Migration,Group Agency, and Archaeology: A New Theoretical Model

Unlike other social sciences, the archaeological discipline has been lacking a theoretical framework to discuss the mechanism of migration. Traditionally, patterns of population movements were denoted from material culture and interpreted within the context of ethnicity and the diffusion of ideas without considering underlying processes and incentives, despite active consideration of these issues by geographers and sociologists. It was not until the 1990s that a more integrated archaeological discussion on the various stimuli, influences, and mechanisms of why people choose to migrate was beginning to evolve. Since then, the debate on migration in archaeology has not only reflected on patterns of cultural and technological change but also increasingly on aspects of identity and self-realization; both in terms of how migrants themselves adapt and adjust to their new home environment, and how the host-communities themselves respond and interact with newcomers. Using four case studies, the current paper proposes a new theoretical model for how to assess patterns of group migrations. This new model considers the respective mode of agency related to both the intention and size of the group. “Very High and High Group Agency” represent situations where the migrant group is at a technological and quantitative advantage to the host community, while “Medium and Low Group Agency” represent situations where the newcomers are forced to respond to their new environment through adaptation and adjustment to their local host community.

Early-Career Engineers’ Perceptions of Support for Innovation at the Workplace - What Seems to Matter

Previous research has shown the importance of contextual factors for increasing employee innovativeness, but to effectively support innovative behavior, we need to also understand what forms of support are perceived as meaningful by the employees themselves. The current study investigated the experiences of 35 early-career engineers in creating, championing and implementing new ideas at the workplace. They reported relatively few instances of support that had been experienced as helpful, and nearly all of these were related to either managerial or co-worker support. This support ranged from encouragement and positive feedback to tangible help in troubleshooting and finding resources, and, in the case of managers, providing sufficient autonomy and responsibility to enable the interviewees to pursue their ideas. Managerial support was most frequently reported by those working in self-described innovative positions, whereas co-worker support was more commonly reported by those working in self- described innovative environments. Formal processes and incentives were less likely to have been perceived as helpful than informal interactions with managers and co-workers.

Implementation Plan in Response to the Board-Endorsed Recommendations for the IEO Evaluation of IMF Forecasts - Process, Quality, and Country Perspective

This paper sets out Management’s response to the Independent Evaluation Office’s (IEO) evaluation of IMF Forecasts: Process, Quality, and Country Perspectives. The implementation plan proposes specific actions to address the five recommendations that received broad support from the Executive Board, namely (i) maintaining the practice of commissioning external evaluations of IMF forecasts, (ii) enhancing the processes and incentives for learning from past forecast performance, (iii) extending guidance to desk economists on forecasting methodologies, (iv) publishing a description of the WEO forecasting process, and (iv) improving the public availability of data related to forecasts and outturns. Several of the proposed actions to address the Board-endorsed IEO recommendations have already been implemented following the Board discussion, while the implementation of some other actions is underway. This paper also explains how implementation will be monitored.

Innovation and Economic Development

Universities are going through significant organizational changes to play appropriate roles in innovation and economic development. Many universities are setting up appropriate institutional policies, processes, and incentives, and having technology-transfer offices for research-related functions. Changing people's attitudes as well as interaction with science parks are other issues. Many universities are undertaking interdisciplinary research. Large-scale partnerships with industry are increasingly established through institutional leaderships.

Neither Hegemony nor Dominance: Reconsidering German Power in Post Cold-War Europe

German unification in 1989 raised the spectre of German hegemony in post-cold war Europe. In this article, I demonstrate that Germany lacks the structural power consistent with European hegemony or dominance; that there is little evidence supporting an appreciable gap between Germany's structural power and foreign policy ambitions; and that apparent symptoms of German hegemony, particularly the process of institutional emulation in Central and Eastern Europe, reflect other international processes and incentives emanating from the state system itself. This reassessment and downgrading of Germany's relative and absolute power resolve the paradox of German structural power and German reluctance identified by others. But this alternative narrative raises another more important question: why is Germany treated as a potential or even aspiring hegemon in Europe? The answer to that question is located in the interconnected legacies of Auschwitz and the occupation regime. This joint legacy constitutes an important part of the historical context within which we frame our assessments and judgements of German power; explains the frequently unwarranted exaggeration and suspicion of German power; and demonstrates how the past can function as a powerful prism though which we interpret the intentions, ambitions and capabilities of a state.