Search results

This autoethnography considers the role of human relationships in the educational process. Approaching learning as a transformational process rooted in human experience and interaction, I explore the central role of emotion in learning relationships. Through an analysis of a learnable moment experienced in a relational communication course on language, I theorize new ways of “doing” learning relationships.

An economic assessment was performed of the potential for clean energy options to contribute to the power and desalination needs in the State of Kuwait over the next 20 to 40 years. The paper aims to summarize two analyses that were performed for the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research to develop a strategy promoting renewable energy and evaluating alternative technologies including nuclear energy.

The analyses were performed using a power and water model for Kuwait that was constructed using the International Energy Agency – Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme (IEA‐ETSAP) TIMES modeling framework. Data provided by the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) and the Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC) characterizes the projected demand for power and water; the existing and planned power generation and water desalination plants, including the expected retirement of existing plants; and future fossil fuel prices and availability. New power generation options – including renewable energy (RE), nuclear, combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) and reheat steam power plants (RHSPP) – were compared in this least‐cost optimization framework.

The model results indicate that by 2030 the cost‐effective RE share is 11 percent of electricity generation in the reference case and 8 percent in the case with the nuclear option. The RE technologies alone provide a 2030 net‐back value compared to the reference case of US$2.35 billion, while in the nuclear case they increase the 2030 net‐back value by an additional US$1.5 billion. Increasing the RE share, as a government policy, to 10 percent, 15 percent and 20 percent, decreases the 2030 netback benefit by US$1.0, $3.6 and $8.3 billion, respectively.

Sensitivity runs based on scenarios that assume higher RE costs or lower availability, lower demand growth, lower oil and gas prices, higher nuclear plant investment costs, and RE capacity credit were analyzed.

The analysis provides a compelling economic basis for initiating a renewable energy program in the State of Kuwait. However, these forecasted benefits will only materialize to the extent the projected RE investments are achieved if they begin in earnest soon.

The analysis identifies a cost‐effective share of renewable energy use in Kuwait as about 11 percent of electricity generation in 2030. The investment in renewable energy provides the State of Kuwait with a net‐back value of US$2.35 billion, due to the fuel savings that are generated by using renewables.

The health care profession in the USA has traditionally attracted some of the best talent the country has to offer, with medical practitioners enjoying high incomes due to employer‐paid medical indemnity insurance plans. There was no oversight process or quality standards governing the health care delivery process and no motivating factors to contain costs. Prior to the introduction of the Knox‐Keene Act in the 1970s requiring employers to offer managed care as an alternative indemnity coverage, the only known managed care company was the Kaiser Permanente Medical Plan. Until just over a decade ago, the concept of managed care was stereotyped as a low quality method of health care delivery. Criticisms from providers themselves suggested managed care systems meant withholding medical care for the sake of profit; “production line” medicine, and compromise in the delivery of quality health care. In order to refute that notion and grow as an industry, managed health care companies were required to take steps to prove their integrity, high quality of care, and cost‐effective methods. Today the industry is fast growing, setting management practices that are becoming benchmark standards for other industries too.

Posits that, while research is acknowledged by practitioners, a way of integrating the value of research methods into the day‐to‐day practice of corporate communications has not been found. Tests this by using appropriate research methodologies. Looks at the role of research and then examines research methods and corporate communication strategy. Concludes that communication is becoming a knowledge‐based profession, and the lines between corporate communication/public affairs disciplines are converging, therefore media relations, issues management, advertising and the rest of the disciplines will be more closely integrated.

This paper examines the role of managerial curiosity as a critical factor in determining the future impact of disruptive information technologies in a global organization. Specifically, this paper presents curiosity as a managerial characteristic that plays an important role in identifying disruptive information technologies and facilitating their early adoption. Further, it uses resource‐based theory as a theoretical lens to illustrate how managerial curiosity can be a source of sustained competitive advantage. Finally, it examines the individual decision styles that are best suited in assessing disruptive information technologies.

President Bill Clinton has had many opponents and enemies, most of whom come from the political right wing. Clinton supporters contend that these opponents, throughout the Clinton presidency, systematically have sought to undermine this president with the goal of bringing down his presidency and running him out of office; and that they have sought non‐electoral means to remove him from office, including Travelgate, the death of Deputy White House Counsel Vincent Foster, the Filegate controversy, and the Monica Lewinsky matter. This bibliography identifies these and other means by presenting citations about these individuals and organizations that have opposed Clinton. The bibliography is divided into five sections: General; “The conspiracy stream of conspiracy commerce”, a White House‐produced “report” presenting its view of a right‐wing conspiracy against the Clinton presidency; Funding; Conservative organizations; and Publishing/media. Many of the annotations note the links among these key players.