title: What have we learned? Themes from the literature on best-practice benchmarking

authors: Francis, Graham

subjects: beachmarking

abstract: The aim of this paper is to review the important themes in the literature on benchmarking, and to assess the contribution to knowledge provided thus far. Four themes from the literature are highlighted: studies of the nature of benchmarking practice; criticisms of benchmarking; evaluating the effectiveness of benchmarking; and the notion of best practice. The authors argue that, while the literature does include a few critical analyses of the practice and impacts of benchmarking, it is dominated by relatively descriptive, and even prescriptive, accounts of the 'realities' of benchmarking. The longer-term (qualitative and quantitative) effects and perspectives of diverse stakeholders on benchmarking are largely neglected. This selective focus has implications for the contribution of benchmarking research to practice, for example, in terms of the role of internal organizational capabilities in analysing the performance of processes and managing communications and change. The authors advocate areas of future research to improve theoretical understanding of benchmarking and thoroughly evaluate its impact within the context of performance management.

text: What have we learned? Themes from the literature on best-practice benchmarking The aim of this paper is to review the important themes in the literature on benchmarking, and to assess the contribution to knowledge provided thus far. Four themes from the literature are highlighted: studies of the nature of benchmarking practice; criticisms of benchmarking; evaluating the effectiveness of benchmarking; and the notion of best practice. The authors argue that, while the literature does include a few critical analyses of the practice and impacts of benchmarking, it is dominated by relatively descriptive, and even prescriptive, accounts of the 'realities' of benchmarking. The longer-term (qualitative and quantitative) effects and perspectives of diverse stakeholders on benchmarking are largely neglected. This selective focus has implications for the contribution of benchmarking research to practice, for example, in terms of the role of internal organizational capabilities in analysing the performance of processes and managing communications and change. The authors advocate areas of future research to improve theoretical understanding of benchmarking and thoroughly evaluate its impact within the context of performance management.

year: 2007

title: Crystal structure models for the Aldaramide Units of Poly(pentaramides)

authors: Hinton, Michael R.

subjects: crystal structure

abstract: The X-ray crystal structures of seven structurally related diamides, N,N′-dihexyl- and N,N′-dimethylglutaramide, N,N′-dimethylxylaramide, N,N′-dimethyl-l-arabinaramide, N,N′-dimethylribaramide monohydrate, 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-N,N′-dimethylxylaramide, and 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-N,N′-dimethyl-l-arabinaramide, were determined. These diamides were chosen as solid-state conformational models for the diamido repeating units of the corresponding polyamides. Solid-state conformations of the two N,N-dialkyglutaramides, with no pendant groups, were compared to those of their stereochemically different trihydroxy derivatives N,N′-dimethylxylaramide, l-arabinaramide and ribaramide, and the two aforementioned tri-O-acetylpentaramides.

text: Crystal structure models for the Aldaramide Units of Poly(pentaramides) The X-ray crystal structures of seven structurally related diamides, N,N′-dihexyl- and N,N′-dimethylglutaramide, N,N′-dimethylxylaramide, N,N′-dimethyl-l-arabinaramide, N,N′-dimethylribaramide monohydrate, 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-N,N′-dimethylxylaramide, and 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-N,N′-dimethyl-l-arabinaramide, were determined. These diamides were chosen as solid-state conformational models for the diamido repeating units of the corresponding polyamides. Solid-state conformations of the two N,N-dialkyglutaramides, with no pendant groups, were compared to those of their stereochemically different trihydroxy derivatives N,N′-dimethylxylaramide, l-arabinaramide and ribaramide, and the two aforementioned tri-O-acetylpentaramides.

year: 2013

title: Unpacking media narratives: Racism and problematic reasonings

authors: Tan, Kyle K. H.

abstract: In this research brief, we present summaries of four case studies of racism in mainstream and social media in Aotearoa. Through a series of carefully selected datasets sourced from TV episodes (Police TEN 7), print media such as news articles (including Northland checkpoints), and tweets (Three Waters reform), we outline how Māori are represented across these mediums. With an expert in language modelling on our team, we analysed large datasets that give us sufficient statistical power to infer specific Māori discourses on respective platforms. Further, we examined key themes that characterise how Māori are represented in the media and signal the scale of anti-Māori attacks. For instance, we found that the predominant discussion on Three Waters reform on Twitter focused on ‘conflict’ (distrust towards government; 33%) and ‘capability’ (questioning the credibility of the reform; 23%) rather than its core intention of promoting water ‘safety’ (7%). The modelling analysis was supplemented by in-depth qualitative analysis that integrates anti-Māori themes (Moewaka-Barnes et al., 2012) and problematic reasoning tactics (Sturgill, 2021) to elucidate how false, deficit-based rhetoric about Māori is deployed to fuel racism and disinformation. In summary, our findings reinforce Kupu Taea’s call for new media sectors to integrate Te Tiriti o Waitangi into their practices to safeguard Māori and other minoritised groups who are likely to be at the fore of racist attacks.

text: Unpacking media narratives: Racism and problematic reasonings In this research brief, we present summaries of four case studies of racism in mainstream and social media in Aotearoa. Through a series of carefully selected datasets sourced from TV episodes (Police TEN 7), print media such as news articles (including Northland checkpoints), and tweets (Three Waters reform), we outline how Māori are represented across these mediums. With an expert in language modelling on our team, we analysed large datasets that give us sufficient statistical power to infer specific Māori discourses on respective platforms. Further, we examined key themes that characterise how Māori are represented in the media and signal the scale of anti-Māori attacks. For instance, we found that the predominant discussion on Three Waters reform on Twitter focused on ‘conflict’ (distrust towards government; 33%) and ‘capability’ (questioning the credibility of the reform; 23%) rather than its core intention of promoting water ‘safety’ (7%). The modelling analysis was supplemented by in-depth qualitative analysis that integrates anti-Māori themes (Moewaka-Barnes et al., 2012) and problematic reasoning tactics (Sturgill, 2021) to elucidate how false, deficit-based rhetoric about Māori is deployed to fuel racism and disinformation. In summary, our findings reinforce Kupu Taea’s call for new media sectors to integrate Te Tiriti o Waitangi into their practices to safeguard Māori and other minoritised groups who are likely to be at the fore of racist attacks.

year: 2025