1,720,976 research outputs found
A Cognitive Network Perspective on Creativity: Theorizing Network Mobilization Scripts
No full textAlthough interpersonal networks are paramount for creativity, much prior work has considered their interpretation and activation to be unambiguous. In this paper, we instead draw on the notion that interpersonal networks exist primarily as subjective
representations—that is, cognitive networks—to explore their influence on network mobilization. Through an inductive study in which we follow the elaboration of creative ideas in a small organization, we reconstruct how different cognitive networks channel individuals to enact specific network mobilization scripts—activating specific ties and adopting particular forms of interpersonal engagement. We identify two network mobilization scripts stemming from loose and cohesive cognitive networks, respectively. The script stemming from loose cognitive networks leads individuals to activate and engage with a few intimate colleagues bluntly and directly, whereas the one arising from cohesive cognitive networks prods the activation of a larger set of ties and a courteous demeanor. Although both network mobilization scripts facilitate the elaboration of ideas, their effectiveness is contingent on their resonance with the cognitive network of the individuals who enact them and with the network mobilization scripts enacted by the alters who are activated. By showing that individuals with different cognitive networks mobilize their networks differently, we contribute to both the cognitive network literature and the social side of the creativity literature
Wiring knowledge : metaphors, boundaries and scientific performance
No full textThe topic of the dissertation is knowledge combination that is key for innovation and the generation of new knowledge and for innovation. The dissertation comprises three chapters. In the first chapter, we longitudinally study the activity of a group of scientists and how they use metaphors to coordinate both disciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge creation. In the second chapter, we show a method to identify concepts that bridge different disciplines through the analysis of textual networks. In the third chapter, we study how the structure of co-authorship network and the position of the articles in the literature affect their scientific impact
Creativity and networks in cultural industries: Addressing the role of individual cognition
No full textThe study of creativity in cultural industries from a relational approach is a recent but promising area of research. Fundamentally, extant debate focuses on the investigation of what kind of networks, namely weak or strong ties, are more conducive to creative outcomes. In doing so, the role played by individuals’ cognition with regard to their network has been overlooked. Whereas the actual characteristics of networks affect creativity by being conduits that help individuals to gain access to relevant resources (information, knowledge, social support, etc.), the results of individual action in terms of creativity is affected also by how individuals perceive their networks. Drawing on previous research on cognitive networks, this paper investigates whether and how individuals’ cognition of their networks affects their creativity. In order to test our hypotheses, we conduct a quantitative study by administering a questionnaire to the employees of an Italian video producing company
Vulnerabilities - Bibliometric analysis and literature review of evolving concepts
Get PDFIn this work we analyse the evolution of the vulnerability concept in the research streams of climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR). We combine a traditional literature review with data mining procedures applied to bibliographic databases to reconstruct the history of the concept within various research topics, showing its evolution and convergences over time. To do that, we integrate different methods combining machine learning algorithms with network and cluster analyses to examine a set of 3757 articles, analysing their distinctive features and similarities on the basis of their contents as well as co-authorships. Bibliometric analyses enable the identification of different communities of articles, pinpointing key papers and authors, while literature review makes it possible to assess the concept of vulnerability evolved within and beyond research communities and scientific networks. Moreover, this work examines the role played by documents published by UN institutions (UNDRO, UNISDR, IPCC) in contributing to the evolution of vulnerability and related concepts. Results show that signs of convergence are evident between the two research streams, and that the IPCC reports have played a major role in proposing solutions for unifying definitions of vulnerability. We observe that the phases of preparation of the IPCC reports are very rich in methodological and terminological developments, while after publication, the literature shows evident signs of propagation of the proposed concepts. The DRR research stream developed before the research stream on CCA, but the latter flourished rapidly and became much larger in terms of number of publications. Nevertheless, in terms of contents, adaptation studies and the IPCC have shown increasing adoption of the concepts developed within the disaster research stream, in particular with regard to the interpretation of vulnerability as one of the dimensions of risk
Knowledge Creation Across Worldviews: How Metaphors Impact and Orient Group Creativity
No full textMetaphors are central in organization theory for they help the creation of\ud
knowledge by altering concepts or generating new ones. Yet, despite their importance,\ud
little is known about how metaphors are used in processes of knowledge creation across\ud
worldviews. In such contexts, participants maintain their specialization, work separately,\ud
and resort to interpretable devices like metaphors to create together. With a longitudinal\ud
study of a multidisciplinary scientific project aimed at repairing broken spinal cord\ud
tissues, we show how metaphors facilitate collective knowledge creation. We contribute\ud
to the theory of knowledge creation across worldviews by showing the consequences of\ud
the diverse creative outcomes of metaphors on the orientation and stability of the collective\ud
work. Moreover, we propose how to control and predict the creative outcomes of\ud
metaphors by modifying the knowledge bases that are engaged in the creative process.\ud
We contribute to the theory on cycles of knowledge creation by showing that a metaphor\ud
can extend knowledge both horizontally and vertically, and by specifying the relationships\ud
between the knowledge created and the elements that simultaneously populate the\ud
creative cycle
"Designing the Interactions in the Museum: Learning from Palazzo Strozzi", International Studies of Management and Organizations, Vol.
No full textIn cultural productions, and specifically in the context of museums and exhibitions, the process of construction of meanings has historically involved the audience in a relationship with the product. Nevertheless, this relationship is still designed using traditional language aimed at constraining the interpretation within the pattern suggested by the producer and reducing the room left for free interpretation by the user. Innovation, then, takes place in the offer of services and tools to support the process, and not in a proposal of a new approach to the construction of meaning. Our research discusses a case of an Italian cultural institution as a model for proposing a new approach to the process of interpretation of the relationship between the users and the product. The innovation in this case is the result of a redesign of the language offered to the users, and it is aimed at involving them in the process of sense making. Our article sheds light on the way in which innovation of language may impact the world of signs and symbols that determine the meaning of the product. © 2012 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved.In cultural productions, and specifically in the context of museums and exhibitions, the process of construction of meanings has historically involved the audience in a relationship with the product. Nevertheless, this relationship is still designed using traditional language aimed at constraining the interpretation within the pattern suggested by the producer and reducing the room left for free interpretation by the user. Innovation, then, takes place in the offer of services and tools to support the process, and not in a proposal of a new approach to the construction of meaning. Our research discusses a case of an Italian cultural institution as a model for proposing a new approach to the process of interpretation of the relationship between the users and the product. The innovation in this case is the result of a redesign of the language offered to the users, and it is aimed at involving them in the process of sense making. Our article sheds light on the way in which innovation of language may impact the world of signs and symbols that determine the meaning of the product. © 2012 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved
Wiring knowledge domains. Metaphors and knowledge combination in a multi-disciplinary field
Get PDFIn the process of combining distant domains of knowledge, metaphors play a privileged role in constructing a shared understanding and in coordinating multiple actors with different background, language and practices. Yet they are still relatively under-investigated, in particular their dynamic interplay with individual cognition and action along the knowledge creation process. Through the case study of a neuroscience research project over a eight-year period, we reconstruct the role that metaphors play in defining conceptually the object of research, interfacing and coordinating different bodies of knowledge, and informing actual practices of laboratory experimentation and technology development. We show how metaphors develop and change over the different phases of the project, responding to the new puzzles they contribute to create and to the changing composition of the network of actors involved. We offer some insight on the emergence of such metaphors and their dynamics in processes of knowledge combination
Co-Authorship and Bibliographic Coupling Network Effects on Citations
Get PDFClimate change adaptation (CCA) has recently emerged as a new fundamental dimension to be considered in the planning and management of water resources. Because of the need to consider the already perceived changes in climate trends, variability and extremes, and their interactions with evolving social and ecological systems, water management is now facing new challenges. The research community is expected to contribute with innovative methods and tools to support to decision- and policy-makers. Decision Support Systems (DSSs), have a relatively long history in the water management sector. They are usually developed upon pre-existing hydrologic simulation models, providing interfaces for facilitated use beyond the limited group of model developers, and specific routines for decision making (e.g. optimization methods). In recent years, the traditional focus of DSS research has shifted away from the software component, towards the process of structuring problems and aiding decisions, thus including in particular robust methods for stakeholders' participation. The paper analyses the scientific literature, identifies the main open issues, and proposes an innovative operational approach for the implementation of participatory planning and decision-making processes for CCA in the water domain
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