This article introduces the current research programme in assembly robotics at the department of artificial intelligence at Edinburgh University. Our research is primarily…
Abstract
This article introduces the current research programme in assembly robotics at the department of artificial intelligence at Edinburgh University. Our research is primarily directed at issues such as systems architecture, language development, and programming methodologies. Our assembly robotics research has been largely funded by the ACME Directorate of the SERC. Having recently completed our last ACME funded research project[l], I shall briefly summarize the concerns, aims, and findings of this project.
This chapter reports on findings from a study that explored the experiences of African American young men who graduated from Du Bois Academy, an all-boys public charter secondary…
Abstract
This chapter reports on findings from a study that explored the experiences of African American young men who graduated from Du Bois Academy, an all-boys public charter secondary school in the Midwestern region of the United States. The chapter considers issues of African American male persistence and achievement and how they are impacted by school culture. Specifically, the author discusses how school culture can help shape these students’ educational experiences and aspirations. Using student narratives as the guide, a description of how Du Bois Academy successfully engaged these African American male students is provided. The students articulated three critical components of school culture that positively shaped their high achievement and engagement: (a) sense of self, (b) promotion of excellence, and (c) community building. The student narratives provided a frame for promoting positive school culture that enhances the educational experiences and academic aspirations of African American male students.
The Jurassic Park film franchise offers a complex portrayal of gender issues within a long-running science fiction action series, although not one without problematic moments…
Abstract
The Jurassic Park film franchise offers a complex portrayal of gender issues within a long-running science fiction action series, although not one without problematic moments. This chapter examines selected examples from the series to explore this complex picture. These include moments in the series that display female characters such as Ellie Sattler, Sarah Harding and Claire Dearing with power and agency and the top of their respective professions, noting that Jurassic Park is unusual among science fiction films for its presentation of such accomplished female characters. The chapter also addresses the sexualisation of the character Ian Malcolm and the role of the more typical ‘action star’ from later films, Owen Grady. Finally, it considers the question of sex-selection for the non-human characters, namely the dinosaurs, as significant plot points advance upon the premise that the entire dinosaur population in the series consists of non-breeding females, a fact that is later shown to be untrue. The chapter addresses each of these examples through key issues relating to the production, presentation, and violation of the human and non-human living body across the full Jurassic Park series.
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In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of…
Abstract
In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of material poses problems for the researcher in management studies — and, of course, for the librarian: uncovering what has been written in any one area is not an easy task. This volume aims to help the librarian and the researcher overcome some of the immediate problems of identification of material. It is an annotated bibliography of management, drawing on the wide variety of literature produced by MCB University Press. Over the last four years, MCB University Press has produced an extensive range of books and serial publications covering most of the established and many of the developing areas of management. This volume, in conjunction with Volume I, provides a guide to all the material published so far.
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Chris Turnell and Malcolm Washbourne
Suggests that TQM is a mystery for many Australian companies and proposes a framework that is both consistent with the objectives of TQM and applicable within the Australian…
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Suggests that TQM is a mystery for many Australian companies and proposes a framework that is both consistent with the objectives of TQM and applicable within the Australian culture. Argues that Australians are different and unique, so US and Japanese examples of TQM in action are not accurate for Australia. Highlights strengths and weaknesses of the Australian character then describes a suitable model with its various phases: strategy, structure and action. Concludes by restating the aims of TQM compared to “old” ways of working and interrelating.
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Through the analysis of a crucial period of the history of quality in Europe – the creation of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and the development of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Through the analysis of a crucial period of the history of quality in Europe – the creation of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and the development of the European Quality Award – the author, who was a protagonist of the narrated events, aims to reveal some historical aspects that are generally ignored and that should explain some of the peculiarities of the award model. Taking stock of the present situation, some directions taken in the TQM/Excellence Model's development and use are questioned, and the author reasserts his views on the whole matter.
Design/methodology/approach
For the historical part the author has based his research on public documents, EFQM Newsletters and internal documentation and personal correspondence with the protagonists of the events that are mentioned. The author will be glad to share with students who want to conduct research in this area his personal records. The following discussion is mostly based on the author's findings and experiences, compared with the most common practices.
Findings
Since the purpose of the paper is to tell a story which the author was a protagonist of, to derive from it some lessons that are important for the future, the first part of the paper is dedicated to narrating those aspect of the European Quality Award Model's development that are crucial to understanding why such a model, initially developed following the Malcolm Baldrige Award scheme, suddenly changed dramatically. In this part the author relates some personal anecdotes to make the story more alive and complete. The second part of the paper presents the author's views on organisational improvement models and self‐assessment and explains why he believes that the present course should be changed, if the risk of negative impacts on quality development is to be avoided.
Originality/value
The paper tells a story of an out of the box approach that strongly affected the development of the European Quality Award Model, now the EFQM Excellence Model; and explains why, in the author's view, further innovation is needed in quality management, if we really want to pursue continuous organisational improvement.
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Gary Malcolm Mersham and Chris Skinner
The purpose of this study is to describe the current practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in South Africa, its linkage to corporate social investment (CSI), the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to describe the current practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in South Africa, its linkage to corporate social investment (CSI), the impact of new Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) legislation and the contribution that South African public relations practice can have on the development challenges facing the continent of Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical data and reports drawn from various industry and evaluative sources is interpreted in the context of key contemporary elements of practice. The last part of the article provides a theoretical discussion of the public relations role as a “change” agent in South Africa and for the continent of Africa as a whole.
Findings
The South African Government’s prescriptive stance on transformation and BEE has thrust the reconsideration of CSR onto every corporate agenda in South Africa. With set targets and expenditure requirements, CSI has become a performance-driven pursuit among businesses seeking to improve their overall BEE scores. At the Pan-African level, a generic model of African public relations with a strong developmental focus is required for the education and training of public relations professionals.
Research limitations/implications
African public relations practice challenges accepted normative approaches in the conceptualisation of a sustainable new global model of the profession. More research will be needed to show how the African humanist approach might impact on the debate about the political, social and economic relevance of the profession in society and the reputation of the profession worldwide.
Originality/value
This study provides historical context for recent developments in public relations in South Africa, providing insights into the direction of the development of public relations practice in Africa.
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This is the fourth part of a five‐part series, based on research done on 17 live sessions in which management teachers and trainers were interacting with groups of learners. Parts…
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This is the fourth part of a five‐part series, based on research done on 17 live sessions in which management teachers and trainers were interacting with groups of learners. Parts 3, 4 and 5 are all concerned with “facilitating behaviour” (defined more fully in Part 3). This behaviour was identified within episodes which occurred during longer sessions. These episodes were “productive” since they were directly associated with learning reported by learners. There were, of course, many other unproductive episodes where no learning was reported.
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is given annually in the USAto companies which meet excellent standards of quality. One of the“Core Values and Concepts” of the…
Abstract
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is given annually in the USA to companies which meet excellent standards of quality. One of the “Core Values and Concepts” of the Baldrige format is customer‐driven quality. This is an important concept in service quality and, thus, goes on to describe the quality programmes of the two current winners of the award – Ames Rubber Corporation and Lastman Chemical Company – both of which are customer focused.
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Reviews the current state of the US‐based Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award scheme and poses the question: who wins as quality improves? Outlines a number of arguments for…
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Reviews the current state of the US‐based Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award scheme and poses the question: who wins as quality improves? Outlines a number of arguments for benefits to many stakeholders, and reviews figures from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (organizers of the awards) that demonstrate that quality has a financial pay‐off. This is done through a comparison of stock values of many winners over several years compared with industry performance norms, and suggests the evidence is clear: quality initiatives are an investment not an expense.