scholarly journals Preprint - Why do the Godless Prosper?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
LeRon Shults
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Religious Institutions ◽  
Religious Worldview ◽  
The World ◽  
Complex Adaptive ◽  
Religious Worldviews

This article offers an affirmative construal of atheism: the attempt to make sense of the world with naturalist explanations and to act sensibly in society following secularist principles (i.e., without relying on supernatural agents or complying with supernatural authorities). After briefly describing the conceptual framework behind this positive conception of a non-religious worldview, we outline the construction and present the findings of two computational models that simulate some of the cognitive and coalitional mechanisms that engender and nurture religious and non-religious worldviews. These models allow us to explore the causal dynamics within complex adaptive systems involving (dis)belief in supernatural agents and (dis)affiliation from religious institutions.

scholarly journals Smallholder value chains as complex adaptive systems: a conceptual framework

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alastair Orr ◽  
Jason Donovan ◽  
Dietmar Stoian
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Sudden Change ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complex Adaptive

Purpose Smallholder value chains are dynamic, changing over time in sudden, unpredictable ways as they adapt to shocks. Understanding these dynamics and adaptation is essential for these chains to remain competitive in turbulent markets. Many guides to value chain development, though they focus welcome attention on snapshots of current structure and performance, pay limited attention to the dynamic forces affecting these chains or to adaptation. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper develops an expanded conceptual framework to understand value chain performance based on the theory of complex adaptive systems. The framework combines seven common properties of complex systems: time, uncertainty, sensitivity to initial conditions, endogenous shocks, sudden change, interacting agents and adaptation. Findings The authors outline how the framework can be used to ask new research questions and analyze case studies in order to improve our understanding of the development of smallholder value chains and their capacity for adaptation. Research limitations/implications The framework highlights the need for greater attention to value chain dynamics. Originality/value The framework offers a new perspective on the dynamics of smallholder value chains.

scholarly journals Investigating work and learning through complex adaptive organisations

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 554-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Louise Lizier
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complex Adaptive ◽  
Learning And Adaptation ◽  
Industry Sectors ◽  
Sydney Australia

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline an empirical study of how professionals experience work and learning in complex adaptive organisations. The study uses a complex adaptive systems approach, which forms the basis of a specifically developed conceptual framework for explaining professionals’ experiences of work and learning. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 professionals from a variety of organisations, industry sectors and occupations in Sydney, Australia. The transcripts were subjected to an adapted phenomenographic analysis, and an analysis using the complex adaptive organisations conceptual framework (CAOCF). Findings The findings indicated that professionals experienced learning mainly through work, where work was experienced as fluid and influenced by varying degrees of emergence, agency, complex social networks and adaptation. Further, the greater the degree of work fluidity, the greater the impetus towards learning through work, empirically indicating that the experience of learning in contemporary organisations is entwined with work. Originality/value This study used the concept of complex adaptive organisations as a conceptual framework, coupled with an adapted phenomenographic methodology, to investigate individual professionals’ experiences of work and learning. The adoption of the concept of complex adaptive organisations provided a rigorous way to adopt a complexity approach. In particular, the concept of emergence provides insights into how organisational complexity influences work and, subsequently, learning and adaptation.

scholarly journals Reports of the AAAI 2010 Fall Symposia

AI Magazine ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Roger Azevedo ◽  
Gautam Biswas ◽  
Dan Bohus ◽  
Ted Carmichael ◽  
Mark Finlayson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Manifold Learning ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Commonsense Knowledge ◽  
Quantum Informatics ◽  
Symposium Series ◽  
Complex Adaptive

The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence was pleased to present the 2010 Fall Symposium Series, held Thursday through Saturday, November 11-13, at the Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, Virginia. The titles of the eight symposia are as follows: (1) Cognitive and Metacognitive Educational Systems; (2) Commonsense Knowledge; (3) Complex Adaptive Systems: Resilience, Robustness, and Evolvability; (4) Computational Models of Narrative; (5) Dialog with Robots; (6) Manifold Learning and Its Applications; (7) Proactive Assistant Agents ; and (8) Quantum Informatics for Cognitive, Social, and Semantic Processes. The highlights of each symposium are presented in this report.

scholarly journals Killing the goose? The value chain for sorghum beer in Kenya

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alastair Orr
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Excise Duty ◽  
Interacting Agents ◽  
Complex Adaptive ◽  
The Government

Purpose The decision by the Government of Kenya in 2013 to increase tax revenue by imposing excise duty of 50 percent on sorghum beer resulted in economic losses for smallholders, the brewery, and the government itself because it effectively killed the value chain. In 2015, the government reversed the policy decision and reduced excise duty to 10 percent. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of this policy decision on the value chain, adaptation by growers and the brewery, and the rationale for this policy change and its reversal. Design/methodology/approach The author analyzes this episode using a conceptual framework derived from complex adaptive systems, focusing on four properties of such systems: sudden, endogenous shocks, interacting agents, and adaptation. Findings The author shows how the nature of politics in Kenya exposed the value chain to endogenous shocks as the result of conflicts between interacting agents, where smallholder farmer organizations were important for successful adaptation. Conflicts between development and political objectives in neo-patrimonial states are sources of complexity and uncertainty in smallholder value chains. Research limitations/implications Complex adaptive systems proved a useful framework to understand decision making by government and business actors in the value chain. Originality/value The paper applies a novel conceptual framework to the analysis of an important value chain in Kenya.

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