Stumbling Blocks Research Articles

Shifts in Organizational Culture When Implementing Agility

The present article is premised on the argument that a combination of drive from the top and other business pressures is demanding that organizations take an Agile approach to the planning, delivery and continual adaptation of their business models. Notions of culture change, the role and purpose of business, flexibility, resilience, the nature of leadership, the employment relationship and talent are themselves embedded in this macro context and in need of revision. The range of working practices and related values associated with Agile, and the changing expectations of workers and customers, suggests that new approaches to leadership and change management are needed. Attempts to scale up Agile to an enterprise level generally meet with little success typically due to cultural barriers, with conventional leadership approaches, linear thinking and mechanistic change management being particular stumbling blocks. It is often assumed that, as people engage and start using agile methodologies, they will feel committed to sustain the benefits of agility, including innovation. However, tackling only one aspect of cultural change is unlikely to produce lasting value. The article suggests various ways in which organizational cultures, leadership behaviours and change management practices may need to shift to deliver sustainable value through a better balance of organizational and employee needs. The role of senior leaders in committing to, and enabling these shifts, is pivotal.

Towards a highly-controllable synthesis of copper oxide nanowires in radio-frequency reactive plasma: fast saturation at the targeted size

Nanoscale copper oxide is a material in high demand, playing a pivotal role in many nanostructure-based emerging applications. Some unique electrical and mechanical properties of these new generation nanostructures are that they are potentially able to boost the characteristics of sophisticated modern electronic devices. Nevertheless, a nontrivial technique commonly used for the synthesis of CuO/CuO2 nanostructures (particularly in nanowires) as well as very complicated growth and nucleation mechanisms, are their stumbling blocks, significantly hindering the occupation of a relevant application niche. In this paper, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that the ultramodern radio-frequency plasma-based fabrication technique ensures avoiding highly unfavourable, uncontrollable growth intrinsic to the commonly used thermal oxidation method. Moreover, it enables switching the process to a rapid, target-saturating mode leading to fast, highly controllable nucleation and growth of thin, long, densely packed, highly crystalline copper oxide nanostructures directly on the copper surface, without involving any additional precursors and catalysts in the process. Multiscale numerical simulations reveal the basic mechanisms behind the target-saturating growth mode and the key control factors enabling highly predictable synthesis of dense oxide nanostructures of pre-determined size and surface density.

A method of NC machine tools intelligent monitoring system in smart factories

Abstract The construction of effectual connection to bridge the gap between physical machine tools and upper software applications is one of the inherent requirements for smart factories. The difficulties in this issue lies in the lack of effective and appropriate means for real-time data acquisition, storage and processing in monitoring and the post workflows. The rapid advancements in Internet of things (IoT) and information technology have made it possible for the realization of this scheme, which have become an important module of the concepts such as “Industry 4.0”, etc. In this paper, a framework of bi-directional data and control flows between various machine tools and upper-level software system is proposed, within which several key stumbling blocks are presented, and corresponding solutions are subsequently deeply investigated and analyzed. Through monitoring manufacturing big data, potential essential information are extracted, providing useful guides for practical production and enterprise decision-making. Based on the integrated model, an NC machine tool intelligent monitoring and data processing system in smart factories is developed. Typical machine tools, such as Siemens series, are the main objects for investigation. The system validates the concept and performs well in the complex manufacturing environment, which will be a beneficial attempt and gain its value in smart factories.

What are the Stumbling Blocks to Making Product Lifecycle Management Routine in Organizations?

Product lifecycle management (PLM) systems are increasingly expansive enterprise systems manufacturing firms used to help build their capabilities and competitive advantages. Adoption and implementation of an enterprise system does not ensure its organizational acceptance and routinization. We identify the bottlenecks for PLM institutionalization; these systems are becoming the norm for organizational operations and routines. We surveyed 207 executives to determine some critical barriers, potential stumbling blocks, to PLM routinization in daily organizational practices. We found that lack of information technology (IT) infrastructure, integration, and interoperability of PLM systems to be major stumbling blocks for PLM postimplementation routinization.

Upper secondary school students' difficulties with mathematical modelling

This article reports on a combined quantitative and in-depth qualitative study of 315 Danish upper secondary (grades 10–12) mathematics students’ answers to six modelling tasks that place emphasis on the early phases of the so-called modelling cycle. In order to focus attention on the extra-mathematical aspects of modelling, the technical mathematical requirements of the tasks designed were reduced as much as possible. The article analytically and empirically identifies the most significant ‘stumbling blocks’ in modelling with particular regard to the learning difficulties that the population considered experienced and displayed in getting started on relatively idealised mathematical modelling tasks. The results show that a significant number of students have difficulty in accepting or understanding modelling tasks that seem to breach the standard didactical contract in Danish upper secondary mathematics education, and that – more than acknowledged in previous research – pre-mathematisation is a significant stumbling block in modelling, which is also co-responsible for the better known fact that mathematisation, too, is a crucial stumbling block in mathematical modelling. The study further shows that insufficient or missing so-called implemented anticipation is a major factor in these difficulties. It is finally concluded that since there was no evidence of students having severe problems with the technical mathematical knowledge base (e.g. pure mathematical concepts and formulae) in dealing with the six tasks, the stumbling blocks reside in the fundamentals of subjecting extra-mathematical situations to mathematical modelling.

Curriculum Development and Education Officers in/about Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

This paper tries to excavate the perceptions, experiences and non/cooperation of curriculum development officers and district education officers in culturally non/responsive pedagogical approaches of private schools in Nepal. This paper tries to decontextualize and culturally non responsive education cannot address the pedagogical and socio cultural requirements of the learners and multicultural societies. This research is oriented to fundamental traits of interpretivism, criticalism and postmodernism so that the varying and complicated features of culture and culturally responsive pedagogy would be met. Therefore, it would be a heuristics of multi-paradigmatic research. In this paper I have explored the views, experiences and perceptions of responsible government officials working in curriculum designing and implementation in making our educational endeavors culturally responsive. I have tried to delve into 'world of duty' to reveal how result oriented they are. Shifting of responsibilities and lack of professionalism has been found to be the major stumbling blocks.

Islamisk enhedsdiskurs: Et studie af sunni-shiarelationer fra britiske shiamuslimers perspektiv

Denne artikel undersøger en udbredt diskurs blandt britiske shiamuslimer, som med betegnelsen “islamisk enhed” fremhæver kulturel sameksistens blandt muslimer. Analysen af denne diskurs belyser shiitiske opfattelser af selv og andre samt magtrelationerne inden for islams mangfoldighed. Artiklen placerer denne diskurs inden for en ramme af majoritets-minoritets magtrelationer, hvor shiaislam traditionelt har minoritetsstatus (og i en britisk kontekst som dobbeltminoritet). Derudover identificerer og undersøger artiklen fire strategier inden for denne diskurs, som den argumenterer for, er et forsøg på at redde shiaislam fra sin minoritetsstatus ved at “mainstreame” denne retning. Denne mainstreaming handler dog ikke om at opløse shiaislam i en eksisterende mainstream, men snarere om at normalisere shiitiske særtræk.

A marathon with stumbling blocks

A marathon with stumbling blocks

Teacher training and teachers’ attitudes towards educational technology in the deployment of online English language courses in Jordan

The present paper details the experience of designing and running the first online English language courses at Yarmouk University with the support of the Open University of Catalonia. The courses fall within the framework of the EQTEL project, which aims to develop and implement accreditation standards, guidelines and procedures for quality assurance of online courses in Jordanian universities. The focus of the research was to evaluate the course from the teachers’ perspective while identifying possible stumbling blocks and challenges that could be used to refine and enhance the course and the teacher preparation program in successive iterations. Teachers completed a questionnaire that sought to reveal their beliefs, attitudes and experiences using technology for language instruction. The study concluded that teachers perceive more affordances in using technology to practice receptive skills (listening, reading) than productive skills (speaking, writing). Teachers evaluated the teacher preparation prior to the course as sufficient but expressed contradictory attitudes towards using technology for language instruction which need to be understood within the context of the institutional culture and the decision-making process behind technology adoption.

Professional qualifications for the insurance industry: Dilemmas for articulation and progression

In South Africa, the lack of articulation between vocational college programmes and those ofuniversities has long been a source of frustration for college learners seeking vertical progressionpathways. The introduction of a National Qualifications Framework in 1995 appeared to offer hopeof bridging the divide between occupational, practically focused qualifications and traditionalacademic qualifications, but, some 20 years later, the stumbling blocks are still evident in spite ofconcerted national policy efforts. This article reflects on a project conducted over a five-yearperiod that intended to ‘create a progression pathway for TVET candidates into university’ in theinsurance industry and the lessons learned in that process. What at first glance might haveappeared to be simply a hostile environment for articulation and institutional intransigence, onfurther reflection revealed deep-seated curriculum issues associated with qualifications that wereunderstood to differ fundamentally in function and therefore in form. The article draws, inter alia,on Bernstein’s (1999) theorisation of practical and disciplinary learning to show how a curriculumhas an impact on pedagogies, assessment and quality assurance structures. After examining whycollege candidates who had succeeded in the first-level occupational qualification with its largeworkplace component struggled to complete subsequent university levels, the article concludesthat divergent curricula and pedagogies will need serious attention if aspirations for more seamlessarticulation and easier progression are to become reality.

A ‘Frictionless’ Border for Gibraltar: Stumbling Blocks and Solutions Following Brexit

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory of around 6 square kilometers, inhabited by 30,000 people. Despite its size, it is an important issue within Brexit negotiations. In Gibraltar, 96% of the voters voted to ‘remain’ within the European Union (‘EU’), but are now set to leave when the EU and the United Kingdom (‘UK’) reach a withdrawal agreement. This article examines the question of what stumbling blocks will arise for Gibraltar following Brexit, and which solutions could be considered in order for Gibraltar to have a ‘frictionless’ border with the EU. As Gibraltar’s economy concentrates on the services sector, where not only Gibraltarians but also a lot of Spanish and other EU nationals work, the free movement of services and persons are of particular importance. This article analyses their trade-related consequences, and then focuses on two models that can provide some insight on the future relationship between the EU and the UK, with special consideration for Gibraltar: (1) the ‘reverse Greenland-model’, and (2) the Norwegian model. It concludes that there will definitely be some stumbling blocks on the way, but that the softer the Brexit, the less friction there will be on the border.

Energy, exergy and environmental (3E) analysis of the existing CHP system in a petrochemical plant

In this paper an existing combined heat and power (CHP) system in a Petrochemical Plant is analyzed in terms of energy, exergy and environmental (3E) aspects. The system includes steam generators, turbo-generators and a steam distribution network for steam consumers. The system was simulated using Cycle Tempo software. The simulation revealed that the energy, exergy, heat and total efficiencies are %8.22, %7.87, %48.92 and %56.8, respectively. Based on the results, the main exergy destruction is related to boilers, steam pressure reduction stations (HPS/MPS-MPS/LPS) and turbo-generators, respectively. Regarding the high temperature of the exhaust gases from the boilers, adding an economizer stage can increase the efficiency of the boiler and decrease the rate of CO2 production. In addition, the off-grid network of the studied petrochemical complex has also caused stumbling blocks. In order to increase the efficiency of the cycle, eliminating the exergy waste, and connecting to the nation-wide power network, it is recommended that a gas turbine and an HRSG be used instead of the boilers. This way, all the waste related to the boilers and pressure reduction stations will be minimized. Moreover, the risk of plant trip and the shut-down of all the process production lines will be solved.

Automated extraction of quality indicators for treatment of children with complex developmental disorders: A feasibility study using the example of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Quality assessment is challenging in children with developmental disorders. Previously, a set of quality indicators (QIs) was developed and analyzed in terms of feasibility of use with patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). QI assessment turned out to be possible but highly complex. Thus, we compared different technologies for automated extraction of data for assessment of QIs. Four automated extraction technologies (regular expressions, Apache Solr, Apache Mahout, Apache OpenNLP) were compared with respect to their properties regarding the complexity of implementing the QI, the complexity of implementing a check module, the reliability and quality of results, the complexity of preparation of interdisciplinary medical reports, and the complexity of deployment and installation. Twenty medical reports from different institutions were reviewed for compliance with three QIs by these technologies and compared with expert opinions. Among the four technologies, Apache Solr had the best overall performance. For manual extraction of the three QIs, at least 77 s were necessary per medical report, whereas the prototype evaluated and extracted the QIs automatically in 8 s on average. Unexpectedly, different assessments of the degree of compliance by the experts turned out to be one of the stumbling blocks. An in-depth evaluation compared results on a semantic level. It is possible to extract QIs by post-processing automated technologies. This approach can also be applied to other developmental disorders. However, a more uniform documentation throughout institutions involved will be necessary in order to implement this method in daily practice.

A Policy Comet in Moominland? Basic Income in the Finnish Welfare State

Finland is widely considered a frontrunner in the European basic income debate, primarily because of the decision by Juha Sipilä’s centre-right coalition government to design and conduct the first national basic income experiment (2017–2018). The Finnish basic income experiment builds on several decades of public and policy debate around the merits and problems of basic income, with the framing of basic income over time changing to fit the shift of the Nordic welfare state to embrace the activation paradigm. Underlying this discursive layer, however, we find several discrete, relatively small and unintended institutional developments that have arguably aligned the design of Finnish unemployment security closer to a partial basic income scheme. While the latter may suggest Finland has important stepping stones in place, important stumbling blocks remain and the jury is very much out on whether Finland would be the first European country to fully institute a basic income.

An open-source lickometer and microstructure analysis program.

Described herein is a design for a user-constructed electronic lickometer, intended to allow users to conduct relatively simple behavioral experiments with rodents while avoiding several common stumbling blocks. Primarily, this system does not require the purchase of specialized scientific equipment or software. Additionally, it is possible for users to construct and operate this lickometer without the prerequisite of advanced knowledge of electronics or programming. Overall, the goal of this apparatus is to provide a simple and affordable alternative for users seeking to study ingestion behaviors in rodents, while still allowing the user to obtain high-resolution data and conduct sophisticated microstructural analysis of the behavior in question. All of this is achieved using low-cost and commonly available materials for the construction of the apparatus itself, and open-source software to collect and analyze data. The only substantial prerequisites for this design are a PC with a 3.5 mm microphone input and a comfortable understanding of power tools. Finally, a validation of the operation of the describe apparatus is included.

Potentiating the innovation capacity of brainstorming testing approaches in architecture education medium

Since the purpose of architecture is to optimize the physical environment, where specific human activities take place properly and in a dignified fashion, architectural design can never be an absolutely push-button process. Accordingly, architecture is truly interwoven with creativity, which should essentially be enhanced or even acquired. In this sense, brainstorming can be considered one of the easiest and most popular techniques to generate concepts and ideas. However, carrying out effective brainstorming is still debatable. Thus, this research tries to investigate and test approaches that could boost the innovation capacity of brainstorming sessions via overcoming its stumbling blocks. This will be achieved by carrying out an educational experiment that will test two enhancing approaches: firstly, alternating solitary and group brainstorming and secondly, using stimulating and organizing tools.

Writing a Publishable Paper – Principles, Questions, Realities, and Stumbling Blocks

Purpose: This paper identifies what business faculty, new PhDs, graduate students, practitioners, and other scholars can do to improve the likelihood of publishing their research in academic journals.Design/methodology/approach: Despite the fact that well educated scholars are generally well informed about management principles and theories, the success rate for obtaining acceptance of papers submitted to academic journals is typically well below 50% -- with some journals rejecting up to 95% of papers submitted.Findings: This paper identifies principles important to writing an academic paper, questions to address to ensure that those papers achieve a high standard, realities that impact the publishing process, and stumbling blocks to overcome to get a publication accepted.Originality/value: This article highlights the overlooked concept of flair factors in the selection process, identifies six factors that are vital for successful employee selection, suggests three tools to improve selection processes, and presents five propositions for practitioners and scholars.

A New Dactylology and Interactive System Development for Blind–Computer Interaction

Although a lot of work has been performed in the gesture-based human–computer interface, blind users still feel it is difficult to interact with computers. One of the major stumbling blocks is the lack of knowledge about their preferences toward hand gestures. A user evaluation study is conducted with 25 blind users to understand this fact and an optimal gesture set is devised. These gestures are selected based on the performance and preference measure analysis. Performance measure includes rating of gestures on four subjective criteria: easiness , naturalness , learning , and reproducibility . In preference measure, a new parameter called as preference index is proposed in this paper. The optimal gestures are further categorized into two groups: tier-1 and tier-2. On the basis of these gestures, a dactylology is proposed for blind users so that they can interact with a computer easily. A prototype model of the proposed interactive system has been developed and encouraging experimental results are obtained.

My Life, My Heart, and My(osin) Binding Protein-C.

Although I currently lead a team of cardiovascular investigators at the University of Cincinnati, my beginnings were humble as I came from a farming family in a small village in the southernmost part of India. The path I traveled was arduous, and it involved significant struggles, but I’ve finally realized many of my career goals. My story recapitulates the essence of some of the common career hurdles that many early-career cardiovascular scientists must overcome these days, and in this article, these career hurdles are discussed, as well as some strategies to overcome them. This article presents common hurdles encountered by developing and early-career cardiovascular scientists and outlines some effective strategies to overcome these challenges. Students, whether at the undergraduate level or beyond, often do not establish clearly defined career goals, and even established long-term plans can encounter daunting, unforeseen stumbling blocks. It is convenient to blame our failure to succeed on a lack of resources, including family support or time constraints. Sometimes, however, our lack of success may simply depend on not being at the right place at the right time. Yet, fundamentally, it is the lack of resourcefulness, not resources, that poses the greatest barrier to achieving our goals. Resourcefulness is defined as the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. Resourcefulness involves optimizing the resources available to you by finding alternative ways to push forward. In the recesses of our minds, we all have an idea of our potential. In this sense, we are all obligated to create, make, or change our environment, academic, or otherwise so that we can achieve our potential. Therefore, we must all strive to find the environment that will best nourish our innate abilities. I grew up in a village named Pattiveeranpatti located in the state of Tamil Nadu in …

English

English