The framing of product ideas in the making: a case study of the development of an energy saving pump

Research regarding work with ideas in industrial settings has predominantly treated ideas as rather stable ‘black boxes’. This article contributes a new understanding of idea work and seeks to expand our understanding of how a product concept is constituted and synthesised through socio-material interaction of organisational members and engagement in idea work. The article contributes a case study of the development process behind the energy-saving Alpha Pro circulator launched by the Danish pump manufacturer Grundfos. Based on an analysis of how organisational players engage in the controversial and shifting understandings of what seems to constitute a successful product, the article offers a new perspective on navigating the players’ ideas in the political processes of innovation. It suggests that navigation of technological frames can offer a new perspective to make explicit the implicated actors’ world views, including what they perceive as relevant problems and related strategies for solving them.     

A model of Chinese central government

Why was the Chinese State able to promote economic growth during the reform era, yet has been unable to do so over the previous 30 years? In this article, we focus on a specific aspect of the question, which will contribute to the development of a more comprehensive explanation: the specific institutional arrangement that may induce the autocratic government to adopt growth‐enhancing policies. We consider a standard political‐agency model (Besley, 2006) where the incumbent leader may or may not be congruent, and where, to maintain power, both leader types need the support of the selectorate, an elite group having a say in selecting the leader, as well as associated access to special privileges. Primarily, we find that in autocracies, without electoral discipline to restrain the opportunistic behaviour of a leader, the size of the selectorate should be intermediate; if it is too small, the selectorate is captured by the leader and has no disciplinary role, but if too big, the leader's incentives are diluted.     

Adaptive Economic Models

The growth literature has identified four channels of transmission by which the abundance of natural resources can negatively affect economic growth. In this article, I suggest ideology as a fifth transmission channel. To test this hypothesis, I exploit the geography of Bolivia whose western regions have natural resources that differ considerably from its eastern regions. I find that regions with predominantly extractive natural resources tend to choose redistributive and interventionist rather than laissez-faire policies. Additionally, I identify two effects on growth depending upon the type of natural resource that a region possesses in abundance.     

The Limitations of Karl Marx' Social Economics ∗

Studies of the relationship between political democracy and economic inequality have produced diverse findings. This study attempts to mitigate some conceptual and methodological problems inherent in such studies by using multi-indicator concepts of inclusive democracy and economic inequality. Data from the five major historically and culturally homogeneous South Asian countries covering 1980–2003 suggest some bidirectional, positive relationship between inclusive democracy and economic inequality indicating that democracy and equality may not be fully compatible in this region. The paper offers contextual explanations and some mechanisms that may have led to these findings for the region, somewhat deviating from the conventional arguments.     

东北农业大学“网上团支部”探索网络思想政治教育生活化模式

面对当前网络思想政治教育中存在的种种冲突和矛盾,东北农业大学提出并建立了＂网上团支部＂。通过对网上团支部的功能介绍,具体阐述了网上团支部生活化模式的构建,探索生活化的网络思想政治教育之路。     

以思想政治教育规范大学生网络生活

网络的迅猛发展给高校思想政治教育工作赋予了新的内涵,同时也产生了一些消极影响。高校学生思想政治工作者应当正确认识网络给思想政治工作带来的变化,制定科学合理的对策,发挥优势,积极应对挑战,这已经成为高校普遍关注的重要问题。     

大学生心理健康教育创新思考

大学生的心理问题不容忽视。目前,高校心理健康教育应澄清诸多认识上的误区,积极创设以人为本的心理健康教育体系,以促进大学生心理健康发展。     

政治生态与政治文明的价值合理性形塑

政治文明起源于市民社会对政治国家的分离，它以对市民社会主体性地位的确认为基础，标志着民主、自由、平等、人性的解放及实现程度；政治文明越是向前发展，市民社会的自治程度越高，政治发展也就越是依赖于市民社会的社会性资源，政治文明的价值合法性危机也就越大；为此，必须从政治生态的理论视野出发寻求对政治合法性危机的可能性途径，形塑政治文明的价值合理性。     

大学生思想政治教育机制创新研究

随着经济社会的发展,我国高等教育发生了巨大变化,可是在教育过程中,我们对大学生思想政治教育的机制并没有发生根本性改变,从而影响到思想政治教育的效果。在对传统思想政治教育机制存在问题进行分析的基础上,提出了大学生思想政治教育机制创新的构想。     

国有企业思想政治工作创新机制的路径选择——基于企业社会责任视角

《中共中央关于加强和改进企业思政治工作的通知》中阐述了思想政治工作是企业现代化管理不可缺少的重要组成部分。国有企业作为中国国民经济的重要支柱,长期以来非常重视思想政治工作。通过对国有企业思想政治工作发展历程的回顾,发现其思想政治工作亟待创新,并从三个方面分析了其创新的原因。通过辨析企业思想政治工作和社会责任之间的逻辑关系来说明在国有企业思想政治工作中引入社会责任是一个重要创新。最后提出利用企业社会责任来创新国有企业思想政治工作的路径选择。