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We bring together disparate negotiation theory research in order to identify a composite set of potential barriers to reaching agreement in environmental negotiations. This framework builds on behavioral decision theory, showing barriers that arise from personal values and institutional values and norms, as well as from situational elements that influence individual behaviors and organizational strategies. We contribute to the literature on organizational behavior by making explicit the relationship between the strength of the situation and organizational behavior related to negotiations. The elements of situational strength have not been addressed adequately in prior negotiation literature. We incorporate this concept into a comprehensive set of barriers to offer explanations for the intractability of many environmental disputes.

This paper is an analysis of knowledge creation following implementation of the world's leading quality assurance standard, ISO 9000. We combine the perspectives of Nonaka on knowledge creation (Nonaka, 1994; Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995; and Krogh, Nonaka, & Nishiguchi, 2000) with those of authors who have dealt with the dynamics of rules and routines (March, Schulz, & Zhou, 2000; Nelson & Winter, 1982; Cohen & Bacdayan, 1994). On the basis of our analysis of ISO 9000 implementation we develop observations about rules and learning and about rule integration, absorption, and renewal. Our paper fits into the growing literature on the role of learning and knowledge transfer in quality improvement and the evolution of dynamic capabilities in the firm using routines and learning mechanisms such as knowledge codification.

Venture capital’s role in clean energy (CE) technologies can be transformative in creating a sustainable society. Yet there are limitations on how far venture capitalists (VCs) can go in supporting these technologies. These limits exist because of the performance expectations of the main stakeholder group who hold VCs accountable. The financial backers of VCs expect an exceptional return on their investment, given the high level of risk they take on when they invest in unproven startups. This chapter explores the constraints that the financial obligations VCs have to their main backers put on their role in bringing about a more sustainable global society. It investigates VC firms’ responses to CE exits (initial public offerings (IPOs) and acquisitions) and shows how prior CE exits affect CE investment growth when we compare VCs exit records to that of their peers. This chapter demonstrates that VCs only increase CE investments when the cumulative number of exits substantially exceed that of their peers, while they decrease these investments when the cumulative number of their exits only moderately outpace that of their peers. The chapter suggests that the reason VCs respond in this way is the financial pressure VCs experience because of their dependence on their financial backers.

This is a comparative case study of how three high school history teachers in the U.S.A. use art in their practice. The following research question was investigated: How do secondary history teachers incorporate the arts—paintings, music, poems, novels, and films—in their teaching of history and why? Data were collected from three sources: interviews, observations, and classroom materials. Grounded theory was utilized to analyze the data. Findings suggest these teachers use the arts as historical evidence roughly for three purposes: First, to teach the spirit of an age; second, to teach the history of ordinary people invisible in official historical records; and third, to teach, both with and without art, the process of writing history. Two of the three teachers, however, failed to teach historical thinking skills through art.

The design, construction, and operation of a nuclear power plant (NPP) pose technological and R&D challenges for the organisations concerned. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the sources of innovation and the technological developments throughout the construction and commissioning processes for Atucha II NPP.

Studying a high-risk organisation that is reliable in practice poses several research questions the authors consider in this work. What kind of R&D processes can take place in a mature industry like the nuclear sector in Argentina? How have technological challenges been overcome since the restart of the completion phase of Atucha II NPP? Primary data were mostly gathered through semi-structured interviews. Grounded theory was the methodological approach adopted.

Multiple sources of technological developments arise, an incremental R&D pattern being the most salient. Atucha II NPP seems to be a case of network innovation in a triple helix innovation scheme led by the Argentinian state. In effect, one of the outcomes of the construction of the Atucha II NPP was the development of the Argentinian nuclear sector together with the development of organisational capabilities. In this sense, the third Argentine NPP follows the socio-technical path of the Argentine nuclear industry.

Too little is known about R&D processes in high reliability organisations (HROs), especially in the nuclear sector of a Latin American country such as Argentina as there seem to be no organisational studies analysing HROs’ impact on innovation, reliability, and economic development.

Diseñar, construir y operar una central nucleoeléctrica plantea desafíos tecnológicos y de innovación a las organizaciones involucradas. Este artículo analiza las fuentes de innovación y los desarrollos tecnológicos del proceso de construcción y puesta en marcha de la central nucleoeléctrica Atucha II.

Abordar el estudio de una organización concebida desde la teoría como altamente riesgosa pero confiable en la práctica plantea múltiples interrogantes. ¿Qué tipo de procesos de I+D se pueden dar en una industria madura como la nuclear civil, en Argentina? ¿Cómo se afrontaron los desafíos tecnológicos a partir de la reactivación de un proyecto abandonado durante más de una década? La entrevista semi-estructurada a interlocutores clave fue el instrumento de intervención predominantemente utilizado. Se adoptó el enfoque metodológico de la teoría fundada.

Del análisis del caso surgen diversas fuentes de desarrollos tecnológicos prevaleciendo un patrón de I+D incremental. Se trata de un caso de innovación en red en el marco de un modelo de triple hélice liderado por el Estado. En efecto, una de las resultantes de la construcción de Atucha II es el desarrollo del entramado del sector nuclear argentino junto con el desarrollo de capacidades organizacionales. En ese sentido, la tercera central nuclear de potencia argentina retoma la trayectoria socio-técnica del sector nuclear argentino.

Resultan escasos los conocimientos sobre los procesos de I+D en organizaciones de alta confiabilidad (HROs), especialmente del sector nuclear de un país latinoamericano como Argentina así como se carece de estudios organizacionales que analicen el impacto de las HROs en la innovación, la confiabilidad y el desarrollo económico.