title: Migration, relationship capital and international travel: Theory and evidence

authors: McCann, Philip

subjects: international migration

abstract: In this paper we consider how international migration is related to the frequency and duration of trips to the home country. For many migrants, international migration triggers a series of trips to visit the home country that allow for a replenishment of the depleted relationship capital with family and friends back home, but these trips incur travel costs and foregone earnings. Given plausible assumptions about the depreciation and replenishment of home country relationship capital, a steady-state level of average maintained relationship capital implies that the optimized travel frequency is inversely related to the distance and the transportation costs, and positively related to the psychological costs of separation. The total time spent at home is increasing in the trip frequency, but with an elasticity that is decreasing in cultural proximity. Empirical evidence in support of these theoretical predictions is found in a unique longitudinal sample of international travel of 13,674 New Zealand citizens and 6,882 UK citizens who migrated to Australia between 1 August 1999 and 31 July 2000.

text: Migration, relationship capital and international travel: Theory and evidence In this paper we consider how international migration is related to the frequency and duration of trips to the home country. For many migrants, international migration triggers a series of trips to visit the home country that allow for a replenishment of the depleted relationship capital with family and friends back home, but these trips incur travel costs and foregone earnings. Given plausible assumptions about the depreciation and replenishment of home country relationship capital, a steady-state level of average maintained relationship capital implies that the optimized travel frequency is inversely related to the distance and the transportation costs, and positively related to the psychological costs of separation. The total time spent at home is increasing in the trip frequency, but with an elasticity that is decreasing in cultural proximity. Empirical evidence in support of these theoretical predictions is found in a unique longitudinal sample of international travel of 13,674 New Zealand citizens and 6,882 UK citizens who migrated to Australia between 1 August 1999 and 31 July 2000.

year: 2008-08

title: The Creative Process: The Effects of Domain Specific Knowledge and Creative Thinking Techniques on Creativity

authors: Kilgour, A. Mark

subjects: creative

abstract: As we move further into the 21st century there are few processes that are more important for us to understand than the creative process. The aim of this thesis is to assist in deepening that understanding. To achieve this a review of the literature is first undertaken. Combining the many different streams of research from the literature results in the development of a four-stage model of the creative thinking process. The four stages are problem definition, idea generation, internal evaluation, and idea expression. While a large range of factors influence the various stages in this model, two factors are identified for further analysis as their effect on creativity is unclear. These two factors are domain-specific knowledge and creative thinking techniques. The first of these factors relates to the first stage of the creative thinking process (problem definition), specifically the extent to which informational cues prime domain specific knowledge that then sets the starting point for the creative combination process. 

The second factor relates to stage two of the model (idea generation), and the proposition by some researchers and practitioners that creative output can be significantly improved through the use of techniques. While the semantics of these techniques differ, fundamentally all techniques encourage the use of divergent thinking by providing remote associative cues as the basis for idea generation. These creative thinking techniques appear to result in the opening of unusual memory categories to be used in the creative combination process. 

These two potential influences on the creative outcomes of individuals: 1) domain specific knowledge, and 2) creative thinking techniques, form the basis for an experimental design. Qualitative and quantitative research is undertaken at two of the world's leading advertising agencies, and with two student samples, to identify how creative thinking techniques and domain-specific knowledge, when primed, influence creative outcomes. In order to measure these effects a creative thinking measurement instrument is developed. 

Results found that both domain-specific knowledge and creative thinking techniques are key influences on creative outcomes. More importantly, results also found interaction effects that significantly extend our current understanding of the effects of both primed domain-specific knowledge and creativity techniques on different sample populations. Importantly, it is found that there is no 'one size fits all' for the use of creative thinking techniques, and to be effectively applied, creative thinking techniques must be developed based upon the respondent's current domain and technique expertise. Moreover, the influence of existing domain-specific knowledge on individual creativity is also dependent upon how that information is primed and the respondent's knowledge of cognitive thinking strategies.

text: The Creative Process: The Effects of Domain Specific Knowledge and Creative Thinking Techniques on Creativity As we move further into the 21st century there are few processes that are more important for us to understand than the creative process. The aim of this thesis is to assist in deepening that understanding. To achieve this a review of the literature is first undertaken. Combining the many different streams of research from the literature results in the development of a four-stage model of the creative thinking process. The four stages are problem definition, idea generation, internal evaluation, and idea expression. While a large range of factors influence the various stages in this model, two factors are identified for further analysis as their effect on creativity is unclear. These two factors are domain-specific knowledge and creative thinking techniques. The first of these factors relates to the first stage of the creative thinking process (problem definition), specifically the extent to which informational cues prime domain specific knowledge that then sets the starting point for the creative combination process. 

The second factor relates to stage two of the model (idea generation), and the proposition by some researchers and practitioners that creative output can be significantly improved through the use of techniques. While the semantics of these techniques differ, fundamentally all techniques encourage the use of divergent thinking by providing remote associative cues as the basis for idea generation. These creative thinking techniques appear to result in the opening of unusual memory categories to be used in the creative combination process. 

These two potential influences on the creative outcomes of individuals: 1) domain specific knowledge, and 2) creative thinking techniques, form the basis for an experimental design. Qualitative and quantitative research is undertaken at two of the world's leading advertising agencies, and with two student samples, to identify how creative thinking techniques and domain-specific knowledge, when primed, influence creative outcomes. In order to measure these effects a creative thinking measurement instrument is developed. 

Results found that both domain-specific knowledge and creative thinking techniques are key influences on creative outcomes. More importantly, results also found interaction effects that significantly extend our current understanding of the effects of both primed domain-specific knowledge and creativity techniques on different sample populations. Importantly, it is found that there is no 'one size fits all' for the use of creative thinking techniques, and to be effectively applied, creative thinking techniques must be developed based upon the respondent's current domain and technique expertise. Moreover, the influence of existing domain-specific knowledge on individual creativity is also dependent upon how that information is primed and the respondent's knowledge of cognitive thinking strategies.

year: 2007

title: Lifting barriers: Leadership, tactical, and strategic issues from, and for, indigenous community development

authors: Murthy, Vikram

subjects: indigenous communities

abstract: This paper uses learnings from a project with indigenous youth to engage with a recurring challenge in indigenous community organisation (ICO) development initiatives: The unwitting detraction from outcome efficacy by charismatic and influential indigenous leadership leading with an out-of-date repertoire. Using material from recent literature in the fields of non-profit management, new leadership, and social enterprise, the paper suggests guides to improved practice for meeting this challenge. It also sets out to effectiveness, will better underwrite sensitivity in entrepreneurial environments with complex cultural and social beliefs and practices. Such a repertoire will energise intraorganisational communal and consensual processes, which would resonate culturally with the ICO's normative behaviours and values, and would thus help the organisation marshall its collective will to frame futures that best capture their stakeholders' hopes and aspirations. Finally, it recommends that future research examine interfaces between these fields and the spiritual frameworks of indigenous world-views.

text: Lifting barriers: Leadership, tactical, and strategic issues from, and for, indigenous community development This paper uses learnings from a project with indigenous youth to engage with a recurring challenge in indigenous community organisation (ICO) development initiatives: The unwitting detraction from outcome efficacy by charismatic and influential indigenous leadership leading with an out-of-date repertoire. Using material from recent literature in the fields of non-profit management, new leadership, and social enterprise, the paper suggests guides to improved practice for meeting this challenge. It also sets out to effectiveness, will better underwrite sensitivity in entrepreneurial environments with complex cultural and social beliefs and practices. Such a repertoire will energise intraorganisational communal and consensual processes, which would resonate culturally with the ICO's normative behaviours and values, and would thus help the organisation marshall its collective will to frame futures that best capture their stakeholders' hopes and aspirations. Finally, it recommends that future research examine interfaces between these fields and the spiritual frameworks of indigenous world-views.

year: 2006