Initial Leader Research Articles

Studying Sequences of Initial Breakdown Pulses in Cloud‐to‐Ground Lightning Flashes

AbstractThe properties of the first 5–12 classic initial breakdown pulses (IBPs) of three cloud‐to‐ground (CG) lightning flashes were determined using a modified transmission line model. As part of the modeling, the current with respect to time of each IBP was determined from the measured electric field changes at multiple sites using three theoretical methods called Hilbert transform, Hertzian dipole, and matrix inversion. In the transmission line modeling the length of each IBP was estimated from high‐speed video data of the IBPs. The modeling provided the following properties of the larger classic IBPs in each flash: peak current, velocity, total charge, charge moment, radiated power, and total energy dissipated for successive IB pulses in three developing lightning flashes. For the main initial leader channel in the three CG flashes (and for one long branch), IBP peak current was largest for the first or second classic IBP and declined mostly monotonically with successive IBPs. For the same channels, IBP current velocity was smallest for the first classic IBP and increased mostly monotonically with successive IBPs. The smallest velocities were (2.0, 2.5, 2.5, 3.0) × 107 m/s, respectively, while the largest velocities were (9.2, 12.2, 11.5, 12.0) × 107 m/s, respectively. These data support earlier hypotheses that it is the classic IB pulses during initial leader of normal negative CG flashes that change the nonconductive air into an ionized path that is sufficiently long and conductive to start the stepped leader.

On the Origins of the Market for Corporate Law

I study the origins of the market for corporate charters and the emergence of Delaware as the leader of this market. Specifically, I assemble new data on 19th and 20th-century corporations to evaluate two widely-held beliefs: (1) the U.S. Supreme Court is responsible for enabling a national market for corporate charters in the 19th century and (2) Delaware became the leader in this market only because New Jersey (the initial leader) repealed its extremely liberal corporate laws in 1913. I argue that both claims are false: The Supreme Court always opposed a national market for corporate charters, and New Jersey’s decline began a decade before its 1913 repeal. It is more likely that the market for corporate charters emerged as a collateral consequence of interstate commerce and that New Jersey declined because Delaware and other states simply copied its laws.

Applying Motivational Interviewing Strategies to Enhance Organizational Readiness and Facilitate Implementation Efforts.

Motivational interviewing (MI) is an empirically supported clinical method to help individuals make behavioral changes to achieve a personal goal. Through a set of specific techniques, MI helps individuals mobilize their own intrinsic values and goals to explore and resolve ambivalence about change. This article examines how MI-informed approaches can be applied to help staff adopt new evidence-based practices in organizational settings. Although the implementation science literature offers strategies for implementing new practices within organizations, leaders of quality improvement initiatives often encounter ambivalence about change among staff. Implementation approaches that require staff to make substantial changes may be facilitated by drawing from MI strategies. These include building a sense of collaboration from the beginning, eliciting "change talk," and addressing any ambivalence encountered. Motivational interviewing techniques may be particularly helpful in working with those in a stage of precontemplation (who have yet to see a reason for change) and those who are contemplating change (who see that a problem exists but are ambivalent about change). This article provides examples of how an MI-informed approach can be applied to help facilitate change in staff within organizations that are implementing quality improvement initiatives. These techniques are illustrated using a representative scenario.

From what we know to what we do: enhancing absorptive capacity in translational health research

BackgroundGlobally, evidence about what works is slow to translate into frontline healthcare delivery. As a response, government policy has focused on translational health initiatives, such as the National Institute for...

TOWARD A NETWORK OF CHANGE: PROMOTING AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES FROM THE INSIDE OUT

The experience of aging is often framed by the communities in which we live, work and play. At the same time, these communities are also impacted by individuals as they age in place. This symposium presents research using community-partnered methods to highlight the agency of local actors—including older residents themselves—as they work to change their local communities. At the broadest level of geographic scale, Black illustrates how information from population surveys with older adults can be leveraged to mobilize public-private partnerships from the local to state level to advance policy and practice on housing and transportation to support aging in place. Focusing regionally in New Jersey, Greenfield and Reyes analyze longitudinal, qualitative interview data from leaders of age-friendly community initiatives to develop empirically-grounded theory on the range of roles of older adults in aging-friendly community change processes. The final two papers present depth in understanding how older adults actively construct their own sense of community vis-à-vis more micro-social processes. Yeh uses Photovoice methodology to understand how older adults aging in place manage the societal trends of urbanization and social inequalities as they manifest within their own city. Versey examines how older adults aging in place in the context of neighborhood gentrification mobilize networks to preserve a community “sense of place” when sociocultural resources are displaced. Consistent with a community gerontology framework, the presentations demonstrate how community-level dynamics around aging are shaped not only by macro-social influences, but also micro-social interactions including, and sometimes initiated by, older residents themselves.

The AfD as a ‚Leaderless’ Right-Wing Populist Party. How the Leadership-Structure Dilemma Left an Imprint on the Party’s Leadership

Abstract Despite its right-wing populist character, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) shows no signs of a strong party leadership. We ascribe this state of the party leadership to the AfD’s institutionalization as a new party and show how organizational features interact with the skill set and goals of the party leaders. At the party level, we, firstly, outline the organizational change at the top of the party and the party leader selection rules. Secondly, we depict leadership turnover and competitiveness. At the leader level, we investigate the failure of Bernd Lucke, the key founder and one of the initial party leaders, as a manifestation of the leadership-structure dilemma of new parties. Embedded in a leadership team and faced with a growing extra-parliamentary party structure, Lucke tried to secure his initial autonomy and position of power by an attempt to become the sole party leader. His subsequent exit from the AfD laid bare the fact that he was not able to manage the challenges of the organizational consolidation phase, in which a new party needs a coordinator and consensus-builder. The AfD itself has proven its organizational autonomy from its initial leaders and its distaste for a strong and centralized party leadership. The barriers for the latter remain in place while, at the same time, the party institutionalization is still on-going, especially regarding its place in the German party competition.

Inception of subsequent stepped leaders in negative cloud-to-ground lightning

Time-correlated high-speed video and electric field change data for 139 natural, negative cloud-to-ground (CG)-lightning flashes reveal 615 return strokes (RSs) and 29 upward-illumination (UI)-type strokes. Among 121 multi-stroke flashes, 56% visibly connected to more than one ground location for either a RS or UI-type stroke. The number of separate ground-stroke connection locations per CG flash averaged 1.74, with maximum 6. This study examines the 88 subsequent strokes that involved a subsequent stepped leader (SSL), either reaching ground or intercepting a former leader to ground, in 61 flashes. Two basic modes by which these SSLs begin are described and are termed dart-then-stepped leaders herein. One inception mode occurs when a dart leader deflects from the prior main channel and begins propagating as a stepped leader to ground. In these ‘divert’ mode cases, the relevant interstroke time from the prior RS in the channel to the SSL inception from that path is long, ranging from 105 to 204 ms in four visible cases. The alternative mode of SSL inception occurs when a dart leader reaches the end of a prior unsuccessful branch—of an earlier competing dart leader, stepped leader, or initial leader—then begins advancing as a stepped leader toward ground. In this more common ‘branch’ mode (85% of visible cases), there may be no portion of the subsequent RS channel that is shared with a prior RS channel. These two inception modes, and variations among them, can occur in different subsequent strokes of the same flash.

Initial Leader Properties During the Preliminary Breakdown Processes of Lightning Flashes and Their Associations With Initiation Positions

AbstractThe properties of initial leaders (ILs) of 1,056 flashes in two thunderstorms in Guangzhou, China, are analyzed. The median values of IL properties are 11.1 ms for duration, 2.2 km for vertical distance, 2.7 km for 3‐D distance, 1.9 × 105 m/s for vertical displacement speed, 2.4 × 105 m/s for 3‐D displacement speed, 28° for angle between the IL's displacement direction and the vertical direction, 1.1 per ms for pulse rate, 179 m for vertical step length, and 224 m for 3‐D step length. All the IL properties follow lognormal distributions. Strong monotonic relationships of IL duration with speed and pulse rate and pulse rate with speed and step length are revealed. With increasing initiation altitude, IL duration and step length tend to increase, and IL speed and pulse rate tend to decrease. The ILs initiated at approximately the −20 °C isotherm are more vertically orientated on average than those initiated at lower or higher levels. The ILs initiated in the strong kinematic areas generally had a greater speed and pulse rate but smaller duration, distance, and step length relative to those initiated in the weak kinematic areas. The possible impacts of the charge distribution patterns and density on the IL properties in different types of thunderstorms or thunderstorm areas are discussed.

Neurodiversity of the Workforce and Digital Transformation: Complementarity or Substitution?

This paper analyses the productive complementarities between the digital transformation, the skills of neurodiverse workers and organisational practices of inclusion of neurodiverse workers. Based on a qualitative approach and interviews with leaders of neurodiversity initiatives, it identifies several ways by which the digital transformation may provide a context favourable to neurodiversity. This includes creating new opportunities for neurodiverse workers, valuing their cognitive differences and creativity, removing stereotypes and biases during the recruitment and improving the management of psycho-social risks. Neurodiversity management also contributes to the digital transformation through closing the digital skills shortage, shaping algorithms of artificial intelligence and providing a competitive advantage for firms to innovate. Most importantly, neurodiversity management provides an effective model of inclusion that can mitigate the development of inequalities associated with digital transformation. A new version of this paper is published: Emmanuelle Walkowiak, (2021) “Neurodiversity of the workforce and digital transformation: The case of inclusion of autistic workers at the workplace”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change,Volume 168, 120739, ISSN 0040-1625, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120739.

100% renewable energy policies in U.S. cities: strategies, recommendations, and implementation challenges

Interviews and a survey were conducted with civil society advocates and government officials in U.S. cities and counties that have made a commitment to 100% clean, renewable, community-wide electricity. Survey questions indicated that the characteristics of the cities are consistent with the broader literature on policy adoption for urban sustainability and greenhouse-gas initiatives. For example, a majority of the communities in the sample indicated local concern with air and fossil-fuel pollution and climate-related risk, and they had a liberal (left-leaning) political culture. Policy “entrepreneurs” (initiative leaders) were from environmental organizations and/or the local government, and both often worked with a broad, community-wide coalition. The leading supportive frame other than greenhouse-gas emissions was local job creation, and the leading frame for opposition or skepticism was affordability. Recommendations and political strategy for advocates are discussed, and an analysis of implementation strategy is also provided. Some implementation plans also address affordability and equity for residential customers’ energy needs.

Economic Challenges for Atlanta's Small Farmers: Creating a Financially Sustainable Local Food Supply

AbstractRecent decades have led to increased interest in geographically localized food production and consumption systems as a means of supplying healthy food and strengthening local economies. A major pillar of this economic-strengthening is the idea that more direct markets support the development of viable, small-scale farm businesses. However, literature has increasingly shown that even direct sales may prove challenging as an avenue to economic viability for small-scale farmers. This paper contributes to this literature through an examination of market perceptions and pricing strategies used by small-scale farmers engaged in direct sales opportunities. Interviews with nine farm owners and managers, as well as three leaders of local food initiatives, revealed the creative strategies that small-scale food producers use to mitigate costs, set prices and convey the value of their products. Though farmers employ these creative strategies to make ends meet, their ability to become viable businesses is limited by the scope of current opportunities available within Atlanta's local food system, primarily farmers’ markets and Community-Supported Agriculture. In order for local food production to provide viable livelihoods for small-scale farmers, Atlanta's local food infrastructure may need to support small-scale farmers’ access to more diverse direct-market opportunities.

The emergence of the transition movement in Canada: success and impact through the eyes of initiative leaders

ABSTRACTOriginating in the UK in 2006, the Transition movement is oriented to local grassroots citizen-led efforts that prepare for and support a societal energy transition to a low-carbon future in response to climate change, peak oil, ecological degradation, and economic instability. Overlapping significantly with relocalization, degrowth/slow growth, local food, and related movements, and based on permaculture principles and a distributed network model, it embraces the opportunity to turn crisis into an opportunity to build more resilient, convivial, and vibrant local communities, declaring that “if it’s not fun, it’s not sustainable”. The Transition approach has spread rapidly around the world, including initiatives in over 100 communities and cities in Canada. This paper reports on the methods and results of a Canadian community-based research study aimed at understanding how and where the movement has taken root across the country, what Transition practice looks like, challenges and opportunities encountered, and lessons learned that could be applied within the movement and by others interested in the role of citizen-led initiatives for sustainability transition. Utilising a practice theory lens, drawing on an extensive web-scan of the movement’s online presence, a survey and interviews with initiative (co)founders, an e-survey of Transition members/participants, regional “structured story-dialogue” workshops, and key informant interviews, and informed by input from a Movement Advisory Group, we describe the research process and explore what success and impact mean to those most active in the movement.

Properties of Negative Initial Leaders and Lightning Flash Size in a Cluster of Supercells

AbstractProperties of negative initial leaders (NILs) and flash size in a cluster of supercells with generally inverted charge structure in Oklahoma on 10–11 May 2010 are examined, primarily using Lightning Mapping Array data. A method to identify NILs from Lightning Mapping Array source is proposed and helps to reveal the multiple NILs properties and their distributions. The NILs in the supercell cluster have smaller speed (median 3‐D displacement speed: 0.65 × 105 m/s), relative to the previous reports in normal thunderstorms. Furthermore, median NIL speeds initially decrease with increasing height but begin increasing above 12 km. The NILs tend to decelerate during the early stage. The parameters characterizing flash duration and spatial size are also investigated. It is found that they all follow lognormal distributions and the spatial flash size is relatively small on average (median horizontal distance: 5.54 km). Most flashes (83.18%) extend primarily in the horizontal direction. Flash area shows an inverse relationship with flash density at their fast changes during storm evolution. Although large flash initiation density (FID) generally occurs in regions with small flash size, the smallest flash size is nearly not collocated with large FID value. In the regions with large FID, average flash duration roughly increases with increasing FID, while average flash area changes little. We proposed that the pattern of charge pockets and variation of charge density dominated by the strong kinematics are responsible for some new findings about the properties of NIL and flash size in the supercell cluster.

Is the Maker Movement Contributing to Sustainability?

ICT has already revolutionized content creation and communications. In principle, today, everybody with Internet access, the right skills and equipment can produce digital content composed of virtual “bits” and make it instantly available across the globe. The same is now happening to manufacturing for everyone with access to tools like 3D printers. This inter-changeability of bits and atoms is being called the maker movement, which started as a community-based, socially-driven bottom-up movement but is today also impacting mainstream manufacturing through increased efficiencies, distributed local production and the circular economy. The maker movement thus has significant promise for increasing social, economic and environmental sustainability, but is it currently living up to this potential? This paper reports on work undertaken by the European-funded MAKE-IT project has examined this question through detailed qualitative and quantitative empirical research, including ten in-depth case studies across Europe and a detailed examination of 42 maker initiatives at Europe’s foremost city-based maker faire, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Despite the maker movement’s short history, the overall results provide sound evidence of its important though variable contribution to sustainability thus far. In addition, there is a strong gender dimension showing that females are underrepresented both as users and leaders of maker initiatives, whilst female leaders tend to achieve much higher sustainability impacts than their male counterparts. There is also clear evidence that maker initiatives in close collaboration with each other and other actors in city- and region-wide ecosystems are much more successful in achieving sustainability impacts than others.

Are we all green? Understanding the microfoundations of corporate citizenship

Abstract Although corporate citizenship (CC) has gained space in the discussion of organizations' responsibilities, previous research indicates that this is not a solid concept inside a company, suggesting a significant level of heterogeneity below the firm level. Based on secondary data collection, documental analysis, interviews and a survey of 403 employees, we investigate the microfoundations of CC in a company leader in sustainable initiatives. Our analyses revealed four distinct profiles: (a) dreamers, who see CC at an advanced level of understanding inside the company and whose corporate actions are coherent with the strategic intent of the firm to become a global citizen; (b) believers, who recognize previous actions on CC but who still see low leadership engagement and, consequently, room for improvement regarding CC management; (c) critics, who perceive that the company is doing something but who identify several faults and areas for improvement; and (d) skeptics, who do not acknowledge the company's effort toward CC or who are not able to connect corporate strategy with CC. Furthermore, we provide a framework for managing the perceptions of CC to increase employee engagement. Thus, the study brings fresh thoughts on how CC is spread and understood inside firms and reveals the importance of firms' microstructures for the development and implementation of sustainability strategies.

Very High Frequency Radio Emissions Associated With the Production of Terrestrial Gamma‐Ray Flashes

AbstractRecent studies of the close association between terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs) production and simultaneous lightning processes have shown that many TGFs are produced during the initial leader of intracloud flashes and that some low‐frequency (LF) radio emissions may directly come from TGF itself. Measurements of any simultaneous very high frequency (VHF) radio emissions would give important insight into any lightning leader dynamics that are associated with TGF generation, and thus, such measurements are needed. Here we report on coordinated observations of TGFs detected simultaneously by Fermi Gamma‐ray Burst Monitor, two VHF lightning mapping arrays, and Duke ground‐based LF radio sensors to investigate more on the close association between TGFs and LF and VHF radio emissions. Three TGFs are analyzed here and confirm previous findings on the close association between TGF generation and lightning processes and, for the first time, provide time‐aligned measurements of the VHF radio signature within a few tens of microseconds of TGF generation. Strong VHF emissions were observed essentially simultaneously with two TGFs and within a few tens of microseconds of a third TGF. Equally importantly, the VHF measurement details indicate that the TGF‐associated emissions are nonimpulsive and extended in time. We conclude that the TGF‐producing process is at least sometimes closely associated with strong VHF emissions, and thus, there may be a link between the generation of TGFs and active lightning streamer dynamics.

Creating a Culture of Continuous Quality Improvement: A Pilot of a Quality Team Huddle to Move Knowledge into Action within a Radiotherapy Treatment Program

Continuous quality improvement is the responsibility of all healthcare providers to ensure a positive experience and improved patient outcomes. Quality Conversations (QC) is a very short, weekly, huddle that provides a team building opportunity to discuss and act on quality improvement and safety opportunities, share ideas for what can be done differently and to celebrate accomplishments achieved together. We piloted these weekly QCs to understand the effectiveness of these conversations on a busy radiotherapy department. Multiple forums were engaged to raise awareness amongst the team with regards to, goals, purpose and benefits of engaging in these conversations. The huddles were held each week, for 15 minutes (maximum) in front of a board facilitated by a member(s) of the leadership team. All members of the planning team were encouraged to attend. Each conversation was grounded in three guiding questions: What are we currently working on? How well are we doing? Are our change ideas working? Staff were encouraged to discuss bright ideas and next steps and identify key participants in leading the change. The PDSA model was used to track and guide the quality improvement work. Change initiative leaders reported back at the following week's QC. Pre and post evaluations were administered to all members of the planning team to identify the strengths and opportunities of the QC approach. The non-validated web based survey included 11 five item Likert scale questions, and 2 open ended questions on value of QC and opportunities for sustaining QCs into practice. This pilot project suggests that a QC approach encouraged an open form for all staff to regularly discuss quality improvement initiatives and integrate recommendations into daily practice. Changing the frequency of huddles was an identified opportunity for improvement. Quality Conversations is an innovative idea that can increase team collaboration, and problem solving using performance data, patient outcomes and safety.

The Performance Assessment for Leaders: Construct Validity and Reliability Evidence

The Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL) was developed by a team of nationally recognized experts in response to a Massachusetts requirement to determine and evaluate the leadership abilities of candidates seeking initial school principal licensure. This article describes and evaluates research conducted on all aspects of a 2014-2015 statewide field trial of PAL. Findings suggest that this assessment is a valid and reliable measure of individual candidate competence for granting initial school leader licensure, and is a positive, educative experience for candidates. It concludes with implications for use elsewhere.

Mindful Application of Aviation Practices in Healthcare.

Evidence supports the efficacy of incorporating select recognized aviation practices and procedures into healthcare. Incident analysis, debrief, safety brief, and crew resource management (CRM) have all been assessed for implementation within the UK healthcare system, a world leader in aviation-based patient safety initiatives. Mindful application, in which aviation practices are specifically tailored to the unique healthcare setting, show promise in terms of acceptance and long-term sustainment. In order to establish British healthcare applications of aviation practices, a PubMed search of UK authored manuscripts published between 2005-2016 was undertaken using search terms 'aviation,' 'healthcare,' 'checklist,' and 'CRM.' A convenience sample of UK-authored aviation medical conference presentations and UK-authored patient safety manuscripts were also reviewed. A total of 11 of 94 papers with UK academic affiliations published between 2005-2016 and relevant to aviation modeled healthcare delivery were found. The debrief process, incident analysis, and CRM are the primary practices incorporated into UK healthcare, with success dependent on cultural acceptance and mindful application. CRM training has gained significant acceptance in UK healthcare environments. Aviation modeled incident analysis, debrief, safety brief, and CRM training are increasingly undertaken within the UK healthcare system. Nuanced application, in which the unique aspects of the healthcare setting are addressed as part of a comprehensive safety approach, shows promise for long-term success. The patient safety brief and aviation modeled incident analysis are in earlier phases of implementation, and warrant further analysis.Powell-Dunford N, Brennan PA, Peerally MF, Kapur N, Hynes JM, Hodkinson PD. Mindful application of aviation practices in healthcare. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(12):1107-1116.

Recruiting Practices for Change Initiatives Is Hard: Findings From EvidenceNOW.

Engaging primary care practices in initiatives designed to enhance quality, reduce costs, and promote safety is challenging as practices are already participating in numerous projects and mandated programs designed to improve care delivery and quality. Recruiters must expand their recruitment tools to engage today's practices in quality improvement. Using grant proposals, online diaries, observational site visits, and interviews with key stakeholders, the authors identify successful practice recruitment strategies in the EvidenceNOW initiative, which aimed to recruit approximately 1500 small- to medium-sized primary care practices. Recruiters learned they needed to articulate how participation in EvidenceNOW aligned with other initiatives and could help practices succeed with federal and state initiatives, recognition programs, and existing or future payment requirements. Recruiters, initiative leaders, and funders must now consider how their efforts align with ongoing initiatives to successfully recruit and engage practices, ease practice burden, and encourage participation in efforts that support practice transformation.