts, Approaches, Boundaries and Relations

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (04) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Francisco Bitencourt Jorge ◽  
Marta Lígia Pomim Valentim ◽  
Michael J. D. Sutton ◽  
José Osvaldo de Sordi

The study sought to understand the relationship among organisations, knowledge and complexity so that managers could develop more effective strategies when working with organisational knowledge and complexity. The theoretical framework of the theme was elaborated from Web of Science and then an analysis of identified approximations, relations and boundaries was carried out. Aiming at greater consistency regarding the approximations and boundaries among the studied themes, we sought complex organisations that contemplated knowledge as a resource. The initial search retrieved 95 articles, and after content analysis was performed, we identified 25 articles considering complex organisations as social organisms and knowledge as a resource. In this sense, difficulties were observed regarding the definition of the concept of complex organisation, as well as regarding the understanding of knowledge as a resource. After the analysis of the 25 articles, eight pointed to some characteristic of complex organisations, and this corpus does now allow to relate and identify the impact of knowledge on complexity, or complexity on knowledge. From these considerations, we discuss ways to manage complexity and knowledge as elements inserted in the organisational context.

Author(s):  
Cas Mudde ◽  
Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser

The relationship between populism and democracy has always been a topic of intense debate. Depending on its electoral power and the context in which it arises, populism can work as either a threat to or a corrective for democracy. To better understand this complex relationship, “Populism and democracy” presents a clear definition of (liberal) democracy, which helps to clarify how the latter is positively and negatively affected by populist forces. It then presents an original theoretical framework of the impact of populism on different political regimes, which allows us to distinguish the main effects of populism on the different stages of the process of both democratization and de-democratization.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-116
Author(s):  
Tendai M.L. Njanji

The study focuses on Yvonne Vera's Without a Name (1994) and Butterfly Burning (1998) and reveals that the re-organisation of the African landscape by the white colonisers had disastrous effects on the environment and this in turn affected the lives of the colonised in irrevocable ways. The study also contends that humanity cannot survive without the environment in whatever situation as it is embedded in the human psyche and influences human behaviours and experiences as revealed in Vera (1994) and (1998). Both novels look at city environments, the cities being colonial constructs that were meant to obliterate the “African” environment. The study is desktop qualitative research employing content analysis in the interpretation and analysis of the chosen texts (novels). The analysis was supported by evidence from other critical works (secondary sources) by various authors/critics. The theory which informs this study is Ecocriticism, basing on Glotfelty's (1996) definition of the term that it is the study of the relationship between literature and the environment. In the same vein, as illustrated in the study, Buell (2005) and Heise (2006) contend that that all literature is environmental, hence this study of the depiction of cityscapes in Vera's works. The study concludes that the re-organisation of the African environment by the colonisers had far-reaching results on both the landscape and the human psyche. It is, therefore, recommended that more studies analysing the impact of the re-organisation of the environment be done so as to map a strategic way in order to undo, rectify and reverse the negativity implanted and nurtured by the colonial environmental systemic practice and agenda.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-46
Author(s):  
Antonio C. Cuyler

This article represents a snapshot and analysis of U. S. service arts organizations’ DEI statements and activities in 2018. At that time, many primarily White-serving U. S. cultural organizations responded defensively to accusations of elitism and a harmful rigged funding system that maintained the status quo by awarding most cultural funding to these organizations while undermining the health and vitality of cultural organizations by and for historically oppressed communities (Sidford, 2011). Furthermore, Helicon Collaborative (2017) found that even with a host of cultural equity, “diversity” projects (Tseng 2016), and public-facing DEI statements, little had changed within six years. Therefore, this study uses directed and summative content analysis to investigate the research question “what do cultural equity and diversity statements communicate about cultural organizations’ positions on DEI?” This study also uses Frankfurt’s (2005) essay On Bullshit and Laing’s (2016) two-prong definition of accountability as a theoretical framework to examine if and how cultural organizations hold themselves accountable for achieving DEI in the creative sector. Lastly, readers should keep in mind that the public murder of Geor-ge Floyd in 2020 has hastened all of the service arts organizations’ access, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) work examined in this study.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 400-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Alexanderson ◽  
Elisabet Näsman

This article is based on interviews with fifteen children, whose parents have addiction problems. Purpose: To contribute to in-depth understanding of children's situation when parents have ceased abusing drugs or alcohol. Method: An explorative interview study with childhood sociology and symbolic interactionism as theoretical framework. Outcome: The end of the abuse gives children space to feel how they feel, to reflect on the impact of the addiction on their health and personality, and to try changing themselves and their lives. Their need for processing may last for a long time. It can take time and be difficult to build up the relationship with the parent. Children can still feel care responsibility but also distrust and worry about relapses. However, teenagers can see opportunities to move on with their own life. If the abuse ends only for one of two parents with addiction problems, children are still affected by addiction. Conclusion: Children's need for processing in relation to the parents can both be time consuming and last for a long period of time, regardless of if the child lives with the parent or not. Children may need help for their own part but also in relation to the parent. Professionals should be encouraged to work with a family perspective, regardless of organizational divisions and if parents and children live together or not. This requires structures, procedures and resources for collaboration across organizational boundaries.


Author(s):  
Inge Ejbye Sørensen ◽  
Anne Mette Thorhauge

Docu-games designate a versatile group of games that have in common an attempt to depict and reflect on aspects of reality such as military conflicts, historical periods, or contemporary political and socio-cultural issues. As such, docu-games have become a new communication tool for individuals or organizations. This chapter explores different perspectives on games as documentaries, going beyond the mere subject matter and visualization of docu-games to approach questions about simulations as statements about reality and gameplay as a tool for communicating statements about reality. Combining cognitive documentary and games theory with content analysis, the chapter offers a theoretical framework for understanding how docu-games reference the relationship between reality and game, as well as how they establish credibility in relation to these representations.


Author(s):  
Ioanna Papasolomou

This chapter reveals that the term ‘consumerism' encompasses a number of meanings which create confusion regarding the term. The discussion that follows, attempts to distinguish the different perspectives regarding the term by presenting its historical development and discussing the three definitions that have marked it. It explores the relationship between consumerism, marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The growth of consumerism has led to the over-use of marketing which provided a flourishing ground for compulsive buying and consumption. There is evidence in the literature to suggest that in an era of increasing social problems and environmental challenges, there is a need for CSR and sustainable marketing. In fact, the second definition of consumerism is inextricably linked with CSR and societal marketing. The chapter is conceptual in nature and provides an in-depth review and discussion of some fundamental dimensions associated to consumerism based on the existent literature. The overarching aim is to provide an insight into the evolution and growth of consumerism based on the existent literature related to the topic. The discussion also focuses on exploring the relationship between marketing and consumerism shedding light onto compulsive buying, consumer attitudes and concerns on the micro consumerism issues, sustainable consumption and sustainable marketing. The chapter proceeds to raise some concerns related to the impact of the global economic crisis on consumerism by using as an example Cyprus based on the author's observations and thoughts. The chapter concludes with a list of suggestions to practitioners and directions for future research.


Author(s):  
Pau Conde Arroyo

Este artículo trata de problematizar la definición taxonómica de Testo yonqui desde una óptica literaria que atiende a su faceta narrativa para dilucidar los cauces por los que se manifiesta en tanto que ensayo queer. Dicha problematización es abordada desde dos lugares: por un lado, desde la propia obra, atendiendo a las autodefiniciones presentes en el texto, que son examinadas a partir del marco teórico de la autobiografía; y, por otro lado, desde la recepción crítica de Testo yonqui. En último lugar, a la luz de lo anterior, se exponen una serie de tensiones relativas a la relación entre narración, referente y representación en la propuesta experimental del principio autocobaya.   This article aims to question the taxonomical definition of Testo Junkie from a literary perspective that considers its narrative aspect in order to elucidate the ways in which it can be regarded as a queer essay. Such questioning is approached from two angles: on the one hand, from the work itself, examining the self-definitions found in the text, which are studied on the basis of the theoretical framework of autobiography; and, on the other hand, from Testo Junkie’s critic reception. Lastly, the principle of the auto-guinea pig is also explored, in reference to the series of tensions arising from the relationship between narration, referent and representation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 675-704
Author(s):  
Tim Smit ◽  
Max van Haastrecht ◽  
Marco Spruit

Human failure is a primary contributor to successful cyber attacks. For any cybersecurity initiative, it is therefore vital to motivate individuals to implement secure behavior. Research using protection motivation theory (PMT) has given insights into what motivates people to safeguard themselves in cyberspace. Recent PMT results have highlighted the central role of the coping appraisal in the cybersecurity context. In cybersecurity, we cope with threats using countermeasures. Research has shown that countermeasure awareness is a significant antecedent to all coping appraisal elements. Yet, although awareness plays a key role within the PMT framework, it is generally challenging to influence. A factor that is easy to influence is countermeasure readability. Earlier work has shown the impact of readability on understanding and that readability metrics make measuring and improving readability simple. Therefore, our research aims to clarify the relationship between countermeasure readability and security intentions. We propose an extended theoretical framework and investigate its implications using a survey. In line with related studies, results indicate that people are more likely to have favorable security intentions if they are aware of countermeasures and are confident in their ability to implement them. Crucially, the data show that countermeasure readability influences security intentions. Our results imply that cybersecurity professionals can utilize readability metrics to assess and improve the readability of countermeasure texts, providing an actionable avenue towards influencing security intentions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorota Żuchowska-Skiba

In recent years, Poland has seen a change in the identification of people with disabilities. It is noticeable to abandon the use of the terms disabled, blind, cripple, invalid. In this place are the terms a person with a disability, a person with special needs. This indicates a tendency to deviate from the definition of disability or its type, in the direction of putting the person first and replacing the concept of disability with other terms that do not have a stigmatizing character. The goal of the article was to show the relationship between the changing language describing and defining disability and changes in the perception of people with disabilities and their impact on the sense of exclusion of people with disabilities. The research used a method of content analysis to recreate disability terms functioning in the opinion of people with disabilities in social discourse and an online survey was used to examine the relationship between the sense of exclusion and disability terms, ways of perceiving oneself and the assessment of the society’s attitude towards people with disabilities. This allowed to show the meaning of the language and its impact on the processes of integration of people with disabilities in contemporary Poland.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 129-134
Author(s):  
Michael Nagenborg

In this paper I will argue that artificial moral agents (AMAs) are a fitting subject of intercultural information ethics because of the impact they may have on the relationship between information rich and information poor countries. I will give a limiting definition of AMAs first, and discuss two different types of AMAs with different implications from an intercultural perspective. While AMAs following preset rules might raise con-cerns about digital imperialism, AMAs being able to adjust to their user‘s behavior will lead us to the question what makes an AMA ?moral?? I will argue that this question does present a good starting point for an inter-cultural dialogue which might be helpful to overcome the notion of Africa as a mere victim.


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