Selected writings of Maureen O’Hara on the art, science and hope of humanism: vitalising persons for turbulent times

In high-velocity open channel flows, the measurements of air-water flow properties are complicated by the strong interactions between the flow turbulence and the entrained air. In the present study, an advanced signal processing of traditional single- and dual-tip conductivity probe signals is developed to provide further details on the air-water turbulent level, time and length scales. The technique is applied to turbulent open channel flows on a stepped chute conducted in a large-size facility with flow Reynolds numbers ranging from 3.8 E+5 to 7.1 E+5. The air water flow properties presented some basic characteristics that were qualitatively and quantitatively similar to previous skimming flow studies. Some self-similar relationships were observed systematically at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. These included the distributions of void fraction, bubble count rate, interfacial velocity and turbulence level at a macroscopic scale, and the auto- and cross-correlation functions at the microscopic level. New correlation analyses yielded a characterisation of the large eddies advecting the bubbles. Basic results included the integral turbulent length and time scales. The turbulent length scales characterised some measure of the size of large vortical structures advecting air bubbles in the skimming flows, and the data were closely related to the characteristic air-water depth Y90. In the spray region, present results highlighted the existence of an upper spray region for C > 0.95 to 0.97 in which the distributions of droplet chord sizes and integral advection scales presented some marked differences with the rest of the flow.

PurposeThe present study seeks to investigate female entrepreneurship in turbulent times (COVID-19) and contexts (emerging markets).Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth, multiple-firm (five SMEs), cross-country (2 countries – Brazil and Tunisia), cross-region (Latin America and the MENA region) case study based on a mixed embeddedness perspective.FindingsThe study highlights how challenges and uncertainties are managed, what inspires female entrepreneurs and what frightens them. We capture these entrepreneurs' insecurities, self-doubts and creative survival strategies. Our findings reinforce the need for self-efficacy and resilience, as well as the importance of a support network and the ability to “reboot” whenever needed. Despite persistent patriarchal norms and cultures, the women surveyed did not see themselves as female entrepreneurs but as successful entrepreneurs, akin to their male counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsAcademically, the study contributes to the fields of entrepreneurship, female entrepreneurship and crisis management with empirical evidence in new contexts (LATAM and MENA regions) and times (collected during a crisis). The results also contribute in a practical way to female entrepreneurs, policy makers and global agencies.Originality/valueThe study's originality arises from a qualitative cross-country comparison of findings from internationally minded companies from under-researched developing countries and regions at an especially interesting and turbulent time: the pandemic of 2020.

The results of a previous study (Banks 2018) suggest that the development of scientific writing is more conservative in times of great turbulence. In an attempt to verify this, samples were taken from the Mémoires de l’Académie des Sciences and the Philosophical Transactions for the years 1735, 1785 and 1835. The development over the years 1735 to 1785 was compared to that between 1785 and 1835. Analysis of the grammatical functions and semantic categories of themes and of process types indicates that there is some evidence in favour of the conjecture that scientific writers are more conservative in times of turbulence. Whilst this is not conclusive, it suggests that further research would be fruitful.

Innovation and new product success are often a core precursor to superior performance. Although research has examined the resource‐based view (RBV) and market orientation (MO) individually, limited research has evaluated and compared their effect on innovation and new product success in one study. Furthermore, relative to MO, comparatively less research has been conducted to evaluate the relationship between organizational learning (OL) and the RBV to examine their effects on a firm's ability to innovate and succeed. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of environmental variables (i.e., market turbulence and technological turbulence) on the relationship between two strategic orientations and performance and to extend a previous study. Specifically, it aims to evaluate whether a focus on the customer or the firm will impact innovation, product quality, new product success, financial performance, and customer value in settings of varying environmental turbulence. Data were collected from more than 200 senior executives. LISREL was applied to evaluate the relationships under examination. Interaction effects were assessed using a nested goodness‐of‐fit strategy using a multiple‐group solution. Results depicted significant relationships between organizational learning and both resource and market orientations. Significant relationships also emerged between each strategic orientation and various performance indicators. Interaction effects were observed for market turbulence on customer value and market orientation as well as for resource orientation (RO) on innovation in times of high technological turbulence. The paper concludes with a review of theoretical and managerial implications to stimulate further debate. These results suggest that managers seeking innovation and new product success cannot afford to ignore the environment and do so at their peril. The provision of customer value is essential for positive financial performance. Thus, management needs to monitor environmental contexts so that they are able to adjust their investment in market orientation and the requisite processes that enable its implementation. Conversely, the effects of RO on performance are more robust across industry conditions, presenting an alternative avenue for management to achieve market superiority. The paper concludes with a review of theoretical and managerial implications to stimulate further debate.

What are the output responses to fiscal policy? Despite important advances reported in the literature, quantifying the size of the fiscal multiplier remains a challenge. Indeed, the quest to estimate a unique fiscal multiplier is probably an ill-posed one. The magnitude of the multiplier may well depend on country- and time-specific characteristics of the fiscal stance under scrutiny. In this paper, we estimate state-specific multipliers for Spain depending on the state of the economy in several of its dimensions. The government spending multiplier is estimated to be larger during recessions and periods of banking stress, but much smaller (or even negative) during periods of weak public finances. Combining these three dimensions into a single global turmoil indicator by the use of principal component analysis, the estimated multipliers are 1.4 for crisis (or turbulent) times and 0.6 for tranquil times.

This paper proposes new key ways to thinking about self-organisation in cities in what, I suggest, are increasingly unsettled and turbulent times. The importance of thinking about self-organisation in cities is all the more salient in the current economic and social context where in many parts of the world there is a withdrawal by the state from public involvement and expenditure, which is impacting on urban citizens, particularly those who are vulnerable, in increasing negative ways. Self-organisation is thus an important and key direction for the future, if cities are to remain inclusive, just and responsive to local needs. Yet such self-organisation can only be truly meaningful and effective if it is conducted collaboratively and democratically, involving as many people as possible, particularly those whose voices are not often heard. In so doing, it is also important to recognise that such involvement and democratic participation is not always consensual; rather conflict is inevitable and potentially positive, as people learnt to recognises their differences which are often implicated in power, and to negotiate solutions together.

Outdoor education has a long and well documented history in Great Britain which is regularly linked to Hahn, Gordonstoun School, and the Outward Bound movement. A kayaking tragedy in 1993 resulted in the introduction of new legislation through Parliament. This has led to major changes in outdoor education in Great Britain and extensive debates, which are only partially documented. This paper outlines some of these changes and offers readers references that direct them to more detailed information. In addition, some of the resulting trends and debates that have emerged in the aftermath of the tragedy are provided. The paper concludes by considering some implications for outdoor education as a profession and argues that outdoor educators in Great Britain ought to consider the value of becoming a profession before striving to become one. Finally, some suggestions are made as to why these reflections on’ turbulent times’ might be relevant to the field of outdoor education in Australia and other countries.

In this chapter, we consider how perspectives about leadership, debates related to higher education, health promotion principles, and frameworks of new and old power informed our work as a group of disparate academic and professional staff who were identified to establish a’Digital Taskforce’ (DT) during the global pandemic. The role of the DT was to support teaching staff in Melbourne Graduate School of Education as it moved rapidly to remote and online teaching. By exploring aspects of our work together within the ecologies of policy, systems, groups, and individuals, we identify key elements of responding and bringing about change as a group of leaders during that turbulent time. Through our collaborative narrative, we also ponder how facets of our work may inform emergent ideas about the scholarship of teaching and learning and the possibilities for rethinking higher education.

We develop an agent-based model of labor market regulation to study the consequences of employment protection legislations for labor market performance. Unlike most of the existing studies of labor market regulation we endogenize the institutional setting. Workers cast their vote on labor market regulation depending on the past payoffs that they accrued when one of two competing parties with different labor market policy platforms was in power. We identify important interactions with exogenous shocks. In more turbulent economic times, employment protection systems can affect labor market performance for some periods even after the shock has subsided.

Bubble convection and bubbly flow turbulent time and length scales in two-dimensional plunging jets

Digital trace data hold tremendous potential for measuring policy-relevant outcomes in real-time, yet its reliability is often questioned. Here, we propose a principled yet simple approach: capturing individual disclosures of unemployment using a fine-tuned AI model and post-stratification adjustment using inferred user demographics. We show that our methodology consistently outperforms the industry’s forecasting average and can improve the predictions of US unemployment insurance claims, up to 2 weeks in advance, at the national, state, and city levels at both turbulent and stable times. The results demonstrate the potential of combining AI models with statistical modeling to complement traditional survey methodology, and contribute to better-informed policymaking, especially at turbulent times.

Transverse velocity profiling under positive surges in channels

Nurse Leaders as Makers

Europe is undergoing a period of transformational political change, with the post-war centre-left consensus that dominated the western nations breaking down and being replaced by a neo-liberal belief in the importance of markets in service delivery and a corresponding reduction in state intervention. Combine this with the financial crisis, which has meant cuts to arts and culture budgets in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Hungary amongst others. Add in a touch of technologically driven change and then stop to consider the political, economic and social changes arising from the Arab Spring and the growing economic strength of Russia, Turkey and Kazakhstan on Europe’s borders. There are opportunities and threats for all arts and cultural organisations, but what does this mean for festivals’ leaders in particular? What do they see as the main issues? How are these issues affecting their vision, production and programming polices, their staff, funding, audience development and stakeholder relationships? In times of great turbulence, leaders are the pathfinders who establish new ways of working. In Europe the auteur tradition has placed artistic leadership at the centre of decision-making, both within festivals themselves and amongst funders. Festivals’ artistic directors are often independent cultural intermediaries, standing apart from the establishment but commenting on it; influencing both their own organisations and wider debates about legitimacy and value (Smith Maguire and Matthews, 2012). This is combined with the tendency of festival organisations to be quite small and entrepreneurial, operating what Handy (1999) calls ‘power cultures’, reliant on a central figure with a strong vision to make decisions. At their best, with visionary leaders, such organisations can create strong, supportive cultures that are flexible and that can react quickly to social, political and economic change. How then are these weather vanes responding to the post 2008 turbulent social and economic times in Europe?

This paper identifies the key factors driving indexation in turbulent economic times within defined benefit plans using a unique panel dataset of 166 Dutch pension funds from 2007 to 2010. Key drivers of indexation are the funding ratio, inflation and real wage growth. The type of pension fund and the interest rate exposure are also statistically significant, although the latter effect is nonlinear. The asset allocation has no significant effect on the level of provided indexation as this is already captured by the funding ratio. We also examine the relation between policy ladders and the actual level of provided indexation. This study finds that a policy ladder with an upper limit equal to a 100 percent real funding ratio is able to predict the actual level of indexation more accurately than a ladder with an upper limit based on a pension fund’s required funding ratio.