Distinctive Competencies Research Articles

Professional judgement: an institutional logic approach to contractor tender pricing

Competitive tendering is the default procurement route for most types of construction projects in the UK. As a process, it is costly, time-consuming and complicated, involving input from upwards of 200 separate organisations per project. Existing research has mainly focused on identifying discrete factors that influence contractor pricing. While many scholars and professionals treat the level of mark-up as a technical problem, others acknowledge the role of professional judgement. This paper uses the neo-institutional concept of ‘hybrid institutional logics’ and an exploratory study into two projects in one firm to explore the way in which different types of professionals work together to produce a single price. The research documents the existence of two distinct logics: a first-principles cost estimation logic and strategic mark-up logic. These are combined in a highly structured process, with moments of separation, bridging and demarcation. These findings explain how firms purposefully balance multiple cognitive schemas to manage resources and position themselves in the market. The research also offers a novel theoretical approach to the study of multidisciplinary collaboration which can be used to address issues of integration more generally. <em><strong>Practice relevance</strong></em> A study of the ways in which main contractors balance multiple considerations when tendering offers several contributions to practice. First, it identifies how pricing is influenced by socially embedded professional judgements. These include judgements about: (1) the current market price (independent of supplier bids); (2) the firm’s market position and relationship with clients, suppliers and competitors; and (3) firm-level resource management. Second, it identifies several specialised competencies that inform the use of ‘intuition’ in pre-tender pricing and which contribute to ‘realistic’ mark-ups, notably ‘first-principles estimation’ and ‘strategic firm-level mark-up’. Third, it analyses the way in which these are mobilised across the tender preparation process, drawing attention to ways that distinct competencies are combined in bid preparation, in particular, and in everyday work processes, more generally.

A Study of Talent Management and Its Impact on Performance of Organizations

Today, an organization's main source of competitive advantage is its talent. Employee performance affects the organization's performance. If workers at a business have specialized knowledge that will distinguish them from their rivals. In this cutthroat Keeping, brilliant workers in the workplace is a difficult challenge for both acquisition and HR managers. Management of talent is difficult and important work. Acquisition of the right talent strengthens the organization's strategy. Organizations use talent management as a business strategy to retain their most skilled workers and enhance performance. It involves finding and employing the best individuals, educating them for future leadership roles, monitoring and managing their performance, and stopping them from leaving the company. Every organization's effectiveness is reliant on its ability to of its workers. The company instantly acquires a competitive advantage over its rivals if the personnel possess distinctive competencies that the rivals cannot imitate. Therefore, businesses are focusing on creating effective systems and practices for talent management to manage this unique human resource.&#x0D; Additionally, the organizations put a lot of effort into keeping their most valuable and best workers. Since if they go, the entire repository of knowledge has also left the organization's control. The focus of the research was to determine how talent management affected certain IT firms in the NCR region in terms of organizational performance. The results demonstrate that talent management has a limited effect on performance. If this still exists, the enterprises may use their captive to boost their profitability and growth after being properly deployed and managed at the appropriate locations.

Modulation of the lipophilicity and molecular size of thiosemicarbazone inhibitors to regulate tyrosinase activity

A group of 5-methylsalicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone derivatives (HMTs) bearing different lipophilic and steric substituents attached at the 3-position of cresol ring were synthesized and investigated as mushroom tyrosinase (TYR) inhibitors. The ability of HMTs to inhibit the diphenolase activity of TYR was evaluated with L-DOPA as substrate by determining IC50 values in relation to their structure modifications. HMTs displayed distinct inhibitory competencies towards TYR activity with IC50 values in the range of 1.02–143.56 μM. A close correlation between their inhibition potency and both lipophilicity and molecular size was observed. The inhibitory effect of the hydroxyethyl-containing derivatives was much higher than the hydroxyethyl-free ones overall. Among them, HMT-NBO exhibited the most potent effect with IC50 of 5.85 μM, which was nearly 25-fold and 3.8-fold lower than its parent HMT-NBE and the control kojic acid, respectively. The hydroxyethyl clearly benefited the improvement of the inhibitory competences and acted as a regulating group of lipophilicity of the inhibitors. The kinetic analyses showed that HMTs were reversible and mixed type inhibitors against mushroom TYR. The inhibition mechanism was studied by means of fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR, ESI-MS and molecular docking analysis. The results indicated that the observed inhibitory effect of HMTs was accomplished by acting on the amino acid residues rather than by chelating the centre copper ions of TYR. Each of HMTs can insert the hydrophobic pocket and interact with the residues of TYR through Van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds, with additional electrostatic interactions for HMT-NEE and HMT-NEO further strengthening the affinity. Meanwhile, the inhibitors were observed to bind with L-DOPA or/and L-DOPAquinone forming 1:1 stoichiometric complexes, probably exerting indirect inhibition against TYR activity.

COMPETENCY-BASED CLINICAL SUPERVISION: A VIEW TO THE FUTURE

Some recognition exists that clinical supervision is a distinct professional competence that requires specific education and training. However, it is all too often inadequately addressed in psychology curricula and training. What is required is a shift to the competence movement that has been instituted in United States psychology education, training, and regulation to embrace a systematic and intentional competence model. To achieve this, a major attitude shift must occur to acknowledge the systematic and intentional process of clinical supervision, value the process and components, and incorporate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that need to be systematically developed as a critical component of self-reflective competency-based education and supervision, portals to lifelong learning, internationally.

Different occurrence rates of centrally located cytoplasmic granulation in one cohort oocytes show distinctive embryo competence and clinical outcomes

Centrally located cytoplasmic granulation (central granulation) is a common cytoplasmic dysmorphism in human oocytes retrieved after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). In order to achieve a better understanding of its formation and effects on clinical outcomes, we retrospectively analyzed 422 ICSI treatment cycles. Three groups of patients were classified according to the ratio of central granulation occurrence in one egg cohort, as partial granulation, all granulation and control groups. The partial granulation group had a significantly lower BMI and higher AMH level compared to the control or all granulation groups. Consistent with these distinctive features in the partial granulation group, fertilization and blastocyst formation rates were reduced significantly in the partial granulation group but not in the all granulation group. Furthermore, the clinical outcomes in fresh embryo transfer cycles were dramatically reduced in the partial granulation group compared with the control group. However, in FET cycles, all three clinical outcomes were significantly reduced in the all granulation group but not in the partial granulation group. We propose that partial granulation may reflect a specific population of patients, and that the central granulation structure is sensitive to cryopreservation.

Strategic alignment and its impact on creating an organization’s reputation and image

The study aims to analyze and evaluate the potential impact of strategic alignment drivers on creating a company’s reputation and image, using a descriptive analytical approach. An analysis and interpretation of findings demonstrate that strategic alignment with its internal and external variables is deemed to be a key determinant of a company’s reputation and image customers have (with the regression coefficient of 0.38). The companies enjoying a great reputation are committed to creating an effective alignment between internal and external factors, while in companies with a weak or medium reputation, some manifestations of strategic inconsistency appear such as the deviation of competition foundations from their distinctive competencies, where the competitive competency is less appropriate with their competitive advantages, in addition to the lack of alignment between its existing strategy and main activities due to the company’s failure in choosing its internal environment. The study makes recommendations to the surveyed companies regarding the importance of aligning their internal and external options to build their image and reputation desired by their customers.

E-Mentoring Pilot Program in Academic Internships: Effectiveness in Improving Participants’ Competencies

This research is interested in the role that mentoring can play as a strategy for academic and professional support in the academic internships of undergraduate students of a marketing program in a Colombian university, aiming to validate an e-mentoring model to stimulate the acquisition of professional competencies in students of academic internships. Thus, a quantitative approach-related group pre-posttest experimental type study (a pilot study) was carried out to validate the e-mentoring program. The sample consisted of 18 mentees with their respective 18 mentors, who were evaluated in three different phases (pretest mentee, posttest mentees, and posttest mentors). The results showed positive results, especially in four distinctive competencies (project management, problem-solving, autonomous work, and teamwork). On the other hand, the mentors confirmed elements associated with high satisfaction with the e-mentoring program through its design, purpose, the training provided, and the level of professional, logistical, and technological support.

Reverberations of a Previous Career as Reflected in Personal Blogs of Career Switchers into Teaching

Those who choose teaching as a second career bring with them a &amp;ldquo;dowry&amp;rdquo; from their former career including: work experience, distinctive organizational culture, professional knowledge, competences and skills, and experience working under managers. These skills and competences may play a distinctive role in the professional socialization process of second career teachers. Qualitative research was used to perform content analysis of 1,298 reflective blogs&amp;rsquo; posts written by 98 second career teachers during their first year of teaching in secondary education in Israel. The findings yielded two main themes: (1) Reverberations of the former career in the second career including two sub-categories: (a) Former career as a teaching benefactor and (b) Former career as a hindrance to successful shift to teaching; and (2) Expressions of parenting as a former career. The discussion section presents some practical implication for teacher educators and high-schools&amp;rsquo; principals for a quality professional integration of second career teachers in to teaching.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ПРОФЕСІЙНОГО РОЗВИТКУ ПЕДАГОГІЧНИХ ПРАЦІВНИКІВ НАВЧАЛЬНО-МЕТОДИЧНИХ ЦЕНТРІВ ЦИВІЛЬНОГО ЗАХИСТУ Й БЕЗПЕКИ ЖИТТЄДІЯЛЬНОСТІ

The aim of the article is to study the specifics of teaching staff professional development of civil protection and life safety educational and methodological centers. Research methods used by the author: content analysis of legislative documents on the organization of postgraduate education; regulatory documents on professional development of civil protection specialists; analysis and summarization of documents posted on websites of Educational and Methodological Centers of Civil Protection and Life Safety in order to determine their structure and content of the activity and to highlight the features of the professional development of the teaching staff; comparative analysis of specialty standards 011 Educational, pedagogical sciences and the specialty 263 Civil protection for the second (master's degree) of higher education to identify the common and distinctive competencies of specialists. It has been found out that the problem of the teaching staff professional development of educational and methodological centers of civil protection and life safety demands a complex solution. Their professional development in the sphere of civil protection is carried out according to functional training programs once in five years on the basis of higher educational establishments and postgraduate education. At the same time, in advanced training on the specialty 011 Educational, pedagogical sciences they have the opportunity to freely choose institutions, forms and subject of professional development. However, selected topics of various forms of professional development rarely reflect the content of their specialty 263 Civil Protection and its transformation in accordance with the post-industrial development of the country and its modern economic and socio-political situation.

Judicial Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in a Digital Economy: Is There a Need for Change?

The paper looks at improving the judicial system in Russia facing the rapid technological change of modern society in which new relationships are largely associated with different areas of intellectual property. Today biotechnology, digital rights, computer programs and scientific research materials have become widely used in civil circulation and their intellectual property rights should be effectively protected. The paper discusses different issues of protecting intellectual rights provided for by the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, aimed at both suppressing and preventing their infringement, and assesses the statistical indicators of the courts. The practice of the Intellectual Property Rights Court and the Moscow City Court shows that specialization yields positive results. The selection of judges, their professional development including their distinctive competencies in addition to legal ones, also help to find effective ways of resolving intellectual property disputes. With the protection of intellectual property rights being of great concern not only in Russia, but also in most developed countries of the world, their experience has also been thoroughly analyzed. The paper suggests a possible way of improving the judicial system under the current circumstances. Certain changes in the judicial system and the creation of additional specialized intellectual property courts could help to ensure an affordable, legitimate and effective mechanism for resolving disputes related to the violation of intellectual property rights.

Do banks adjust their liquidity to cope with environmental variation? A study of bank deregulation

The effect of bank deregulation on adjustment speed of bank liquidity is the focus of this paper. We find that banks tend to increase their adjustment speed of liquidity in response to bank deregulation. Banks tend to escape their current states and move to states with less deregulation. Those banks that move to less deregulated states reduce their adjustment speed. A strategic movement of headquarters helps banks to fend off competitive pressure. The environmental factors of population and personal income reduce the market-based flexibility of banks. However, higher interest expenses incentivise banks to increase their speed. Surviving banks and acquiring banks react as market-makers whereas target banks respond as market-takers. Failed banks lose their distinct competencies to react properly when environmental variation occurs. Having a larger network and operating in a larger environment, banks affiliated with multi-bank holding companies are able to increase their liquidity adjustment speed. The observable trends of how banks adjust liquidity in response to bank deregulation have important regulatory implications in reducing the environmental challenges faced by banks.

The Lexical Basis of Second Language Reading Comprehension: From (Sub)Lexical Knowledge to Processing Efficiency

AbstractThis study compared how distinct lexical competences, including lexical knowledge as well as processing skills at both word/lexical and sublexical/morphological levels, collectively and relatively predict reading comprehension in adult learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). The participants were 220 Arabic‐speaking EFL learners in a Saudi university. A battery of paper‐ and computer‐based tests was administered to measure the participants’ lexical competences, reading comprehension ability, and working memory. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that over and above working memory, both lexical and sublexical knowledge were significant and unique predictors of reading comprehension, and sublexical processing efficiency, as opposed to lexical processing efficiency, predicted reading comprehension significantly. In addition, among the measured lexical competences, lexical knowledge was the strongest predictor, and the two knowledge variables collectively had a far greater influence on reading comprehension than did the two processing efficiency variables. These findings are discussed in light of the lexical basis of text comprehension.

History curriculum: literacies and democracy in NSW syllabuses

A relationship between school history and notions of citizenship is evident in the Australian context. In this way, it is important to reflect on the nature of the subject of history (Körber, 2011) and how socio-political forces have impacted discourses relating to its aim and purpose (Goodson & Marsh, 1996). This paper seeks to consider how literacies are historically embedded in history (mandatory) syllabuses in New South Wales (NSW), and the implications of this for a conceptualisation of literacy that acknowledges the changing nature of communication, and as a result, participatory citizenship. Following the linguistic turn, and acknowledgement of the importance of language to social practice, a successful approach to literacy in secondary school contexts should consider the language and literacies required for specific subjects, rather than common or foundational areas of literacy (Lo Bianco & Freebody, 2001), as are often the focus of standardised literacy assessments. Positioned as a history of the present (Popkewitz, 2011), official curriculum documents are examined covering the period of the 1990s to the early 2000s, prior to the implementation of the first national curriculum. It was found that there was a distinct and explicit separation of notions of literacy and understanding in official curriculum, as well as presenting information communication technologies (ICTs) and literacy as distinct (and separate) competencies. It is argued that if history education is to contribute to active citizenship, there is a need to reconceptualise this idea to align with emerging civic practices of the twenty-first century.

The Influence on Strategic Partnerships Through Market Attractiveness and Distinctive Competencies (A Study on Tourism Services Industry in Maluku Province)

Maluku is a strategic area as a tourism destination because it has unique characteristics, but tourism service managers are less than optimal in utilizing market attractiveness, and they lack the distinctive competencies of the company. In addition, strategic partnerships with stakeholders have not been developed optimally. This study uses an economics approach that is acculturated with strategic management science with a focus on the level of management understanding of market attractiveness, distinctive competencies and strategic partnerships in the tourism service industry in Maluku Province. The research method is using a survey method which includes a descriptive survey and an explanatory survey. The unit of analysis in this study is the tourism service industry in Maluku with the unit of observation being the head of a tourism service company in Maluku. The test was carried out using a structural equation model. The results show that the perceived market attractiveness is not yet fully attractive to tourism service companies in Maluku, distinctive competencies and strategic partnerships have not been maximally developed by tourism service companies in Maluku. The test results also show that there is a simultaneous or partial effect of market attractiveness and distinctive competencies on strategic partnerships. Strategic partnerships are more dominantly formed by distinctive competencies and the dimension that gives the highest contribution is organizational capability.

Diversifying Arena of Drug Synthesis: In the Realm of Lipase Mediated Waves of Biocatalysis

Hydrolases, being most prominent enzymes used in industrial processes have left no stone unturned in fascinating the pharmaceutical industry. Lipases, being a part of acyl hydrolases are the ones that function similarly to esterases (except an interfacial action) wherein they generally catalyze the hydrolysis of ester bonds. Be it in terms of stereoselectivity or regioselectivity, lipases have manifested their promiscuous proficiency in rendering biocatalytic drug synthesis and intermediates thereof. Industrial utilization of lipases is prevalent since decades ago, but their distinctive catalytic competencies have rendered them suitable for maneuverability in various tides of biocatalytic industrial process development. Numbers of exquisite catalysts have been fabricated out of lipases using nanobiotechnology whereby enzyme reusability and robustness have been conferred to many of the organic synthesis procedures. This marks a considerable achievement of lipases in the second wave of biocatalysis. Furthermore, in the third wave an advent of genetic engineering has fostered an era of customized lipases for suitable needs. Be it stability or an enhanced efficacy, genetic engineering techniques have ushered an avenue for biocatalytic development of drugs and drug intermediates through greener processes using lipases. Even in the forthcoming concept of co-modular catalytic systems, lipases may be the frontiers because of their astonishing capability to act along with other enzymes. The concept may render feasibility in the development of cascade reactions in organic synthesis. An upcoming wave demands fulfilling the vision of tailored lipase whilst a far-flung exploration needs to be unveiled for various research impediments in rendering lipase as a custom fit biocatalyst in pharmaceutical industry.

Validating a student assessment of mathematical modeling at elementary school level

AbstractWhile research suggests that mathematical modeling is accessible to elementary grade students, questions remain about how to assess modeling competency. Our research addresses this need through the systemic design and empirical testing of a Mathematical Modeling Student Assessment (MMSA) for elementary grades 3 through 5. Research questions focus on validity evidence for the MMSA based on test content, response process, internal structure, and relationship to other variables, as well as reliability evidence. Data sources included student interviews, MMSA post assessments and state level standardized assessments. We paid particular attention to evidence of internal structure to understand the extent to which a holistic versus an atomistic conceptualization of mathematical modeling competency was empirically supported by the data. We found that MMSA items provided sufficient coverage to provide accurate information about a range of modeling competencies. The MMSA had high reliability and low standard error for average modeling competency which supports its use for grades 3 to 5. Correlations between MMSA trait‐level estimates and standardized assessment scores indicate the MMSA captures overlapping but distinct competencies specific to modeling. We discuss implications for teaching modeling and directions for future research on the development of modeling assessments in the elementary grades.

YAP establishes epiblast responsiveness to inductive signals for germ cell fate.

ABSTRACTThe germ cell lineage in mammals is induced by the stimulation of pluripotent epiblast cells by signaling molecules. Previous studies have suggested that the germ cell differentiation competence or responsiveness of epiblast cells to signaling molecules is established and maintained in epiblast cells of a specific differentiation state. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this process has not been well defined. Here, using the differentiation model of mouse epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs), we have shown that two defined EpiSC lines have robust germ cell differentiation competence. However, another defined EpiSC line has no competence. By evaluating the molecular basis of EpiSCs with distinct germ cell differentiation competence, we identified YAP, an intracellular mediator of the Hippo signaling pathway, as crucial for the establishment of germ cell induction. Strikingly, deletion of YAP severely affected responsiveness to inductive stimuli, leading to a defect in WNT target activation and germ cell differentiation. In conclusion, we propose that the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway creates a potential for germ cell fate induction via mesodermal WNT signaling in pluripotent epiblast cells.

"PROTÓTIPO DE UM SISTEMA ESPECIALISTA PARA CLASSIFICAR O NÍVEL DE COMPETITIVIDADE DE UMA MICROEMPRESA DE SERVIÇOS"

The article manages with the development of a prototype of an expert system to classify the level of competitiveness of a service microenterprise and explores concepts and applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Expert Systems (ES), to assist the field of Administration in the evaluation of microenterprise management in light of the application of the Resource-Based Vision (RBV) theory, which explains the microenterprise's competitive advantage, based on its distinctive resources and competences, with the aim of creating a base of knowledge to be submitted to the expert system (ES) of competence assessment developed and, therefore, to achieve the desired results according to the VRIO methodology of Barney and Hesterly (2007). The research was carried out in a microenterprise in the Federal District (DF), based on the aforementioned methodology, which analyzes the microenterprise's competitive differential according to the premises of value, rarity, difficulty to be imitated and organizationally irreplaceable

Social, health and rehabilitation sector educators' competence in evidence-based practice: A cross-sectional study.

AimThe purpose of the study was to identify and describe the characteristic profiles of evidence‐based practice competence of educators in the social, health and rehabilitation sectors and to establish relevant background factors.DesignThis study was carried out as a descriptive cross‐sectional study.MethodsData were collected from social, health and rehabilitation sector educators working in the 21 Finnish universities of applied sciences and seven vocational colleges (n = 422; N = 2,330). A self‐assessment instrument measuring evidence‐based practice competence was used. Competence profiles were formed using a K‐cluster grouping analysis.ResultsThree distinct competence profiles were identified and delineated. Most educators feel that they can guide students' critical thinking and are able to seek and produce scientific knowledge. Evidence‐based practice competence was explained by background factors such as year of graduation (for higher degree), level of education, job title, current employer and current field of work.

Asset Specificity On Conditional Conservatism

Asset specificity, an asset creates company’s distinctive competency that tough to be imitated by competitor. Howere asset specificity features a direct impact on a firm’s in progress truthful price determination, bankruptcy risk, liquidation value, and abandonment option. On alternative hand, the ownerhip of this quality specificity has serious consequences on finance strategy. Bank faces serious issue to create a correct valuation of specific and opaque asset so bank charges higher value of debt. we discover no distinction within the extent to that good news is delayed in earnings for corporations conditional on asset specificity. This study use 280 non finance service and non agriculture type listed in IDX on 2018. However The information assortment used documentation technique and also the data analysis utilized was multiple correlation analysis. we have a tendency to document a significant negative association between quality specificity and conditional conservatism especially in Mining, Miscellaneous industry, and good consumer Industry But we notice new findings within the infrastructure sector there's a significant positive impact of specificity Asset specificity on conservatism.