bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Pacific SST Variability on the Precipitation over Southern Africa
Authors: Misra Vasubandhu
Published: July 2003

This study is an analysis of AGCM model results to understand the dynamics of the response of precipitation over southern Africa (SA) to anomalies in the sea surface temperature (SST) over the Pacific Ocean. The pattern of interannual precipitation anomaly over SA and its temporal variations are quite similar in both the ensemble mean of the control (where AGCM is forced with observed SSTs in all ocean basins) and experimental runs (where AGCM is forced with seasonally varying climatological SST over the Pacific Ocean). However, the amplitude of the variability is found to be relatively reduced in the experimental runs. This is shown to be a result of the modulation of the Walker circulation by the variability of Pacific Ocean SST. The regional teleconnection pattern between the dominant mode of SA precipitation variability and SST anomalies over the eastern Indian Ocean is also influenced by the variations in Pacific SST. The nature of the teleconnection between SA precipitation and eastern Indian SST is apparent only when the Pacific SST variability is excluded. This is corroborated from observations as well.
Cultures within Culture: Unity and Diversity of Two Generations of Employees in State-Owned Enterprises
Authors: Liu Shuang
Published: July 2003

This study adopts integration and differentiation perspectives to examine why unity and diversity of organizational cultures emerged as a function of economic reform, and how subcultural differences were reflected in employees' perceptions of cultural practices. Data were gathered from in-depth interviews and a large-scale survey in two large, state-owned enterprises in north-east China. Results indicated that, although all employees were oriented towards a common set of cultural themes, the two generations of employees did not exemplify the themes in the same way. Specifically, unity was illustrated by employees' desire to maintain Harmony and to reduce Inequality. Diversity was revealed by first-generation employees' higher ratings on Loyalty, Security and even Bureaucracy. The findings are discussed in the light of traditional Chinese cultural values, political ideology and the social context. Implications are drawn for organizational cultural theory and research.
The International Match: Metaphors as Vehicles of Social Identity-Building in Cross-Border Mergers
Authors: Vaara Eero , Tienari Janne , Säntti Risto
Published: July 2003

This article focuses on cultural identity-building in the cross-border merger context. To provide an alternative to the dominant essentialist analyses of cultures and cultural differences, cultural identity-building is conceptualized as a metaphoric process. The focus is on two processes inherent in the cross-border merger context: construction of images of Us and Them and construction of images of a Common Future. Based on an analysis of a special metaphor exercise carried out in a recent Finnish-Swedish merger, the article illustrates how the metaphoric perspective reveals specific cognitive, emotional and political aspects of cultural identity-building that easily remain `hidden' in the case of more traditional approaches.
A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Participative Decision-Making in Organizations
Authors: Sagie Abraham , Aycan Zeynep
Published: July 2003

Despite considerable awareness about various forms and meanings of participative decision-making (PDM) in different parts of the world, there is less agreement on the causes of variation in PDM. This article argues that among other exogenous (e.g. sociopolitical, legal, historical) forces, the sociocultural context plays an important role in the observed differences among PDM approaches and practices across nations. Similarly, subcultures and organizational cultures may influence PDM within nations. Two cultural dimensions: individualism-collectivism and power distance, are linked with four widespread employee participation approaches: face-to-face PDM, collective PDM, pseudo-PDM, and paternalistic PDM. The attributes of each PDM form, including the cultural determinants, underlying beliefs, the types of decisions made, and the relationship between a specified form and other PDM meanings (e.g. self-managing teams) are elaborated.
Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Organizational Consulting: Transference and Counter-Transference
Authors: Czander William , Eisold Kenneth
Published: July 2003

There is a plethora of publications offering methodologies and styles of consultation for the hundreds of thousands of people who engage in organizational and management consulting work. Yet we know little about the psychodynamics of the consultation process, how the consultant influences this process and is, in turn, influenced by it. This is where a psychoanalytic perspective on the process can be especially valuable. In this article, we explore the challenges and complexities associated with a psychoanalytic orientation to the consulting process. In particular, we explore the transference and counter-transference issues that a consultant typically faces when engaging in this work. We establish the analysis of transference as a key to diagnosis and intervention and then offer a methodology for this form of consulting.
The Cornerstone of Psychoanalytic Organizational Analysis: Psychological Reality, Transference and Counter-Transference in the Workplace
Authors: Diamond Michael , Allcorn Seth
Published: July 2003

We start with the premise that organizations are processes of human behavior that are experienced as experiential and perceptual systems governed by unconscious processes. This starting point leads us to discuss psychoanalytically informed organizational perspectives as a means of understanding how psychological reality shapes organizational dynamics. In particular, we argue that psychoanalytic organizational diagnosis requires a central role for transference and counter-transference. That is, interpreting data through the lens of transference and counter-transference assists in unpacking organizational identity and culture by relying upon an `experience near' stance for examining the narratives of organizational life. This introspective and empathic stance makes transference and counter-transference one of the core elements of a psychoanalytically informed organizational consultation. We provide a case illustration and conclude with some thoughts on how leaders and members of organizations can improve organizational performance by attending to the complex nature of psychological reality in the workplace.
Triaxial Woven Fabric (TWF) Composites with Open Holes (Part II): Verification of the Finite Element Models
Authors: Zhao Q. , Hoa S. V. , Ouellette P.
Published: July 2003

An elaborate finite element formulation was developed for the triaxial woven fabric (TWF) composites and this is presented in a parallel publication [Zhao, Q. and Hoa, S.V. Triaxial Woven Fabric (TWF) Composites With Open Holes (Part I): Finite Element Models For Analysis, Accepted, Journal of Composite Materials, this same issue.]. This paper presents examples using the finite elements developed and experimental work to obtain results for comparison purposes. One example deals with the TWF specimens subjected to loading along an axial yarn direction. The other example deals with other TWF specimens subjected to loading transverse to the axial yarn direction. Effects of the width and length of the sample are examined. Noncontact laser extensometer method is used for the deformation measurement. The significance and meaning of the results are discussed.
The Equivalence of Moisture and Temperature in Physical Aging of Polymeric Composites
Authors: Hu H. , Sun C. T.
Published: July 2003

The relation between moisture and temperature effects on physical aging of polymeric composite IM7/977-3 was studied by using momentary creep tests. Off-axis coupon specimens were used to obtain the momentary compliance for different aging times with two test conditions: (1) dry specimen under several isothermal conditions, and (2) wet specimen with different moisture contents under isothermal 23°C. Choosing the data for the 23°C and dry condition as the reference state, the moisture-temperature equivalence of the elastic and creep compliances in physical aging was established. For the elastic compliance, the equivalence was established for all aging times considered. For the aging effect on creep compliance, the equivalence was established only for a selected aging time. Such an equivalence may allow us to substitute the moisture effect creep test on physical aging with tests under equivalent temperatures.
Rapid Inspection of Composite Skin-Honeycomb Core Structures with Ultrasonic Guided Waves
Authors: Hay Thomas R. , Wei Lou , Rose Joseph L. , Hayashi Takahiro
Published: July 2003

Guided wave inspection of composite skin-honeycomb core structures is an efficient and sensitive alternative to other common inspection methods. This paper shows that sweeping experimentally through the dispersion curves is an effective way to experimentally locate guided wave modes sensitive to skin-core delamination. Composite skin-Nomex honeycomb core specimens were developed with simulated delaminated areas. The delaminated areas were detected with guided waves and confirmed with conventional ultrasonic testing methods. Calculated phase velocity dispersion curves are given to define the practical phase velocity and frequency ranges. Example wave structures in this range are given to illustrate the change in sensitivity as frequency is swept for a given mode.
Asymmetrical Perceptions of Power in Crises: A Comparison of 1914 and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Authors: Winter David G.
Published: July 2003

Archival content analysis studies of British and German newspapers and diplomatic documents in 1914 showed an increasingly asymmetrical pattern of perceived intentions. Levels of power motive imagery in reports or paraphrases of statements by the `other' side were accentuated, while levels in reports or paraphrases of statements by one's own (favored) side were diminished. As a result, the overall sense of threat was increased. In contrast, an archival study of US and Soviet newspapers during the peacefully resolved 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis showed no such pattern of asymmetrical accentuation-diminution. These results confirm a pattern of perceived intentions previously found in other escalating conflict situations, and are consistent with many related social psychological phenomena and experimental results. These findings suggest that comparing mutual perceptions of power imagery is a precise, operational way to measure `threatening' intentions and thus an important mechanism of conflict escalation.
Women's Access to Politics and Peaceful States
Authors: Regan Patrick M. , Paskeviciute Aida
Published: July 2003

The article examines the relationship between women in society and the use of force by the state in the international arena. The arguments build on a conception of power relationships found in gender studies and feminist theories, and focus on how the internal distribution of political power at a societal level (as opposed to a state level) will influence the willingness of the ruling elite to engage in militarized interstate disputes and war. That is, the article explores the extent to which fertility rates directly and indirectly - through women's employment and political office - are associated with the use of force by a state. The authors draw on public opinion literature, which shows that women's attitudes toward the use of force differ from those of men, to argue that the more women have access to the political process the more constrained will be the state in its use of force. The results of the analysis demonstrate that at the dyadic level, contiguous pairs of countries with low birthrates are less likely to go to war, while, more generally, the lower the birthrates the less likely is a country to become engaged in the more violent of militarized disputes. Our results suggest that policies to promote family planning might be one effective form of managing the amount of interstate violence.
Civil War Settlements and the Implementation of Military Power-Sharing Arrangements
Authors: Hoddie Matthew , Hartzell Caroline
Published: July 2003

This article considers the role that the implementation of peace agreements has on the prospects for fostering a durable peace following the negotiated resolution of civil wars. Focusing on the 16 peace agreements between 1980 and 1996 that have included provisions for the sharing or dividing of military power among former combatants, the authors find that the complete implementation of this aspect of settlements significantly improves the prospects for maintaining peace. They suggest that this proves to be the case because of the important and credible signals of conciliatory intent among former enemies that are made through the process of implementation. They find that implementation serves as a concrete signal of a genuine commitment to peace as signatories to an agreement prove willing to endure the costs associated with both compromising their original war aims and withstanding potential challenges from within their own groups. Based on these results, the authors offer policy recommendations focusing on the role that third-party actors and aid donors might play in facilitating the successful implementation of negotiated peace agreements.
The Idea and Practice of Conflict Prevention
Authors: Ackermann Alice
Published: July 2003

Interest in conflict prevention blossomed throughout the 1990s, and so did the literature on the subject. Moreover, conflict prevention is rapidly becoming a prominent focus of the new global security and global governance agenda with advocacy of preventive policies by international and regional organizations and nongovernmental actors, and the implementation of conflict prevention within many long-term development and post-conflict assistance programs. Nevertheless, the question of how to move from the rhetoric of conflict prevention to one of institutionalized practice still remains the major concern. Following an overview of conflict prevention in historical and contemporary perspective, this article surveys some of the major themes currently found in the literature on conflict prevention. While there are still skeptical views on the viability, legality, and effectiveness of conflict prevention, some significant strides have already been taken in the direction of creating a new normative international climate that permits increasingly the implementation of preventive action.
Conceptions of Religion: On Distinguishing Scientific, Theological, and “Official” Meanings
Authors: Beyer Peter
Published: July 2003

Relatively recent efforts in the past decade by a variety of scholars to situate the conceptualization and study of religion more solidly in social and historical contexts have once again raised the question of whether the notion of religion is not fundamentally misleading as a scientific concept and should therefore be abandoned or at least severely circumscribed. The foundation of these critiques in, roughly speaking, sociology of knowledge approaches to religion suggests that they might well have significant implications for the basic orientations of the sociology of religion to its primary object of study. The aim of this article is to examine these more recent critiques of the concept of religion and then to outline a reorientation of the conceptualization of religion to take them into account. To this end, it suggests that the familiar distinctions between functional/substantive definitions and restrictive/expansive approaches be supplemented with a three-part typology of theological, scientific, and official conceptualizations of religion. These are derived from an analysis of the basic social-systemic structures of modern and global society.
The Powerlessness of Religious Power in a Pluralist Society
Authors: Repstad Pål
Published: July 2003

In pluralist societies adhering to liberal and individualistic ideas, strict and conservative groups face some serious dilemmas if they want to recruit and keep members. In a liberal society, the most important form of religious power is normative power. Strict and demanding religious organizations will have difficulties in a liberal, anti-authoritarian society. Such organizations may succeed in increasing their control over loyal members, but in a broader context, they will be branded as authoritarian by the secular media and by general public opinion. This, in turn, will have negative effects on their ability to recruit new members. This line of reasoning is presented in connection with survey data and illustrative cases from present-day Norway. On a theoretical level, the author contests some points of view in rational choice theory stating that strict and profiled religious organizations will tend to have the greatest success.
Des Nouvelles Formes Du Religieux? Entre Quête De Bien-être Et Logique Protestataire: Le Cas Des Groupes Post-Nouvel-Age En France
Authors: Rocchi Valérie
Published: July 2003

In the context of the evolution of religious life in modern societies, the New Age is often quoted as the most extreme form of reconstruction of belief, characterized notably by deinstitutionalization, individualism and do-it-yourself faith. However, an in-depth analysis of this phenomenon leads one to seriously qualify these characterizations as rather simplistic and, in fact, to ask theoretical and methodological questions about them. Here it is not a question of providing definite answers, but rather instigating reflection on them and opening a debate on the relevance of certain interpretative contexts which the author thinks are too simplistic for an analysis of post-New Age groups. In order to do this, the author presents the results of a field analysis carried out between 1994 and 1998 in France, from which some directions for research are envisaged which would allow us to deepen our knowledge of these phenomena, situated on the border between religion and therapy.
Secularization and the Role of Religion in State Institutions
Authors: Furseth Inger
Published: July 2003

The author examines the decline of religion thesis and the privatization thesis by studying the role of religion in two state institutions in Norway, namely prisons and the military. Focus is directed towards the field of relations between the Church of Norway's military and prison service chaplaincies and representatives of other faiths, especially Islam. Data consist of interviews with prison chaplains and representatives from the Chaplaincy Norwegian Army, imams, as well as public policy documents. This study shows that there are no signs of a decrease in the Church's formal functions within the military or the prisons. In addition, military and prison chaplains act as intermediaries between the state, official representatives of the Muslim faith communities, and Muslim prison inmates, conscripts, and military personnel, and they negotiate between these parties. This study concludes that the role of the Church of Norway in military and prison chaplaincies is a clear illustration of the continuing intertwining of religion and state in Norway.
Réalité Et Leurre Du Sacrifice
Authors: Rivière Claude
Published: July 2003

What belongs to reality and what to the virtual in sacrifices considered as rituals, which imply a gift, immolation and communion, based on beliefs? If religion has no mechanism for the production of non-violence through a violent act, up to what point can we assume that the sacred is founded on some sort of initial or historical violence? Soldiers, kamikaze martyrs, actors in the humanitarian aid effort—all consider themselves at times to be at the heart of a sacrificial action. This leads us to the question: what, in truth, is the meaning of the supreme sacrifice? The arguments presented here do not intend to begin a debate concerning various theories of sacrifice, but rather to reflect on actual problematics, to identify what is primary and what secondary in the sacrificial act, to reveal the magical and mythical imagination at work in religious actions, to show that violence is a snare in attempts to explain sacrifice, and to moderate some of the consequences of the theses by Girard and Lempert concerning foundational violence, sublimated violence, and political violence.
Le Sacrifice Xangô à Recife
Authors: Motta Roberto
Published: July 2003

Animal sacrifice is the essence of Afro-Brazilian religiousness. The faithful are always conscious of a debt toward the gods, which no single act of sacrifice can expiate. Sacrifices should only be offered to deities which have been ascertained by divination practiced with cowries. Ecstatic trance is the normal continuation of sacrifice, implying the fusion of human and supernatural identities. Yet sacrifice is also very practical and is used to feed people, being part of the urban informal economy of many Brazilian cities. In contrast to Pentecostalism, the Xangô religion imposes no ethical constraints on devotees. The simultaneous growth, in contemporary Brazil, of two such different forms of religion seems to contradict some basic postulates of the social science of religion.
Depolymerization of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Waste Using 1,4-Butanediol and Triethylene Glycol
Authors: Mansour S. H. , Ikladious N. E.
Published: July 2003

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wastes were depolymerized using 1,4-butanediol (BD) and triethylene glycol (TEG) in the presence of zinc acetate as a transesterification catalyst. The glycolyzed products were analyzed for hydroxyl and acid values and identified by elemental analysis, GPC, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and mass spectra techniques.

It was found that the glycolyzed products consist mainly of bis-(hydroxybutyl terephthalate) monomer and dimer by using 1,4-butanediol. The depolymerization using TEG resulted in products of TEG-(TPA- TEG) n for n = 1−3. All glycolyzed products had a low acid value indicating the presence of a minor fraction of terephthalate oligoesters.
Cement Dust as Filler in NBR Vulcanizates
Authors: Hussain A. I. , El-Sabbagh S. H. , Abadir I. F.
Published: July 2003

The use of cement dust waste as filler in rubber vulcanizates is of great interest as a means to get rid of this waste. The effect of cement dust on the properties of acrylonitrile rubber (NBR) was studied and compared with that of carbon black and kaolin. It was found that the surface treatment of cement dust with fatty acid improves its dispersability. The effect of treated cement dust in combination with carbon black on physico-mechanical, thermal aging, swelling resistance and fatigue resistance of the filled vulcanizates was studied.
The Effects of Filler Loading and Vulcanisation System on Properties of Oil Palm Wood Flour-Natural Rubber Composites
Authors: Ismail Hanafi , Jaffri R. M. , Rozman H. D.
Published: July 2003

The effects of oil palm wood flour and vulcanization system on curing characteristics and mechanical properties of oil palm wood flour (OPWF)-natural rubber composites were studied. OPWF loading in the range of 0-50 phr and two vulcanisation systems, conventional vulcanisation (CV) and semi-efficient vulcanisation (semi-EV) were used. Increasing loading of OPWF in the rubber matrix resulted in reduction of tensile strength, tear strength and elongation at break, E b, but increased modulus and hardness of the composites. At a similar filler loading, semi-EV composites show better properties. Swelling studies and curing characteristics indicate that the rubber-filler interaction, scorch and cure times decrease with increasing filler loading.
`Objective' vs `Subjective' Job Insecurity: Consequences of Temporary Work for Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Four European Countries
Authors: De Witte Hans , Näswall Katharina
Published: July 2003

This contribution analyses whether temporary work and (the subjective perception of) job insecurity are associated with a reduction in job satisfaction and organizational commitment, as proposed in the literature. An interaction between temporary work and job insecurity is also tested. Data from four European countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Sweden) are used to test the robustness of the hypotheses. The results show that temporary work is not associated with a reduction in job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Job insecurity is associated with a lower score on both outcome variables, as hypothesized. In two countries, an interaction was found: job insecurity was only associated with a reduction in job satisfaction and organizational commitment among workers with a permanent contract, suggesting that the psychological contract was violated for this category of workers.
Who Feels Insecure in Europe? Predicting Job Insecurity from Background Variables
Authors: Näswall Katharina , De Witte Hans
Published: July 2003

Along with the increased flexibilization of the labour market in Europe, there has been a change in the permanence and security of employment. Job insecurity is constituted by a subjectively experienced threat of having to give up one's job sooner than one would like. The experience of job insecurity has been linked to decreasing well-being, negative attitudes towards one's job and organization, and reluctance to stay with the organization. The present study investigates what groups experience higher levels of job insecurity than others. Survey data from four European countries (Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden) were used to determine what characterizes individuals who experience high levels of job insecurity. The results show that employees in jobs characterized by manual labour, contingent workers, and to some extent older workers and those with lower levels of education, experience higher levels of job insecurity.
Individual and Organizational Consequences of Job Insecurity: A European Study
Authors: Chirumbolo Antonio , Hellgren Johnny
Published: July 2003

The increased flexibility on the labour market has given rise to feelings of job insecurity in many individuals. The stress literature suggests that the fear of losing one's job could be as detrimental as losing the job itself, and numerous studies indicate that job insecurity may indeed have important consequences for both the individual and the organization. However, the effects of job insecurity are typically greater with regard to short-term rather than long-term consequences. Therefore, the aim of this article is to investigate if short-term consequences (job satisfaction and organizational commitment) mediate the impact of job insecurity on long-term outcomes (mental health complaints and turnover intention). Survey data from four European countries show that the effect of job insecurity on turnover intention is mediated by organizational commitment and job satisfaction. In contrast, it appears that work attitudes partially mediate the effect of job insecurity on mental health complaints.
Atypical Work and Trade Union Membership: Union Attitudes and Union Turnover among Traditional vs Atypically Employed Union Members
Authors: Goslinga Sjoerd , Sverke Magnus
Published: July 2003

Using data from three European countries (Sweden, Italy and the Netherlands), this study compares full-time and part-time as well as permanent and temporary employed trade union members on several union attitudes (commitment, support, trust, instrumentality and satisfaction) and union turnover intention. It was hypothesized that union attitudes would be less positive, and union turnover intentions would be higher among atypically employed members (part-timers and temporary workers). However, only few differences between full-timers and part-timers and between permanent and temporary workers were found, and the differences that did emerge were not consistent across samples. Moreover, the results revealed no differences between traditional and atypical workers in union turnover intention. In view of these findings, the authors discuss some of the practical and research implications.
The State Matters: Management Models of Singaporean Chinese and Korean Business Groups
Authors: Tsui-Auch Lai Si , Lee Yong-Joo
Published: July 2003

Both the proponents and critics of Asian economic organization have been preoccupied with the ideal-typical management models of family businesses, and have rarely identified their changing management structures. We, instead, identify the change and continuity in these management structures through an analysis of family-controlled business groups in Singapore and South Korea before and after the Asian currency crisis. In our view, these business groups professionalized their management, but retained family control and corporate rule before the crisis. The crisis, however, increased the pressure on such groups to relinquish family control and corporate rule. Singaporean Chinese business groups tended to loosen their tight grip on corporate rule by absorbing more professional managers into their upper echelons. The surviving Korean chaebol, however, intensified family control. Only a few chaebol, which were on the brink of bankruptcy, relinquished corporate rule to professional managers. We argue that other than the market, cultural, and institutional factors as suggested in the existing literature, state capacities and strategies do matter in shaping the changing management structures of business groups. Drawing on our analysis, researchers will be able to conduct comparative studies of family businesses across East Asian societies, of organizational imitation, and of the role of the state in influencing management models.
Social Capital and Entrepreneurial Performance in Russia: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Batjargal Bat
Published: July 2003

Drawing on the social embeddedness perspective, this article examines the impact of entrepreneurs' social capital on their firm performance in post-Soviet Russia. Based on face-to-face interviews with 75 Russian entrepreneurs in 1995 and follow-up interviews in 1999, the study examines effects of structural embeddedness, relational embeddedness and resource embeddedness on firm performance. The main finding is that relational embeddedness and resource embeddedness have direct positive impacts on firm performance, whereas structural embeddedness has no direct impacts on performance.
The Social and Organizational Consequences of the Implementation of Electronic Data Interchange Systems: Reinforcing Existing Power Relations or a Contested Domain?
Authors: Morris David , Tasliyan Mustafa , Wood Geoffrey
Published: July 2003

This paper is based on a survey of UK firms making use of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), and deals with the social and organizational consequences stemming from the adoption of these systems. It was found that a major factor impelling the adoption of EDI systems was pressure from major customers rather than a desire to streamline work organization. However, they do represent a capital intensification of work in the areas of purchasing and supply. This may ultimately erode the position of the less skilled incumbents of the lower job bands, standardizing functions, and, over the medium and long terms, may facilitate downsizing. It is concluded that, above all, EDI represents a strengthening of existing power relationships and imbalances between organizations, a process which opens up few opportunities for the empowerment of the rank-and-file within them.
To Make or to Sell? The Case of In-House Outsourcing at Fiat Auto
Authors: Bonazzi Giuseppe , Antonelli Cristiano
Published: July 2003

In-house outsourcing is a major organizational innovation built on a combination of under-the-same-roof outsourcing, interdependent outsourcing and continual incomplete re-contracting. Its introduction has great impact on the production flow, organization of work, job content, and problems in everyday interactions. In-depth analysis of the Fiat Auto case sheds new light on this emerging innovation, showing in particular that relationships between the market and organizational interactions (formal and informal) vary according to the type of outsourcing. The paper also outlines a typology of the outsourced activities (sequential versus interdependent crossed with low versus high complexity).
French Sociology of Work and Labor: From Shop Floor to Labor Markets to Networked Careers
Authors: Paradeise Catherine
Published: July 2003

Concentrating mostly on France, this paper considers the changing interests and the renewal of academic alliances in the sociology of work and labor over the last 50 years. Three periods result from the combined dynamics of sociology's internal agenda and societal changes: (1) analysis of blue-collar labor as the downgrading process of complete work in taylorist industry; (2) sociology of labor markets and employment, and analysis of the bargaining processes of rules, identities and the value of work; (3) reconciliation of work and labor in distributed and flexible organizations, based on mobile and involved workers.
Organizing Education by Drawing on Organization Studies
Authors: Romme A. Georges L.
Published: July 2003

This study explores how scholars researching organizations and organizing processes can use and exploit their knowledge not only in terms of course contents, but also in organizing and managing students' learning activity. A design-oriented research approach is used in order to develop grounded design principles for organizing education. By drawing on the literature about organizational design and learning, several preliminary design ideas for organizing undergraduate education are described. Subsequently, two examples of how these design ideas can be applied are discussed. The first example involves the design of an undergraduate course in Organizational Behaviour. The second example is a tool for collaboratively supervising thesis projects. The design principles grounded in these two cases are, in sum: designing education as an authentic organization; exploiting the benefits of peer mentoring and assessment; acting and delegating as a senior manager; and setting vivid standards. Lastly, the contribution that organization studies can make to educational theory and practice is explored, and the role of design methodologies is discussed.
The Complexity of Rule Systems, Experience and Organizational Learning
Authors: Beck Nikolaus , Kieser Alfred
Published: July 2003

In this article, we analyse organizational learning that is based on formal organizational rules. Organizational rules provide procedures for problem solving. However, whether rules are useful as media of organizational learning is dependent on properties of the rule system and on the organizational members' experience in dealing with rules and the rule system. For example, a voluminous rule system is usually assumed to impede rule changes that contribute to organizational learning. With regard to experience one can assume that organizational members who have learned how to deal effectively with a rule system should be able to design rules in such a way that, for some time, they do not require further changes. In an empirical analysis of all changes in the rules for personnel policy in a German bank from 1970 to 1989, we show that experience increases the stability of individual rules and the rule system. However, we cannot support the assumption that the volume of the rule system impedes organizational learning. Moreover, we found that the volume of individual rules increases the probability of rule change.
Derrida's empirical realism
Authors: Mooney Timothy
Published: July 2003

A major charge levelled against Derrida is that of textual idealism – he effectively closes his deconstructive approach off from the world of experience, the result being that it is incapable of being coherently applied to practical questions of ethics and politics. I argue that Derrida's writings on experience can in fact be reconstructed as an empirical realism in the Husserlian sense. I begin by outlining in very broad strokes Husserl's account of perception and his empirical realism. I then set out some of the major criticisms of Derrida proffered by Dallas Willard and Peter Dews and counter them with evidence from Derrida's texts themselves. I conclude by presenting his account as a variant of Husserl's, which does not discernibly develop on or depart from the latter.
Is Re-modernization Occurring - And If So, How to Prove It?
Authors: Latour Bruno
Published: July 2003

On the face of it, there is no connection between the social theory developed by Ulrich Beck under the name of `second modernization' and the post-ethnomethodological argument developed by Bruno Latour and his colleagues under the name of actor-network theory. Yet they are both concerned with empirical evidence of a major shift in modernity. Hence the idea of elaborating an empirical test to probe the extent to which `second modernization' is a real phenomenon, or rather, as is suggested here, a shift in our interpretation of what modernity has always been about.
Art Against Empire
Authors: Toscano Alberto
Published: July 2003

This article provides a brief commentary on Éric Alliez and Antonio Negri's `Peace and War', focusing mainly on their understanding of political ontology, their analysis of the transformations undergone by the link between sovereignty and warfare, and their attempt to delineate the place of artistic practice within a biopolitics of the multitude.
Peace and War
Authors: Alliez Éric , Negri Antonio
Published: July 2003

In this article, we begin from the assertion that global war does not affirm itself as an imperial ordering power without `opacifying' every regulative idea of peace, which is thereby reduced to the status of a deceptive illusion. `Postmodern' peace, which is absolutely contemporaneous with war, is deduced from war in the guise of the `post-democratic' institution of a permanent state of exception, of a continuation of war by other means (externally as well as internally), and of a reduction of sovereignty to the imbalance of terror, in accordance with the principle of distinction that opposes friend and enemy. Once war, peace and barbarism interact with no rule other than the common sense of the unworldly squalor ( l'immonde), only Combat against War can destroy the sensorial evidence of a false social peace and open on to the construction of a World ( Monde) that is once again possible for the singularities that we are in common. Whence derives the character of social threat that marks out contemporary art (and explains the trials to which it is subjected) when it focuses on the mediatic world-image by putting to work a new transversalist aesthetic paradigm, exposing itself to the tearing asunder of the sensible in the over-exposition of peace to war. This could be art's new address, tracing its difference in a creative machination of affects that can no longer find support in any remembrance of the being of peace.
Productivity and Scale Effect in Closely Related Firms
Authors: Illueca Manuel , Lafuente Juan A.
Published: July 2003

In this article we provide empirical evidence for the time evolution of productivity in the Spanish tile sector throughout the 1990s. The article focuses on the link between the size of the firm and its productivity. Data Envelopment Analysis is used to estimate the production frontier. The Malmquist productivity index is considered to measure the Total Factor Productivity (TFP), and the Ray and Desli (1997) decomposition is applied to break it down into three drivers: technical change, catching-up and scale effect. Empirical results suggest that there is a direct correlation between firm size and productivity growth, mainly due to technical change and catching-up effect.
Training and Development Activities in SMEs
Authors: Devins David , Johnson Steven
Published: July 2003

As the government strives for full employment, the development of the employed workforce continues to emerge as a policy priority. Smaller businesses account for the vast majority of enterprises in the economy and their reluctance to become engaged in external training activities continues to present a policy challenge. This article draws on a survey of 211 employers to explore the impact of the European Social Fund (ESF) Objective 4 (O4) Programme in Britain (1998-2000). ESF O4 supported the development and delivery of a range of training and development interventions predominantly aimed at developing human resource capacity and training and development activity in SMEs. The article examines the provision of training in participating SMEs and the impact of the O4 intervention on training and business performance. The article concludes with the implications of the analysis for policy makers.
Teaching English as Culture: Paradigm Shifts in Postcolonial Discourse
Authors: Eoyang Eugene C.
Published: July 2003

The teaching of an ‘imperialist’ language like English in a postcolonial era presents not only unprecedented difficulties to the teacher, it also raises disconcerting questions about the paradigms underlying the concepts of language, language teaching, and culture. This new perspective renders inadequate, on the one hand, the peda-linguistic categories of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) and ESL (English as a Second Language), and, on the other, the postcolonial critique in general of hegemonic languages.
Teaching in a Brave New World
Authors: Van Delft Louis
Published: July 2003

People say the same thing is happening everywhere, even though there are local variations; all over the world the study of the ‘humanities’, and even of languages (other than the new lingua franca, American English), is going through an unprecedented crisis that may rightly make us fear for their very survival into the future. In Europe, probably never since the Renaissance has the threat of a return to barbarism or vacuity (the difference is not very great) in education been so clear.
Is Literature Dangerous? Or, the Teacher's Anguish
Authors: Berardinelli Alfonso
Published: July 2003

Talking about teaching modern literature is also a way of talking about the relationship between literature and society, such an old topic that there is now scarcely any desire to deal with it. But when the teacher in a school or university classroom opens a novel, a poetry collection, or most often an anthology or classic with its attendant notes, and starts reading, trying as hard as possible to grab the attention of twenty or a hundred students, at that moment something crucial happens that has to do with the relationship between literature and society.
Editorial Preface to Presentations by the Member Associations of the International Federation for Modern Languages and Literatures
Authors: Wells David A.
Published: July 2003

This issue of Diogenes includes short papers by prominent officers of 18 of the member-associations of the International Federation for Modern Languages and Literatures (Fédération Internationale des Langues et Littératures Modernes - FILLM) with a view to introducing and explaining the history, purpose, and function of these international learned societies representing different branches of the modern languages field at a time when the role of such bodies is often questioned even by professional academics working within the discipline, and their very existence largely unknown outside it, even to educated persons. The FILLM is one of the earliest member organizations of the International Council for Philosophy and Humanistic Studies (CIPSH) which had indeed had a prior existence since its foundation in Oslo in 1928 as the Commission Internationale d'Histoire Littéraire Moderne and was subsequently reorganized in its present structure in 1951 following the formation of UNESCO.
Nonlinear Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis of Steady Rolling Radial Tires
Authors: Yan Xiangqiao
Published: July 2003

A finite element tire model is developed in this study. In the model, the rubber compounds are simulated by incompressible elements which are treated based on the Lagrangian multipliers method. The nonlinear mechanical properties of elastomers are modeled by the Mooney-Rivlin model. The corresponding material constants of elastomers are obtained from experimental data. The belts, carcass and beads are modeled by an equivalent orthotropic material model in which the effective moduli are determined from the individual material properties of rubber compound and cord using the Halpin-Tsai equations. The contact constraint of a radial tire structure with flat foundation and rigid rim is treated using the variable constraint method. The friction term of the tire-foundation contact under a steady rolling tire is treated using the regularized Coulomb's law. For the large deformation description of tires, the Lagrangian method is used here. Some of numerical results are given in this paper.
The Effect of Fibre Reinforcement and Solid Lubricants on Abrasive Wear Behavior of Polyetheretherketone Composites
Authors: Harsha A. P. , Tewari U. S.
Published: July 2003

The tribo performance evaluations were carried out for various composites of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) filled with short glass, carbon fibre, and solid lubricants in abrasive wear situation. Abrasive wear studies were carried out under single pass condition against SiC abrasive paper by using pin-on-disc machine. The influence of variables such as sliding distance, load and abrasive grit size has been investigated. It was observed that fibre reinforcement deteriorated the abrasive wear resistance of neat PEEK matrix. Combination of fibre and particulate filler is more detrimental to abrasive wear performance. Efforts were made to correlate the abrasive wear performance with the appropriate mechanical properties. Ratner-Lancaster plot showed linear correlation. SEM was used to analyse the worn surfaces of the samples.
Effect of Elevated Temperatures on a Fiber Composite Used to Strengthen Concrete Columns
Authors: Cleary Douglas B. , Cassino Christopher D. , Tortorice Rosie , Newell James A. , Tyers Bradley W.
Published: July 2003

Externally applied composite reinforcement can be used to provide additional strength or ductility to concrete members as part of a seismic retrofit or repair to a structure, but the composite reinforcement may be exposed to elevated temperatures. In this study, concrete cylinders were wrapped with a composite reinforcing system, exposed to a range of elevated temperatures and allowed to cool. Subsequent compression testing of the cooled cylinders indicated there was no statistically significant loss of strength until the treatment temperature was more than 30°C above the glass transition temperature of the epoxy. Additionally, the predominant mode of failure of the composite system changed from hoop split to seam debonding at the same temperature. This study also examined the role of a fire-protective coating that forestalled the onset of the transition of failure modes by almost 30°C.
Studies on Impact Damage Resistance of Affordable Stitched Woven Carbon/Epoxy Composite Laminates
Authors: Hosur M. V. , Adya M. , Alexander J. , Jeelani S. , Vaidya U. , Mayer A.
Published: July 2003

This paper discusses the response of seven layer plain and satin weave carbon fabric reinforced composites fabricated using low-cost Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion Molding (VARIM) process under low-velocity impact loading. Both stitched and unstitched laminates were tested at energy levels ranging 5-50 J using an instrumented drop-weight machine. A 3-cord Kevlar thread was used to stitch the laminate in two orthogonal grid patterns each at a 6 mm pitch: one with 25.4 mm and the other with 12.7 mm grid. Damage due to impact loading was evaluated through ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE). Results of the study showed the effectiveness of stitching in containing the damage size with 12.7 mm grid stitch samples exhibiting the least damage. Further, satin weave fabric composites exhibit better impact resistance as compared to plain weave fabric composites.