scholarly journals WORKING PAPER SERIES: PHILOSOPHY AND KNOWLEDGE: Reflexion on a flexible management method.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Fascia
Keyword(s):  
Natural Extension ◽  
Formal System ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Epistemic Principle ◽  
Philosophical Perspective ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Working Paper ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Many ◽  
Flexible Management

In this discussion, we reflect on the value given to knowledge in a businesscontext and deliberate a contrary philosophical perspective which does notconform to prevailing knowledge theory. We consider why, if knowledge iskey for business success and competitive advantage, the transfer ofknowledge within an organisation remains problematic. Whereby, if thecreation of knowledge before transfer is recognised is a significant factor indetermining a starting point for analogous scrutiny, then what makes thisfocal point so difficult to establish and measure?We therefore consider parallelism between agents who believe propositionsand the formal system that derives proposition. In doing so, we synthesisefrom current literature and research, the epistemic principal of ‘knowledge’,which underpins the understanding of the many congruent knowledgetransfer theories, in a business context. To do this we reflect on Lindströmand the epistemic states of Spohn, wherein, we can draw on descriptions ofconditional doxastic maps, as a natural extension of contemporary Kripkemodels. We conclude the epistemic principle of ‘knowledge’, whichunderpins the plausibility of comparisons between epistemicallydistinguishable knowledge transfer, must include perspectives and doyennesfrom a recognisable, not implied, value standpoint

scholarly journals WORKING PAPER SERIES: INNOVATION ENABLERS

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Fascia
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Natural Extension ◽  
Formal System ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Healthcare Practitioner ◽  
Doxastic Attitude ◽  
Organisational Innovation ◽  
Working Paper ◽  
Healthcare Environment ◽  
Multi Agent

In this paper, we consider the value of knowledge in an innovation context and deliberate a contrary perspective from existing empiricisms to bring about better innovation efficiency within multi-agent arenas. To do this, we consider why, if innovation is key for developmental trajectories in a healthcare environment, and despite the resource utilised to examine its characteristics, the transfer of knowledge within healthcare, practitioner or organisational innovation domains remains a problematic event.We reflect on this duality with a doxastic attitude and draw on modal maps as underpinning structures to present a critique. Furthermore, we draw from these qualitative descriptions of conditional maps as a natural extension of contemporary KBF (Knowledge Belief Frame) models. Thus, from an innovation context, we can deliberate the parallelism between an agent who establishes belief in real time propositions, and a formal system from which they derive the proposition and reality. Uniquely, in doing so we build a legitimate frame of reference by highlighting managerial parallelisms, which synthesise key epistemic doyennes and, efficaciously underpin the plausibility of logical associations and decision-making drawn from a first-person architype of belief.

The Constitutional Principle of Accountability: A Study of Contemporary South African Case Law

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuks Okpaluba
Keyword(s):  
Judicial Review ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Case Law ◽  
The State ◽  
Constitutional Principle ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Law ◽  
Constitutional Right ◽  
The Many

‘Accountability’ is one of the democratic values entrenched in the Constitution of South Africa, 1996. It is a value recognised throughout the Constitution and imposed upon the law-making organs of state, the Executive, the Judiciary and all public functionaries. This constitutional imperative is given pride of place among the other founding values: equality before the law, the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution. This study therefore sets out to investigate how the courts have grappled with the interpretation and application of the principle of accountability, the starting point being the relationship between accountability and judicial review. Therefore, in the exercise of its judicial review power, a court may enquire whether the failure of a public functionary to comply with a constitutional duty of accountability renders the decision made illegal, irrational or unreasonable. One of the many facets of the principle of accountability upon which this article dwells is to ascertain how the courts have deployed that expression in making the state and its agencies liable for the delictual wrongs committed against an individual in vindication of a breach of the individual’s constitutional right in the course of performing a public duty. Here, accountability and breach of public duty; the liability of the state for detaining illegal immigrants contrary to the prescripts of the law; the vicarious liability of the state for the criminal acts of the police and other law-enforcement officers (as in police rape cases and misuse of official firearms by police officers), and the liability of the state for delictual conduct in the context of public procurement are discussed. Having carefully analysed the available case law, this article concludes that no public functionary can brush aside the duty of accountability wherever it is imposed without being in breach of a vital constitutional mandate. Further, it is the constitutional duty of the courts, when called upon, to declare such act or conduct an infringement of the Constitution.

scholarly journals Global and Comparative Leadership

Management ◽  
2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ann Von Glinow ◽  
William D. Schneper
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Global Leadership ◽  
The Body ◽  
Leadership Theories ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Definition Of

The body of research related to global leadership is both vast and confounding. Some observers trace the field’s domain back thousands of years to the first rulers and military commanders with worldwide aspirations or to religious and spiritual figures such as Abraham, Laozi, Gautama Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Muhammad. Within the business context, the literature is considerably younger but still includes some of the earliest international management classics, such as Perlmutter 1969 (cited under Global Mindset) and Levitt 1983 (cited under Globalization). Despite the accomplishments of past research, critics contend that our understanding of global leadership has progressed too slowly. Joyce Osland, in Osland 2008 (cited under Developing Global Leaders and Ensuring Effectiveness), compares the state of the field to the earliest phases of domestic leadership scholarship. Indeed, the bulk of the literature remains conceptual, normative, and prescriptive. There is a scarcity of rigorous ethnographic work, and quantitative studies often focus more on measuring and comparing rather than developing and testing complex theory. Even the definition of global leadership is uncertain. This is partially due to the breadth and diversity of leadership research in general. As Ralph Stogdill noted as far back as 1974, “there are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept” (Handbook of Leadership, New York: Free Press, p. 259). Hollenbeck 2009 (cited under Traditional Leadership Theories) finds global leadership to be “even more mysterious, with something about the term that beckons interested writers and researchers to offer their own definitions. There is a temptation to dance on the head of a definitional pin” (p. 5). In other words, the definition of global leadership depends on one’s personal inclinations and theoretical starting point. Global leadership means something different to managers and policymakers, as it does for scholars in organizational behavior, strategy, or psychology. To encompass such diverse perspectives, we define global leadership broadly as the capacity to bring about change and enhance organizational performance across national borders. This capacity in turn requires the skills and acumen to influence and energize employees, business partners, and other organizational stakeholders. Closely related and overlapping with the study of global leadership, the cross-country or comparative leadership field explores the similarities and differences in leadership traits and practices across countries, which helps explain the aspects of leadership that are generally universal across countries, or largely dependent upon the unique institutional and country context.

Privatized Bodies in Public Locations

2020 ◽  
pp. 195-213
Author(s):  
Penny Griffin
Keyword(s):  
Moral Status ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Women's Bodies ◽  
Day Care Centers ◽  
Neoliberal Governmentality ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Many ◽  
Small Things

Understanding motherhood as practices of mothering not necessarily limited to women’s bodies, this chapter sets out to examine some of the many and various ways in which neoliberalized public spaces enable, encourage, and reproduce motherhood. It asks, specifically, how, where, and why human, mothering bodies are subjected to the neoliberal “gaze,” how this gaze on motherhood privileges certain forms of identity and practice over others, and how this influences, overtly and indirectly, the moral status of “mothers” in neoliberal societies. Neoliberal governmentality has been vastly effective in enacting its own self-reproduction across divergent societies, masking the totalitarianism of its core focus on centralizing the “free” market in social life through clever reconstructions of conflicting social value systems and practices. This can be seen, this chapter argues, in the normalization of highly invasive medical procedures on mothering bodies, in the proliferation of professionalized parenting “experts,” and in the individualization and social segregation of “mothers” themselves. In particular, the author examines how everyday moments in and practices of motherhood have become highly effective normative technologies of neoliberal governmentality. The author takes as a starting point those “small” things about life as a mother (or as someone who mothers) in a neoliberal society in terms of how they represent two interwoven social elements: the impacts of the prejudiced gaze of neoliberal authorities, including hospitals, supermarkets, cafés, trains, and day care centers; and the apparent achievement of limitless neoliberal tolerance and acceptability.

Dynamic Computational Model of the Human Spinal Cord Connectome

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 388-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey E. Arle ◽  
Nicolae Iftimia ◽  
Jay L. Shils ◽  
Longzhi Mei ◽  
Kristen W. Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Neural Circuitry ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Human Spinal Cord ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Many ◽  
Future Work

Connectomes abound, but few for the human spinal cord. Using anatomical data in the literature, we constructed a draft connectivity map of the human spinal cord connectome, providing a template for the many calibrations of specialized behavior to be overlaid on it and the basis for an initial computational model. A thorough literature review gleaned cell types, connectivity, and connection strength indications. Where human data were not available, we selected species that have been studied. Cadaveric spinal cord measurements, cross-sectional histology images, and cytoarchitectural data regarding cell size and density served as the starting point for estimating numbers of neurons. Simulations were run using neural circuitry simulation software. The model contains the neural circuitry in all ten Rexed laminae with intralaminar, interlaminar, and intersegmental connections, as well as ascending and descending brain connections and estimated neuron counts for various cell types in every lamina of all 31 segments. We noted the presence of highly interconnected complex networks exhibiting several orders of recurrence. The model was used to perform a detailed study of spinal cord stimulation for analgesia. This model is a starting point for workers to develop and test hypotheses across an array of biomedical applications focused on the spinal cord. Each such model requires additional calibrations to constrain its output to verifiable predictions. Future work will include simulating additional segments and expanding the research uses of the model.

Positive language and virtuous leadership: walking the talk

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Meyer ◽  
Matthias P. Hühn
Keyword(s):  
Oral Communication ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Leadership ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Business Practitioners ◽  
Organizational Scholarship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to discuss the advantages and challenges of using virtuous language in business. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a theoretical exploration based on a literature review and philosophical analysis that uses a quantitative study from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as its starting point. Findings This study argues that neo-Aristotelian leadership and positive leadership explain why companies whose financial filings use value-laden language that stresses the higher purpose of the organisation to outperform companies whose reports use the language of profit maximisation. While neo-Aristotelian leadership is based on Aristotle’s Rhetoric, positive leadership is primarily influenced by research results from Positive Psychology and Positive Organizational Scholarship. The two approaches to leadership highlight something that conventional business research largely ignores, namely, the role of values as drivers of human behavior and the importance of character in leadership. Both research streams indicate that it is possible for organisations to do well and do good because they are seen as groups of value-driven individuals. Thus, using virtuous/positive communication is a possible means to do well financially and to (re-)humanize the business world of tomorrow. Research limitations/implications The BHI study investigates the outcomes of written language only; thus, it does not consider oral communication. Moreover, there is no “perfect level” of virtuous language in corporate environments. We should not expect the same precision in ethics as in mathematics. Practical implications By way of explaining how to best use virtuous language in a business context, this study helps business practitioners to do good and well. Social implications This study offers a pathway to (re-)humanize tomorrow’s world of business, which is once again subjugating humanity to imagined technological imperatives. Originality/value By deliberating the benefits and possible downsides of using virtuous language in a business environment, this paper advances a topic that has recently gained considerable attention but is still in need for more research.

Sensitivity Principle in Epistemology

Philosophy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Melchior
Keyword(s):  
Modal Epistemology ◽  
World Knowledge ◽  
Robert Nozick ◽  
Gettier Cases ◽  
Epistemic Principle ◽  
Skeptical Hypothesis ◽  
Sensitivity Condition ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Skeptical Problem ◽  
Analysis Of Knowledge

Sensitivity is a modal epistemic principle. Modal knowledge accounts are externalist in nature and claim that the knowledge yielding connection between a true belief and the truthmaker must be spelled out in modal terms. The sensitivity condition was introduced by Robert Nozick. He suggests that if S knows that p, then S’s belief that p tracks truth. Nozick argues that this truth-tracking relation can be captured by subjunctive conditionals. As a first approximation, he provides the following modal analysis of knowledge: S knows that p iff (1) p is true; (2) S believes that p; (3) if p were false, S wouldn’t believe that p and (4) if p were true, S would believe that p. The dominant terminology in the literature, also adopted here, is to call condition (3) the sensitivity condition and condition (4) the adherence condition. The sensitivity condition is intuitively appealing since it states that a subject does not know that p if she would believe that p even if p were false. Nozick used the sensitivity condition to accomplish two major tasks. First, he provided a solution to the Gettier problem by arguing that in Gettier cases subjects do not know since the sensitivity condition is violated. Second, he presented a controversial solution to the skeptical problem according to which we have external world knowledge but do not know that the skeptical hypothesis is false. This solution is available because sensitivity is not closed under known entailment. Quickly, criticism of the sensitivity condition emerged. First, most epistemologists regarded the price of abandoning knowledge closure as a price too high to pay. Second, it was noted that sensitivity leads to the counterintuitive consequence of precluding us from inductive knowledge since induction typically yields insensitive beliefs. The most dominant reaction to these problems was to replace sensitivity by the modal principle of safety, nowadays the most popular modal principle. However, sensitivity is not only important as a starting point of modal epistemology. Because of its intuitive attractiveness, many authors aimed at refining the original sensitivity account in order to avoid well-known problems. This has led to a second wave of sensitivity accounts. As of today, various sensitivity-based theories are on the market, including accounts that avoid closure failure, probabilistic interpretations of sensitivity and adherence, and contextualist approaches. There is thus a vivid and ongoing debate about the sensitivity principle in epistemology.

Understanding trust across cultures: an empirical investigation

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 286-314
Author(s):  
Namporn Thanetsunthorn ◽  
Rattaphon Wuthisatian
Keyword(s):  
National Culture ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Managerial Implications

Purpose In today’s business world, trust is an essential ingredient for business success, as it serves as a foundation for enhancing a network of positive relationships among businesses, clients, employees and stakeholders. This study aims to shed light on a deeper and more substantial understanding of trust by examining the casual association between national culture and trust. Design/methodology/approach The study empirically investigates the extent to which cultural factors promote and constrain the level of trust using a mixed sample of 46 developed and developing countries observed over the period of 1990-2014. Findings The study provides new empirical evidence that trusting behavior is explained systematically by national culture. Countries with high individualistic and high long-term oriented cultures are the most favorable environment that fosters trust among people in society. In contrast, individuals from countries with the expression of high power distance and high uncertainty avoidance cultures appear to exhibit less trust in others. Practical implications The study provides managerial implications, especially for managers and management consultants in a global context, regarding the cultural relevance of trust in the new and foreign environment, and the effective management of trust among culturally diverse workforces and business relationships. In addition, the study should serve as a supplemental learning material in the business and management disciplines to demonstrate the essential role of trust in the global business environment. Originality/value The study adds to the existing body of knowledge on trust by offering new empirical insights into how culture plays an influential role in the creation of trust. This serves as a good starting point for academic scholars and practicing professionals to further develop appropriate management strategies and execution plans for managing trust across different cultural settings.

scholarly journals Eco-innovation and knowledge management: issues and organizational challenges to small and medium enterprises

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (02) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Cherifi ◽  
Patrick M'Bassègue ◽  
Mickaël Gardoni ◽  
Rémy Houssin ◽  
Jean Renaud
Keyword(s):  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Organizational Challenges ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
The Many ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Innovation Competition ◽  
Management Issues

AbstractThe proposed methodology is based on a (global and multi-criteria) simplified environmental but thorough assessment. In this stage we do not directly give the solution to designers. It will therefore translate the results of evaluation design axes, but in general, the lines proposed are inconsistent or contradictory. Therefore, what we find is a compromise given to the solution. The challenge we are facing in an industrial reality is that one should not go for a compromise solution. TRIZ (Teorija Reshenija Izobretateliskih Zadatch) or the theory of solving inventive problems, in the field, will be reformulated and go through the contradiction matrix and then intervene with the principles of interpretation resolutions to give possible solutions. To assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in their product development, the objective of this paper is to propose a methodological approach named Ecatriz, that will allow us to achieve our eco-innovative goal. The applicability of this method is justified by the many contradictions in the choices in a study of the life cycle. As a starting point, a qualitative multi-criteria matrix will allow the prioritization of all impacts on the environment. A customized implementation of the inventive TRIZ (Teorija Reshenija Izobretateliskih Zadatch, Russian acronym for theory of solving inventive problems) principles will help us choose eco-innovative solutions. To that end, we have created a new approach named Ecatriz (ecological approach TRIZ), based on a new contradiction matrix. It was tested in various contexts, such as the “24 h of Innovation” competition and eco-innovative patents.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document