Communicating culture change

Using a case study of a large public sector department the relationship between communication and change in a public sector department and the human resource implications of that relationship are considered. Senior administrators of the department signified their intention to change the culture from one that was considered to be bureaucratic, technically oriented and inward-looking to one more outward-looking, continually learning, more relationship-oriented internally and inclusive of broader ‘whole of government’ objectives such as commercialization, the environment, social justice and community relations. Findings from the research indicate that, despite an objective of shifting to a state of continual change with the mode of communication becoming two-way and dialogic, the communication mechanism has faltered due to a failure to address the need of lower-level staff for a set vision and stated future direction. Implications of these findings are drawn for public sector organizations in general.     

Evidence-based change management

Evidence-Based Change Management is the science-informed practice of managing planned organizational change. It reflects two key principles: 1) Planned change is more likely to succeed when using science-informed practices, and 2) Regular use of four sources of evidence (scientific, organizational, stakeholder, and practitioner experience) improve the quality of change-related decisions. We describe two sets of science-informed practices: 1) Ongoing Actions used throughout the change process (e.g., goal setting, vision communication, and feedback/redesign) and 2) Phased Actions each timed to a specific change phase (e.g., early diagnosis or late-stage institutionalization).     

‘Managing successful change in the public sector’: a view from the consultants’ world

Our paper presents the results of a survey on the perceptions of 680 Italian public-sector consultants on the drivers of successful organizational change according to Fernandez and Rainey’s model. The results show that the consultants mostly confirm the model, though recognizing that the various drivers have different degrees of relevance. A clear vision and plan for change and the top management’s commitment are seen as central in change processes, whereas interestingly, resource availability and a comprehensive approach to change appear to play a less relevant role.     

Team vision in product development: How knowledge strategy matters

In today’s more complex multinational and technologically sophisticated environment, the group has re-emerged in importance as the project team. Work teams are important to organizations in general, but are especially critical in product development because they span many functional areas including engineering, marketing, manufacturing, finance, etc., and new product teams must frequently be composed of individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives. In these circumstances, this paper addresses the contingency role that knowledge strategy plays in explaining the relationship between team vision and product development performance. After studying the team vision on 78 new product developments from a wide variety of firms, we found that effective team vision varies depending on the knowledge strategy—defined in terms of punctuated equilibrium in the explorative cycle, low ambidexterity and high ambidexterity. Our results demonstrate that while trade-off is positively associated with success in all strategies, clarity is only associated with low ambidexterity strategies and strategy-fit is only associated with high ambidexterity strategies.     

Environmental selection and retail change

In Finland and the other Nordic countries the debate on structural change in retail trade has been mainly concentrated at the macro-level. Reasons for the changes have been sought in the economic, technological and social structures, and in changes in these structures. Committees and others connected with community planning have played a central role in the debate. Considering the extent of the debate, there has been relatively little real research, and the various studies have generally been based on a limited number of variables.In view of the social importance of retail trade, it might seem surprising that researchers have shown so little interest in the structural changes in retail trade and in the results of such changes. The explanation probably lies in the lack of theory, and maybe also in problems connected with the availability of material.Research now needs to focus more on individual stores. This article presents a study intended to re-focus the debate on structural change in retail trade by studying the reasons for the closure or survival of operations in the rural store. The results emphasize external factors: the environment selects those stores that are best suited to its purposes.     

从“文化自觉”到“文化融合”

多元文化冲击下的文化自觉与文化融合经历了漫长的过程。文章以建筑学的视野,选取云南省通海县兴蒙蒙古族乡为研究对象,在结合实地调研的基础之上,以文化为切入点,分别从建筑形式的表达,建筑材料的选择和建筑装饰的表征三个方面对其"一颗印"传统民居进行分析,从而对其建筑形式中蕴含文化内涵予以诠释。     

THE UNDERPINNINGS OF COUNTRY RISK ASSESSMENT

Abstract.  This paper surveys the history and current status of country risk assessment. The motivation is to understand why it is that country risk assessors have such a poor track record in anticipating the onset of financial crises. The development of the field reflects changes in the composition of international capital flows. These changes have confounded a definition of country risk, especially if a definition is centered on a particular event. It is then argued that the field has reached an impasse, and this impasse is related to the methods of abstraction and the current crisis of vision within the science of economics. This crisis of vision, as it pertains to theories of financial crises, has led to increased reliance on quantitative methods in the field of country risk. The paper concludes by proposing a new direction for the field, the first step towards which is to recognize that the object of country risk assessment is not to monitor for a particular event or symptom of financial crisis, but, rather, to monitor for a particular state of the economy.     

Accounting change in Norway

During the last twenty years, a change from a continental towards what can broadly be characterized as an Anglo-Saxon perspective of accounting has taken place in Norway.

This paper discusses whether the new Norwegian Accounting Act of 1998 and the accounting standards issued by the Norwegian standard-setting body represent a further focus on the Anglo-Saxon perspective. Important parts of Norwegian accounting regulation, particularly the Norwegian Conceptual Framework, are highlighted and compared with the positions of European (EC Accounting Directives) and international (IASB) accounting.

The findings indicate that the Anglo-Saxon perspective of accounting appears to be strengthened by the new Norwegian law. Even if the findings indicate that the IAS solutions are generally accepted under the new regulation, the flexibility of the regulation seems to indicate that other solutions are accepted as well. These ‘specific Norwegian’ accounting solutions may generally lead to balance sheets which are less prudent than the balance sheets set up under IAS.

If one accepts that a characteristic of Anglo-Saxon accounting is that it is, historically, generally less prudent than continental European accounting, it can indeed be concluded that Norwegian financial reporting has become more Anglo-Saxon than Anglo-Saxon countries in general. One factor seems to weaken this conclusion: Norway does not allow the revaluation of fixed assets.     

基于NiosⅡ的彩色夜视系统的设计

文中采用近红外CCD探测器设计了基于NiosⅡ的彩色夜视系统。本文采用Nios嵌入式软核心处理器技术,将色彩传递和过滤技术相结合的算法应用到夜视图像处理系统,创建Nios嵌入式处理器的定制指令,结合硬联逻辑,极大地提高了系统的处理速度和性能。实验结果表明,夜视图像处理效果较好、实时性强。     

表面缺陷机器视觉在线检测技术分析与研究

表面缺陷检测是产品质量保证体系中必不可少且极其重要的一个环节。基于机器视觉成像方法的表面检测技术已经成为物体表面在线检测的一个革新手段。本文对该项检测手段进行了技术分析,并给出了LED光源设计、表面缺陷视觉成像的研究方法。     

Sacred alliance or pact with the devil? How and why social enterprises collaborate with mainstream businesses in the fair trade sector*

Abstract

This paper uses institutional theory to highlight different patterns of cross-sector collaboration from the perspective of social enterprises. Specifically, it explores how and why social enterprises interact with mainstream businesses and to what extent their collaboration patterns reflect a vision of how their social mission should be implemented and institutionalized. The empirical analysis is derived from a qualitative study of ‘fair trade’ – a hybrid model created by social enterprises and using market mechanisms to support small-scale producers in developing countries and to advocate for changes in international trading practices. The findings highlight three strategies used by fair trade social enterprises to manage their interactions with mainstream businesses: sector solidarity, selective engagement, and active appropriation. This paper suggests that each strategy is motivated by a different vision of how best to articulate the social mission of fair trade via specific types of collaborations. It also notes how each vision has a distinct pattern of institutionalization at the field level. This paper adds to the emergent literatures on social enterprise and social entrepreneurship, fair trade, cross-sector collaboration and hybrid organizing.     

表面粗糙度检测技术研究概况

表面粗糙度是评价工件表面质量的重要指标之一,工件表面质量的好坏直接影响其使用寿命和使用性能。介绍了表面粗糙度检测的两种方式:接触式测量和非接触式测量,重点阐述了基于计算机视觉技术的非接触式测量方法和研究现状。     

智能化、开放化和网络化——当代数控技术的发展方向

数控机床从产生到现在已走完了半个世纪的历程。特别是近年来,随着数字和信息化技术的飞速发展,为适应现代化生产技术的要求,深层次的开放式数控系统已经进入我们的视野,并蓬勃发展。目前正朝着模块化、全能化和智能化方向发展。本文主要对数控技术的构成、在我国的发展概况、发展趋势等方向做了简单的介绍。     

Effects of strategic human resource management on strategic vision

It is pertinent for organizations that operate in a highly competitive environment to pursue a strategic vision. This study explores the effects of strategic human resource management (SHRM) on the implementation of a strategic vision. Other constructs of importance in the model include leadership, commitment and organizational structure. A total of 400 questionnaires were sent by mail to organizations of various industries and the total number of respondents was 104. Leadership was found to be significant in eight out of ten of the hypotheses, thereby indicating that the leadership of an organization plays an extremely important role in the achievement of a vision. Also, SHRM functions such that HR planning, recruitment and selection, rewards and compensation as well as training and development have significant effects in the achievement of different visions. For the vision of regional growth, leadership and organizational structure was found to be significant. Where market growth is pursued, leadership, reward system, commitment, training and staffing are significant. In the case of a strategic vision of mergers and ventures, only leadership was found to be significant. The only significant factor in the vision of low cost and productivity is planning. For a vision of customer focus and innovation, leadership and selection are the significant factors. Where innovation and product development are pursued, only planning is significant. For organizations that pursue cluster visions, the factors that are significant include leadership, commitment and selection.     

基于小波变换的图像融合方法及其性能评价

近年来,图像融合已成为图像理解和计算机视觉领域一项重要的新技术。把小波变换技术应用到图像融合之中是该研究领域的重大突破。文章以小波变换为工具,描述了基于小波变换的多传感器图像融合算法的实现,提出了多种融合规则和融合算子,并对融合结果进行了深入分析和性能评价。     

用供需网理念推进企业技术创新研究——以宁波中小企业为例

金融危机使得企业技术创新被提到了更为重要的位置,宁波作为中小企业众多、技术创新意识强烈的城市之一,具有典型性。而供需网的网络性、多功能性、开放性等特征,可以促进宁波中小企业拥有全局视野,充分合作,促进企业科研成果的商品化和科研体制的改革,并促进产业结构的调整,提高产业的竞争力。另外,研究区域经济,加强中小企业信息化的基础平台建设;培养全球化眼光,运用供需网理念;注重人才培养,进行多层次人力资源开发等措施,也能帮助中小企业走出技术创新发展瓶颈。     

Marketing for change - Giving brands a soul

Is it possible to avoid becoming flavour of the month and then being dismissed by bored consumers as a marketing gimmick? Saatchi & Saatchi Cause Connection offers a different twist: corporates should be taking the long view and lending substance and ‘soul’ to their brands by effective thought-through charity link-ups. Cause-related marketing or CRM, as it is known, has been familiar to American consumers for a number of years, whereas it has only really become topical in Britain since 1996. In some cases this might mean taking on an issue, but in Britain, where the voluntary/charity sector has a long tradition of delivering services, promoting awareness and is highly professional, there is a real role for advertising to play in communicating social responsibility in conjunction with a charity. This paper provides a potted history of the anti-racist and anti-nuclear campaigns, challenges the current emphasis on ‘discretion’ in corporate giving and outlines a simple checklist for undertaking a relationship.     

基于小波变换的图像融合方法及其性能评价

近年来,图像融合已成为图像理解和计算机视觉领域一项重要的新技术。把小波变换技术应用到图像融合之中是该研究领域的重大突破。文章以小波变换为工具,描述了基于小波变换的多传感器图像融合算法的实现,提出了多种融合规则和融合算子,并对融合结果进行了深入分析和性能评价。     

组织愿景导航基业长青

本文回顾了理论界对一个组织或企业基业长青的探索过程 ,论述愿景与基业长青的关系 ,提出构建一个组织构建愿景的方法体系 ,内容包括“三个主题”、“四方面构架”和“五步骤操作”等。     

A study of biotechnology start-ups undergoing leadership change: Antecedents of change and endogenous performance consequences

One of the most important decisions that a new biotechnology firm faces is whether to replace its founding CEO, who often has been involved with the invention of the firm's core technology, with a more professional manager, who has broader commercialization skills to help the firm to grow into a viable business. In this paper, we argue that leadership change away from the founding CEO is influenced strongly by the interests of key stakeholders and that the endogeneity inherent in the change (or non-change) influences firm performance. As the context surrounding decision-making changes from pre-patent to post-IPO, key stakeholders often may not view what is best for the firm and best for self-interest in the same way. Using data on change in leadership at 135 U.S. biotechnology equipment firms, we find evidence that the context in which decisions are being made influences which of the various competing interests will take precedence. The results further confirm the importance of controlling for endogeneity in decision-making when examining firm performance.