Can Collective Intentionality Be Individualized?

A BSTRACT . Searle's philosophical construction of social reality has three basic "building blocks": collective intentionality, constitutive rules, and the imposition of functions. This article will focus on the first of these, collective intentionality, which is taken to be the central span on the bridge from physics to society. Searle analyzes this notion in terms of his own internalist theory of intentionality. In his view, we could have all the collective intentionality we have even if we were a brain in a vat, i.e., even if we were radically mistaken about the outside world. It will be argued that such an internalist view of collective intentionality cannot capture normative aspects of social phenomena. Social reality requires a radical relational approach.     

Hospital economic impact from hemostatic matrix usage in cardiac surgery

Objective:

Improved health outcomes can result in economic savings for hospitals and payers. While effectiveness of topical hemostatic agents in cardiac surgery has been demonstrated, evaluations of their economic benefit are limited. This study quantifies the cost consequences to hospitals, based on clinical outcomes, from using a flowable hemostatic matrix vs non-flowable topical hemostatic agents in cardiac surgery.

Research design and methods:

Applying clinical outcomes from a prospective randomized clinical trial, a cost consequence framework was utilized to model the economic impact of comparator groups. From that study, clinical outcomes were obtained and analyzed for a flowable hemostatic matrix (FLOSEAL, Baxter Healthcare Corporation) vs non-flowable topical hemostats (SURGICEL Nu-Knit, Ethicon–Johnson &; Johnson; GELFOAM, Pfizer). Costing analyses focused on the following outcomes: complications, blood transfusions, surgical revisions, and operating room (OR) time. Cardiac surgery costs were analyzed and expressed in 2012 US dollars based on available literature searches and US data. Comparator group variability in cost consequences (i.e., cost savings) was calculated based on annualized impact and scenario testing.

Results:

Results suggest that if a flowable hemostatic matrix (rather than a non-flowable hemostat) was utilized exclusively in 600 mixed cardiac surgeries annually, a hospital could improve patient outcomes by a reduction of 33 major complications, 76 minor complications, 54 surgical revisions, 194 transfusions, and 242?h of OR time. These outcomes correspond to a net annualized cost consequence savings of $5.38 million, with complication avoidance as the largest contributor.

Conclusions:

This cost consequence framework and supportive modeling was used to evaluate the hospital economic impact of outcomes resulting from the usage of various hemostatic agents. These analyses support that cost savings can be achieved from routine use of a flowable hemostatic matrix, rather than a non-flowable topical hemostat, in cardiac surgery.     

The strategic value of e-HRM: results from an exploratory study in a governmental organization

This paper presents results from an exploratory study in a governmental organization on the strategic value of electronic human resource management (e-HRM). By applying the organizational capabilities approach, and by means of mixed research methods, data were collected on two generally acclaimed strategic advantages of e-HRM: changing the role of the human resource (HR) function towards becoming a business partner; and increasing the time available for strategic HR issues. The findings show that these strategic advantages are not convincingly realized. While HR professionals perceived role changes, line managers and non-managerial employees in general did not. The frequency of e-HRM practise was low, although it was satisfactorily used as intended. Interviewees stated that strategic advantages might arise if certain conditions are met. E-HRM does however provide some unintended benefits. The findings suggest that e-HRM alone is not sufficient to enable the HR function to create dynamic and operational capabilities. Suggestions for further research are provided.     

On the Slowdown of Productivity Growth in the Netherlands 1960–1988: A Macro Economic Vintage Diffusion Approach

This paper presents a simple vintage model that incorporates the idea of the diffusion of new technologies. As a first attempt we use a macro-economic inspired distribution of technologies which are embodied in new equipment. The speed of diffusion depends on expected profits and on accumulated knowledge. The choice of the initial labour intensity stems from the behaviour of firms, however. From our estimation results on Dutch data for the enterprise sector it appears that the speed of diffusion has an impact on the average labour productivity of newly installed equipment such that the productivity paradox can be explained. Due to a decrease in the speed of diffusion in the late seventies and eighties, the growth of the average labour productivity declines whereas the labour productivity growth of the most advanced technologies proves to be stationary during the estimation period from 1960 to 1988.     

360 degree feedback: how many raters are needed for reliable ratings on the capacity to develop competences,with personal qualities as developmental goals?

360 degree feedback is a widely used technique in the area of strategic human resource management (SHRM) and strategic human resource development (SHRD). The reliability of 360 degree feedback on the capacity to develop personal qualities has been investigated. This study shows to what extent the number of raters is related to an increasing reliability and an enhancement of correlation between supervisor and peer ratings. Ten raters are needed to reach a satisfying reliability level of 0.7 for the rating of the capacity to develop personal qualities, while six raters are needed for a reliability level of 0.7 with regard to the rating of motivation to develop these qualities. The use of two or three peer raters, as is common in the daily HRM/HRD practice, results in low reliability levels and in low agreement between supervisor and peer ratings. These results imply that 360 degree feedback is more useful in a personal growth system than in an administrative system, where the outcomes of the feedback are considered to be objective representations of work behaviour. Further implications for the SHRM/SHRD practice, especially concerning the development of competences, with personal qualities as developmental goals, are discussed.     

eHRM adoption in emerging economies: The case of subsidiaries of multinational corporations in Indonesia

Electronic HRM (eHRM) is assumed to strengthen the position of HRM as a business partner by promising strategic benefits. Empirical support for this assumption, however, mostly comes from studies conducted in developed economies. Yet eHRM adoption in the emerging economy context remains poorly understood as is how eHRM can result in strategic benefits. We argue that the difference between an emerging economy compared to that of a developed economy affects the adoption of eHRM in multinational corporation (MNC) subsidiaries. In order to investigate which extrinsic factors of a firm in an emerging economy context play a role in the adoption of eHRM, we conducted semistructured interviews in 11 subsidiaries in Indonesia. We found that headquarters’ influence and the available resources have a strong influence on eHRM adoption in Indonesia. Copyright © 2016 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Online-Journalismus braucht neue moralische Normen

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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Does the internet generate economic growth,international trade,or both?

Recent cross country panel data studies find a positive impact of internet use on economic growth and a positive impact of internet use on trade. The present study challenges the first finding by showing that internet use does not explain economic growth directly in a fully specified growth model. In particular openness to international trade variables seem to be highly correlated with internet use and the findings in the literature that internet use causes trade is confirmed here suggesting that internet use impacts trade and that trade impacts economic growth. A simultaneous equations model confirms the positive and significant role of internet use to openness and the importance of openness to economic growth. Internet use shows to be more impacting trade in non-high income countries than in high income countries whereas the impact of trade on economic growth is the same for both income groups.