29 research outputs found
Why Tennessee’s ELVIS Act Is the King of Artificial Intelligence Protections
No full textArtificial intelligence (AI) is evolving and advancing quickly. As AI advances, it presents novel legal issues for individuals and industries alike. For example, AI can now mimic the voices of famous musicians so well that it can be almost impossible for listeners to discern whether the vocals are from those musicians or generated with AI. Yet under the current legal framework, new works that mimic a famous artist’s voice can be created and distributed by anyone without the consent of the musician and without any legal repercussions.Fortunately, lawmakers are proposing legislation to protect against the unauthorized use of another’s voice, image, or likeness in the face of AI. The first AI-focused state law, Tennessee’s Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act (ELVIS Act), was passed on March 21, 2024, and went into effect on July 1, 2024. Multiple state and federal legislators have since proposed similar laws. This Article argues that the ELVIS Act is a gold standard for AI protections in general and for sound recording artists in particular, and that the protections that it provides should be incorporated into a federal right of publicity law. Indeed, many of the ELVIS Act’s key provisions are included in introduced federal legislation relating to AI protection of voice, image, and likeness. Federal legislation that includes many of the themes from the ELVIS Act would protect artists from having their voice unfairly appropriated by emergent AI technology and used in ways that they did not authorize. It would provide uniform protections and thereby prevent the current patchwork system of publicity laws from growing even further apart. With AI evolving faster than any other sector in American society, including the law, lawmakers can shore up the gaps now by quickly passing national legislation
Small and medium-size enterprises in economic development : possiblities for research and policy
No full textThe World Bank's most important long-term advantage in promoting development, says the author, may lie in opportunities to address related obstacles simultaneously. It could mount concurrent efforts to address the problems of small and medium-size enterprises in a particular sector, region, or economy, for example. It could address the conditions of founding new firms, providing finance or technical assistance, developing mutual support institutions, resolving disputes, and perhaps reducing counterproductive government interventions. Were the Bank to follow such a coordinated approach, programs could be designed to generate data to illuminate the impacts and interactions of various elements of policy. These data could be exploited, then, in research designs, or even the design of management information systems, shaped by program evaluation. The author proposes four general issues for research (plus a series of topics for each issue). (1) Can Bank initiatives involving small and medium-size enterprises in developing countries facilitate the entry of these enterprises into similar learning relationships with other firms - foreign firms, larger firms in their own countries, or each other? (2) The economic significance of high"turbulence"(entry and exit rates) in small-firm populations is poorly understood. The fact of high turbulence is well-documented in industrial countries; it is not for developing countries, but available data suggest a broadly similar pattern. Are high failure rates for small businesses symptomatic of an important shortcoming in the system of economic organization itself? Or should the unit of analysis be the enterprise, the entrepreneur, or the entrepreneur's family? (3) Is the apparent trend favoring a larger economic role for smaller production units autonomous rather than induced by other changes? Does it depend on general operating factors such as the declining costs of communication and computation? (4) The rate of learning by a small firm may depend on the nature of its transacting partner. Certain multinational enterprises make good teachers, for example, but certain local labor markets or markets for consumer goods and services may not be well-positioned for relevant learning. They may learn well how to adjust to local circumstances but not to the international diffusion of technology and ways of organizing (the main source of hope for developing countries). Perhaps Bank policy should be more concerned with transaction patterns.General Technology,Environmental Economics&Policies,Decentralization,ICT Policy and Strategies,Small and Medium Size Enterprises,Environmental Economics&Policies,General Technology,Small and Medium Size Enterprises,ICT Policy and Strategies,Small Scale Enterprise
Big Data, Big Libraries, Big Problems?: the 2014 LibTech Anti-talk?
No full textThe desire to create automatons is a familiar theme in human history, and during the age of the Enlightenment mechanical automatons became not only an “emblem of the cosmos”, but a symbol of man’s confidence that he would unlock nature’s greatest mysteries and fully harness her power. And yet only a century later, automatons had begun to represent human repression and servitude, a theme later picked up by writers of science fiction. Man’s confidence undeterred, the endgame of the modern scientific and technological mindset, or MSTM, seems to be increasingly coming into view with the rise of “information technology” in general and “Big data” in particular. Along with those who wield them, these can be seen as functioning together as a “mechanical muse” of sorts – surprisingly alluring – and, like a physical automaton can serve as a symbol – a microcosm – of what the MSTM sees (at the very least in practice) as the cosmic machine, our “final frontier”. And yet, individuals who unreflectively participate in these things – giving themselves over to them and seeking the powers afforded by the technology apart from technology’s rightful purposes – in fact yield to the same pragmatism and reductionism those wielding them are captive to. Thus, they ultimately nullify themselves philosophically, politically, and economically – their value increasingly being only the data concerning their persons, and its perceived usefulness. Likewise libraries, the time-honored place of, and symbol for, the intellectual flowering of the individual, will, insofar as they spurn the classical liberal arts (with the idea that things are intrinsically good, and in the case of humans, special as well) in favor of the alluring embrace of MSTM-driven “information technology” and Big data - unwittingly contribute to their irrelevance and demise as they find themselves increasingly less needed, valued, wanted. Likewise for the liberal arts as a whole, and in fact history itself, if the acid of a “science” untethered from what is, in fact, good (intrinsically), continues to gain strengt
Characterization of TOR complex 2 (TORC2) in "Saccharomyces cerevisiae"
No full textThe TOR proteins play a central role in the control of cell growth. TOR proteins are the founding members of the phosphatidylinositol-related kinase (PIKK) family of protein kinases. In S. cerevisiae there are two TOR proteins, TOR1 and TOR2. TOR1 and TOR2 regulate cell growth via a rapamycin-sensitive pathway controlling translation, transcription, nutrient uptake, ribosome biogenesis and autophagy. TOR2 also has a unique, rapamycin-insensitive function, which is the control of the actin cytoskeleton. Recently, it has been found that the TOR proteins exist in two distinct complexes, TOR complex(TORC1) and TOR complex(TORC2). While TORC1 mediates the rapamycin-sensitive pathway, TORC2 is responsible for the control of the actin cytoskeleton. TORC1 comprises three proteins, TOR1 or TOR2, KOG1 and LST8. TORC2 consists of five proteins, TOR2, AVO1, AVO2, AVO3 and LST8. Thus, these structurally and functionally distinct TOR complexes account for the diversity of TOR signaling in yeast. Here we focused on the characterization of TORC2. Our studies suggest that TORC2 exists in an oligomeric state and that AVO1 and likely AVO3 act as scaffold proteins required for the integrity of TORC2. We also found that AVO1 plays a role as an adaptor protein mediating efficient phosphorylation of substrates. LST8 in turn appears to modulate TOR2 kinase activity possibly by binding directly to the TOR2 kinase domain. LST8 is common to both TORC1 and TORC2 and may therefore be important to respond to upstream signaling factors
Panel proposal: A Discourse Activist Perspective on Organizational Storytelling
No full textIn the panel diverse discursive approaches to storytelling are discussed with special attention on their potential to foster organizational reflexivity and change. We engage methodological - theoretical, analytical and philosophical - discussions and its implications for practice. For instance, discussions on key concepts and main understandings of aspects such as narratives, stories, dissent, discourse, power, ethics, organizational change together with the position of the involved discourse scholar. Hence, it contributes to the field of Organizational Discourse Studies (ODS), in which scholars are actively involved in dealing with local organizational challenges (cf. Grant & Iedema, 2005; Alvesson & Kärreman, 2011; Iedema, 2011). According to several discourse scholars narration and storytelling is viewed as important daily activities that (re)shape reality and identities with certain local and future consequences (Bager, 2015, 2016; Bamberg, 2005, 2011; Czarniawska, 2015; Taylor & Van Every, 1999; Cooren, 2015). Storytelling is understood as situated, plurivocal, multimodal and embodied interactional features that constitute discourses, identities and realities in a dialectical interplay between local and broader discursive dimensions (cp. discourse with respectively a lowercase d (discourse1) and a capital D (discourse2); Gee, 1999; Nicolini, 2009, 2016; Iedema, 2003). Storytellers co-author stories/narratives and discourses in local settings that involve a plurality of voices and often run counter to more crystallized narrative and discursive structures, such as political organizational and societal structures. (cp. Bakhtinian heteroglossia; Bager, et. Al, 2016, Bager, 2015; Bakhtin, 1982, 1993). The panel invites approaches that address the ‘smallness’ and the more unformal dimensions of organizational storytelling practices such as small stories (Bager, 2016; Bamberg, 1997, 2006; Bamberg & Georgakopoulou,, 2008), counter-narratives (Bamberg & Andrews, 2004, Boje et al, 2016; Frandsen, Kuhn, & Lundholt, 2016) ante-narratives (Boje, 2011; Boje et al, 2016; Svane, In press), dialectical Storytelling (Boje, 2016a, 2016b), performative storytelling (Arendt, 2003; Butler, 2015; Jørgensen, 2016, 2017), true storytelling and the like. Attention is paid to how discourse scholars can oscillate between diverse discursive organizational levels spanning from local here-and-now situations to broader organizational, political and societal spheres (Nicolini, 2009, 2016). The normative and ethical scope is to challenge organizational crystallized ways of saying and doing things together with the socio material and political practices that such activities are embedded in (cp. reflexivity in action; Cunliffe, 2003; Cunliffe & Coupland, 2011; and Butler’s reflexive undoing). The main objective is to foster dissensus-based (Deetz, 2001), democratic, egalitarian and multivoiced organizational and societal practices. Invited contributors and title of their presentations:Kenneth Mølbjerg, Professor, AAU, Dept. of Business and Management: Storytelling and the space of appearance in enacting Organizational ChangeMarita Svane, Associate Professor, AAU, Dept. of Business and Management: Storytelling and Performative Grounded TheoryAnn Starbæk Bager, Assistant Professor, AAU, Dept. of Communication and Psychology: Dialectical Discursive Storytelling in Organizational TransformationsLise-Lotte Holmgren, Associate Professor, AAU, Dept. of Culture and Global Studies: Recruiting who?: A narrative approach to studying organizational change Henrik Koll, Ph.d. scholar, SDU, Dept. of Language and Communication: Countering the ‘corporatization’ narrative: Exploring struggles for organizational hegemonyJens Larsen, Author and founding Partner at Old Friends Industries & Lena Bruun, Partner at Old Friends Industries: True Storytelling - Bridge the gap between ongoing changes and longing for meaning in the organizationAnders Horsbøl, associate Professor, AAU, Dept. of Communication and Psychology: Locally counteracting international crises: narratives of municipal agency References: Arendt, H. (1998): The Human Condition. Chicago: Chicago University PressAlvesson, M & Kärreman, D (2011): Decolonializing discourse: Critical reflections on organizational discourse analysis. Human relations, 64, 1121–1146.Bager, A. S. (2015). Theorizing and analyzing plurivocality and dialogue in organizational and leadership development practices: Discussion and close up discourse analysis of dialogic practices in a leadership development forum. PhD thesis. University of Aalborg, Denmark. Bager, A.S. (2016): Små fortællinger: Diskursanalyse af fortællinger i praksis. In Diskurs og praksis: Teori, metode og analyse, Ed. Anders Horsbøl & Pirkko Raudaskoski. Metoder i samfundsvidenskab og humaniora. Samfundslitteratur.Bager, A.S., Jørgensen, K.M. & Raudaskoski, P.L. (2016): Dialogue and governmentality-in-action: A discourse analysis of a leadership forum. In Studies of Discourse and Governmentality, edited by Paul McIlvenny, Julia Z. Klausen and Laura B. Lindegaard, 209-234, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.Bakhtin, M. (1982). The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays (Vol. 4). Texas: University of Texas Press. Bakhtin, M. (1993). Toward a Philosophy of the Act. Texas: University of Texas Press. Bamberg, M.G. (1997). Positioning between structure and performance. Journal of Narrative and Life History, 7(1-4): 335–342.Bamberg, M. & Andrews, M. (2004). Considering Counter-Narratives: Narrating, Resisting, Making Sense (preface). Amsterdam, NLD: John Benjamins Publishing Company. Bamberg, M. (2005). “Narrative Discourse and Identities”. I J.C. Meister, T.Kindt og W. Schernus (red.), Narratology beyond Literary Criticism. Mediality, Disciplinarity. New York: Walter de Gruyter: 213-238.Bamberg, M. (2006). Stories: Big or small: Why do we care?. Narrative Inquiry 16(1): 139–147.Bamberg, M. (2011). Who am I? Narration and its contribution to self and identity. Theory & Psychology, 21 (1): 3-24.Bamberg, M. & Georgakopoulou, A. (2008). Small stories as a new perspective in narrative and identity analysis. Text & Talk - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Language, Discourse Communication Studies 28(3): 377–396.Boje, D.M. (2011). Storytelling and the future of organizations: An antenarrative handbook. Routledge. Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wvurAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Boje+antenarrative&ots=_x1KhQBztn&sig=_ubgFeP_d9gAMfN6GMnCnbzGklwBoje, D. M. (2016a). Dialectical Storytelling: Transitioning University into Respecting Hawk Rights to Reproduce and Have their Family in a Posthumanist World.Boje, D. M. (2016b). The Dialectic Storytelling of the Standing Conference for Management and Organization Inquiry (sc’MOI ) as it Dismembers and Re-members. Tamara Journal of Critical Organisation Inquiry, 14(1), 53.Boje, D.M., Svane, M.S. & Gergerich, E. (2016): Counternarrative and Antenarrative inquiry in two cross-cultural Contexts. Journal of Cross-Cultural Competence and Management. Vol. 4(1) p. 55-84. Butler, J. (2015): Notes Towards a Performative Theory of Assemly. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Czarniawska, B. (2015). “Narratologi og feltstudier”. I S. Brinkmann og L. Tanggaard (red.), Kvalitative metoder. En grundbog. København: Hans Reitzels Forlag: 273-296.Cunliffe, A. L. (2003). Reflexive Inquiry in Organizational Research: Questions and Possibilities. Human Relations, 56(8), 983–1003.Cunliffe, A., & Coupland, C. (2011). From hero to villain to hero: Making experience sensible through embodied narrative sensemaking. Human Relations, 65(1), 63–88.Cooren, F. (2015): Organizational discourse: Communication and constitution. John Wiley & Sons. Frandsen, S., Kuhn, T., & Lundholt, M. W. (2016). Counter-narratives and organization. Counter-Narratives and Organization. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315681214Deetz, S. (2001). Conceptual Foundations. In: New Handbook of Organizational Communication. California: Sage Publications. Gee, J.P. (1999). An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory And Method. London and New York: Routledge.Grant, D & Iedema, R (2005): Discourse Analysis and the Study of Organizations. Text-Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of Discourse, 25(1), 37–66.Iedema, R. (2003a). Discourses of Post-Bureaucratic Organization. John Benjamins Publishing.Iedema, R. (2007). On the multi-modality, materially and contingency of organization discourse. Organization Studies 28(6), pp. 931– 946.Iedema, R (2011): Discourse Studies in the 21st Century: A response to Mats Alvesson and Dan Kärreman’s “Decolonializing discourse.” Human Relations, 64(9), 1163–1176.Jørgensen, K.M. (2016): Fortællinger, magt og etik i organisationer. In organisatorisk dannelse: etiske perspektiver på organisatorisk læring (Ed Kurt Dauer Keller). P 333-360. Aalborg UniversitetsforlagJørgensen, K.M. (2017): Entanglements of storytelling and power in the enactment of organizational subjectivity. Academy of Management Proceedings, Atlanta, GA. Nicolini, D. (2009). Zooming in and out: studying practices by switching theoretical lenses and trailing connections. Organization Studies 30(12): 1391–1418.Nicolini, D. (2016). Practice Theory, Work, & Organization: An introduction. Oxford. Oxford university Press. Svane, M.S. (In Press): Organizational Storytelling of The Future: Ante- and Anti-Narrative in Quantum Age. The Handbook of Management and Organizational inquiry (ed. David Boje, et al.). Emerald Group Publishing.Taylor, J.R. og E.J. Van Every (1999). The Emergent Organization: Communication as Its Site and Surface. Abingdon, Oxon: Taylor & Francis Group
Organizational Learning and Knowledge DevelopmentPeculiarities in Small and Medium Family Enterprises
No full textThe aim of this theoretical contribution is to analyze the processes of organizational learning and knowledge development within the small and medium sized family firm. Due to its founding characteristics, family SME seems to be a closed, hermetic and rigid organization. Besides, the specificity of mechanisms of learning and knowledge management, in general, within this entity are justified by:- First, the overlapping of "family" and "company" spheres: the family sphere realizes a unique contribution because it constitutes a supplementary source of knowledge inbound to the company compared to a firm without family involvement, - Then, the frequency of the exchanges within the organization: the processes of exchange of piece of information and knowledge take place not only in the organizational context but also and especially in the family context. The family meetings constitute, for example, supplementary occasions for exchange and sharing of knowledge.Schematically, two major characters inherent to this entity constitute obstacles to organizational learning. Indeed, conservatism and independence orientation strongly influence the processes of learning and knowledge development.The literature suggests that the family system attempts to create and maintain a cohesiveness that supports the family "paradigm" which is described as the core assumptions, beliefs, and convictions that the family holds in relation to its environment. Information that is not consistent with this paradigm is resisted or ignored (Davis, 1983). The search for security, conformism and tradition are characteristic of conservative organizations. Particularly to the family firm, the conservative posture could be studied through three dimensions (Miller and ali., 2003). First, on the governance level, the conservatism is exhibited by the plateauing and the growing rigidity of the owner-manager and by the inefficacy of the board of directors. Second, on the strategy level, conservative family SME favorites its actual markets, customers and products and globally is unwilling to change and adopt new paradigms. Then, on the organizational and cultural levels, this entity tends to be closed and introvert. These three components have an impact on knowledge development as the conservatism tends to limit the variation and the exposition to new environments. In short, within this entity the level of organizational knowledge would be weak.The second variable influencing the processes of development of knowledge within family SME is the independence orientation. This orientation is a consequence of the family long-term commitment to the business. Paradoxically, this commitment has two contradictory effects on growth. First, it implies the pursuit of future development and continuity of the firm to make sure that the family heritage is passed on to the following generations. On the other hand, commitment implies a strategy of conservation of the heritage which passes by a strong seek for the independence. Aiming to guarantee its continuity, the (small and medium-sized) family firm establishes an independence orientation of three different types. First, from the financial point of view, it avoids as much as possible turning to outside partners (Hirigoyen, 1985). Then, on the human plan, it would be favorable to the appointment of family members or individuals belonging to the close relational circle to the posts of direction and would be reluctant to the recruitment of professional directors. Finally, to maintain the decision-making in hands of the family, the family firm tends to avoid the inter-organizational relations, cooperative investments, and tries to limit the sharing of the control of its investments. The contribution of outsiders (financiers, directors or partner organizations) can, however, be precious to the company. And the introversion would be a major obstacle to the perpetuity of the firm because it inhibits growth. As a consequence, independence orientation limits the accumulation of knowledge because, on one hand, the horizons of the company will be limited and little varied, and on the other hand, the potential valuable knowledge contribution of outsiders is excluded.The study of these variables raises questions about the efficacy of the organizational memory within the family firm. This organization runs particular risks because of the peculiarity of its knowledge management mechanisms. Because of its founding natural characteristics, the family firm nurtures mechanisms which reinforce the causal ambiguity (Nelson and Winter, 1982) by strengthening the voluntary effort to avoid either a too fast imitation or the loss of knowledge-based resources if the individual or the group holding it leaves the organization (Arrégle, 1995). In short, family firms show an inclination to concentrate the processes of knowledge management around its tacit dimension by encouraging its formation contrarily to the explicit component. However the weak externalization of knowledge coupled with the avoidance of sharing outside the family causes serious risks. First, an obvious risk of deterioration is present because of the weak importance of the organizational protection mechanisms and the strong reliance on individual memory. Moreover, we suggest a risk of erosion of knowledge due to the fragmentation caused by successions that do not preserve the unity of the firm. There is risk of "fragmentation" of the strategic knowledge if the company is shared between the potential successors. This risk would be less pronounced if a prior sharing of knowledge with outside directors had been engaged.Another particularity of family firms is about the intergenerational transmission and transfer of knowledge (Cabrera-Suarez and ali., 2001). Mechanisms inciting to intergenerational transfer of knowledge must be set up because of the negative impact of conservatism and independence on organizational knowledge and due to the fragility of family firm organizational memory.Organizational knowledge, family business, conservatism, independence orientation
The global information technology report 2014
No full textExecutive summary
When The Global Information Technology Report (GITR) and the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) were created more than 13 years ago, the attention of decision makers was focused on how to develop strategies that would allow them to benefit from what Time Magazine had described as “the new economy”: a new way of organizing and managing economic activity based on the new opportunities that the Internet provided for businesses.
At present, the world is slowly emerging from one of the worst financial and economic crises in decades, and policymakers, business leaders, and civil society are looking into new opportunities that can consolidate growth, generate new employment, and create business opportunities.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) continue to rank high on the list as one of the key sources of new opportunities to foster innovation and boost economic and social prosperity, for both advanced and emerging economies.
For more than 13 years, the NRI has provided decision makers with a useful conceptual framework to evaluate the impact of ICTs at a global level and to benchmark the ICT readiness and usage of their economies
Healthcare Delivery and Stakeholder’s Satisfaction under Social Health Insurance Schemes in India : An Evaluation of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Ex- servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS)
No full textThis study attempted to evaluate the working of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) by assessing patient satisfaction as well as the issues and concerns of empanelled private healthcare providers. The study is based on a primary survey of 1,204 CGHS and 640 ECHS principal beneficiaries, 100 empanelled private healthcare providers and 100 officials of the schemes across 12 Indian cities. We have found that patients are reasonably well satisfied with the healthcare services of both empanelled private healthcare providers and the dispensaries-polyclinics but are relatively more satisfied with the former than the latter. We also found that beneficiaries are willing to pay more for better quality services. Though the schemes provide comprehensive healthcare services, the beneficiaries incur some out-of- pocket health expenditure while seeking healthcare. Furthermore, beneficiaries are not in favour of the recent proposal to replace the schemes with health insurance for several reasons. The empanelled private healthcare providers are dissatisfied with the terms and conditions of empanelment, especially the low tariffs for their services as compared to prevailing market rates and the delays in reimbursements from the schemes. We suggest that appropriate efforts be undertaken to enhance the quality of healthcare service provided in the dispensaries-polyclinics of the CGHS and ECHS as well as to address the issues and concerns of empanelled private healthcare providers to ensure better healthcare delivery and for a long-term, sustainable public-private partnership.CGHS, ECHS, patient satisfaction, willingness to pay, empanelled private healthcare providers
The view from the backbench : Irish Nationalist MPs and their work, 1910-1914
No full textAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DXN065144 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo
The global Information technology report 2015: ICTs for inclusive growth
No full textInformation and communication technologies (ICTs) are transforming our economies and societies. Since 2001, The Global Information and Technology Report series and the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) have been taking the pulse of the ICT revolution worldwide.
The NRI identifies the capacity of countries to leveraging ICT, by assessing the overall political and business environment, the level of ICT readiness and usage of ICT among the population, businesses and government, as well as the overall impacts of ICTs on the economy and society at large.
The 2015 results, which covers 143 economies, confirms the dominance of advanced economies and the persistence of the multiple-faceted digital divides not only across but also within economies. They reveal the pervasive digital poverty that deprives the neediest from the opportunities offered by ICTs.
Beyond this diagnosis, under the theme “ICTs for Inclusive Growth”, the 2015 edition of the report provides solutions from leading experts and practitioners to alleviate digital poverty and make the ICT revolution a global reality. 
