16 research outputs found
Terug naar Berlijn
No full textGeert van Istendael trok op 8 november 1989 naar Berlijn om, voor toen nog de BRT, een congres van de zieltogende SED te verslaan, de Oost-Duitse Communistische Partij. Dat er iets moest en ging veranderen in de DDR was toen voor iedereen al weken duidelijk. Maar tot ieders en ook Geerts eigen verbazing viel amper 24 uur na zijn aankomst de Muur en werd hij een geprivilegieerd getuige van één van de belangrijkste gebeurtenissen in Europa na de tweede wereldoorlog. In die nacht van 9 op 10 november trokken Oost-Duitsers massaal de grens over, de eerste stukken muur sneuvelden en toen begon een groot feest dat enkele dagen duurde. 20 jaar later keert Geert van Istendael terug naar de plekken waar hij als journalist het gebeuren versloeg. Hij probeert te begrijpen wat er toen gebeurde en gaat op zoek naar de sporen van de Muur, niet alleen fysiek maar vooral in de hoofden van de Oost-Berlijners (die Mauer im Kopf). Hij verkent de stad en spreekt met mensen die er destijds bij waren, slachtoffers van het DDR-regime en anderen, voor wie het na de Wende nooit meer echt goed is gekomen, of ook mensen die met enige weemoed terugkijken naar de periode vóór 1989 (zelfs al waren ze toen nog maar net geboren), bekende figuren maar ook heel gewone mensen die in '89 op de BRT hun eerste tv-optreden deden. Met hen bekijken we de beelden van toen opnieuw. Amper een jaar na de val van de Muur, werden Oost- en West-Duitsland herenigd. Maar helemaal verzoend zijn ze na 20 jaar nog niet, stelt Geert van Istendael vast. De meningen over het DDR-verleden, was het nu een misdadige staat of niet, staan scherp tegenover elkaar. Het Oosten heeft een zware prijs betaald voor de hereniging, de economie stuikte na 1989 in elkaar, 2 miljoen Oost-Duitsers zijn sindsdien naar het Westen getrokken om werk te zoeken. In het Oosten blijft de werkloosheid hoog en het heimwee naar de volledige werkgelegenheid in de DDR lijkt groter dan ooit.
Door Prometheus geboeid: De autonomie en autoriteit van de moderne Nederlandse auteur
No full textLiterary authors have authority. This is certainly true of the early twenty-first century, as writers are asked in interviews, talk programs and on the Internet to give their views on social issues, but the same holds for the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. For hundreds of years writers have functioned as figures with an oddly paradoxical authority, for they base their claim on their outsider status and apparent lack of influence. Captivated by Prometheus makes use of a detailed posture model to investigate the self-representations of five Dutch authors active between 1820 and approximately 1970: Jean Baptiste Didier Wibmer, Multatuli, Lodewijk van Deyssel, Carry van Bruggen and Willem Frederik Hermans. It shows how Dutch literary authors in this period underpin their authority with the claim that they are autonomous. More specifically, the analysis reveals that the elements of authority and autonomy occupy a different place in the posturing of each of these five authors, but that broadly speaking these authors nevertheless have something in common. They refuse to be associated with the power of politicians or ‘intellectuals’. They make this clear by representing themselves not only as autonomous and individual but also as lacking all authority and power. This serves the paradoxical goal of gaining more authority: precisely a person who makes no attempt to uphold an actual position of power, who is essentially ‘nothing’ because he functions autonomously of any identifiable moral or political institution, can—the reasoning goes—assume an authoritative position as an author. Such authority is definitely vulnerable because it is in fact founded on an ‘empty’ category (autonomy, non-belonging). The writers show, however, that this vulnerability is characteristic of all forms of authority. In the last analysis political authority also rests on nothing. Authors assume an authoritative position of political commentator precisely because they claim to be the only ones who are honest about the artificiality of their authority. The point of departure of this book is that neither autonomy nor authority is a historical ‘given’. Although literary culture undergoes unmistakable changes in the period 1820-1970—authors have greater political and juridical freedom at the end of this period than at the beginning—there is no linear progression toward greater autonomy which guarantees the freedom of a writer in a certain period. On the contrary, autonomy always has to be claimed by an author, and on the basis of that claim an author can again assume an authoritative position
Why do they study there? Diary research into students' learning space choices in higher education
Full text linkHigher education learning and teaching methods have changed while most educational buildings are still rather traditional. Yet, there is an increasing interest in whether we can educate today's higher education students in yesterday's buildings. This paper aims to contribute to this debate by studying the learning space choices of higher education students in relation to their learning activities, personal characteristics and other considerations that may play a role in choosing particular learning spaces. A diary research method was adopted, in which 52 business management students of a Dutch University of Applied Sciences participated. They reported which learning activities they worked on during a week, where and why there. The diary format builds on the literature from various disciplines and was used in combination with a questionnaire and interviews. The findings show significant correlations between the students’ learning space choices and their learning activities, their personal characteristics and their individual preferences. Because of the shift from a teacher-led approach to a student-led approach, higher education institutions need to provide more informal learning spaces in open areas and quiet learning spaces for individuals and small groups
Management strategies for aligning higher education accommodation with the user needs
No full textPurpose – This paper aims to explore the management strategies of facility managers and corporate real estate managers to align corporate real estate (CRE) with the needs of their organization and the end users in a changing context. Design/methodology/approach – The paper first outlines the theoretical issues of CRE alignment processes and the management of accommodation needs. It then presents the findings from a multiple case study in 14 Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) from the perspective of the CRE/FM manager. The empirical study is based on interviews and a questionnaire. Findings – The theory shows three key process activities in managing the alignment of CRE with the needs of end users and the organization as a whole: coordination, communication and decision making. The way organizations manage this process can be represented by eight opposite perspectives. These eight perspectives refer to two management strategies for CREM departments: an involvement-oriented strategy and a control-oriented strategy. Practical implications – The distinguished eight management perspectives and two management strategies can be used by CRE/FM managers to reconsider their current approach for aligning CRE with the needs and requirements of the client, customers and end users. This is to improve the match between demand and supply in order to find future-proof accommodation solutions. Originality/value – CREM issues and the effect of CRE on students and staff and vice versa is an underexposed topic in research in the field of higher education. There is still limited understanding of how to optimally align school buildings with education. The current study combines insights from other disciplines such as management & organization and IT-alignment with insights from CREM theory.Accepted Author ManuscriptReal Estate Managemen
Accelerating Building Energy Retrofitting with BIM-Enabled BREEAM-NL Assessment
No full textThe Paris Agreement requires building retrofitting practices to be more efficient and effective. However, the current practice for building energy retrofitting is lacking behind, and one reason for that is the time-consuming process of energy credit evaluation. Energy performance assessment such as BREEAM-NL in the Netherlands could apply a more automatic approach with the help of building information modelling (BIM) for an efficient building energy retrofitting evaluation process. However, to what extent BIM can help in accelerating energy performance evaluation in the BREEAM-NL certification process is under-examined. This paper first combines literature findings with practical interviews from a case study organization to present a holistic overview of the potential for automating energy-related credits evaluation in BREEAM-NL using BIM. To understand the possible impacts of such transition, a responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed (RACI) matrix is developed to map the impacts on different actors involved. Furthermore, to help practitioners in an organizational context to adopt a BIM-enabled energy credits assessment workflow, the case study organization is studied to (1) understand their current BIM use status; (2) propose a suitable starting point to take toward a BIM-enabled energy performance assessment for building energy retrofitting. Finally, the proposed starting point is demonstrated using a customized application, and the project team’s feedback is used to verify its efficiency and future directions are identified.Design & Construction ManagementIntegral Design & Managemen
Embedding the personal: the construction of a 'fashion autobiography' as a museum exhibition, informed by innovative practice at ModeMuseum, Antwerp
Full text linkMy intention is to contribute to the field of exhibition-making a repertoire of presentation modes, previously not analysed or documented, that can be applied to the display of fashion in the museum and which will extend those techniques currently available to the exhibition-maker to create meaningful and stimulating exhibition environments.
Part 1 contextualises my investigation, through discussion of the exhibition as source material, the methods employed to execute the research and analysis of relevant literature. Part 1 concludes with an introduction to ModeMuseum, Antwerp, which is the primary location for my research.
Part 2 details the identification, description and definition of a repertoire of presentation modes, classified and distinguished as innovative through comparative analysis of over 100 exhibitions visited for this research, alongside investigation of the exhibition formats and structures that support deployment of the modes.
Part 3 relates the application of the presentation modes to the construction of a 'fashion autobiography‘ in the form of a proposal for a hypothetical exhibition, through examination of the processes utilised to develop the exhibition narrative and detailed account of the proposal in its final realisation.
In conclusion, I will critically reflect on the research executed, underlining the interrelationship of the theoretical and practice-based activities. Finally, I will detail opportunities taken to disseminate this research, and indicate possible directions for continued investigation
Aligning corporate real estate with the corporate strategies of higher education institutions
Full text linkPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how corporate real estate (CRE) managers of higher education institutions formulate their CRE strategies and CRE operating decisions to align CRE with the corporate strategies of these institutions. Design/methodology/approach – An analytical alignment framework has been developed, which was used to study the possible and actual connections between CRE management and corporate management at 13 large Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences. The data collection included a content analysis of the strategic plans of these universities and interviews with the CRE managers. Findings – The research findings show several layers of how CRE managers aim to align CRE with corporate goals to add value to the organization. It appears that the CRE strategies in-use are more clearly aligned with the corporate strategies than with the espoused CRE strategies. Practical implications – The paper emphasizes the relevance of involving CRE management in corporate decision-making to contribute to the attainment of the organizational objectives with an efficient and effective accommodation. Originality/value – Substantial changes in learning and teaching practices in higher education lead to evolving corporate strategies, which result in the need for aligned CRE strategies and CRE operating decisions. This paper makes practitioners and researchers aware of the differences between alignment-based espoused CRE strategies and alignment that results from CRE strategies in-use in the field of higher education. The findings and insights might be applicable in other sectors as well
Returning culture to peacebuilding : contesting the liberal peace in Sierra Leone
No full textThis thesis investigates the advantages and limitations of applying culture to the analysis of violent conflict and peacebuilding, with a particular focus on liberal peacebuilding in Sierra Leone. While fully aware of the critique of the concept of culture in terms of its uses for the production of difference and ‘otherness,’ it also seeks to respond to the critique of liberal peacebuilding on the account of its low sensitivity towards local culture, which allegedly undermines the peace effort. After a careful examination of the terms of discussion about culture enabled by theoretical approaches to conflict in Chapter 2, the thesis presents a theoretical framework for the analysis of cultural aspects of conflict and peace based on the processes and effects of meaning-generation (Chapter 3), developing the conceptual apparatus and vocabulary for the subsequent empirical study. Instead of bracketing out the recursive nature of cultural theorising, the developed approach embraces the recursive dynamics which arise as a result of cultural ‘embeddedness’ of the analyst and the processes which s/he seeks to elucidate, mirroring similar dynamics in the cultural production of meaning and knowledge. The framework of ‘embedded cultural enquiry’ is then used to analyse the practices of liberal peacebuilding as a particular culture, which shapes the interaction of the liberal peace with its ‘subjects’ and critics as well as framing its reception of the cultural problematic generally (Chapter 4). The application of the analytical framework to the case study investigates the interaction between the liberal peace and ‘local culture,’ offering an alternative reading of the conflict and peace process in Sierra Leone (Chapter 5). The study concludes that a greater attention to cultural meaning-making offers a largely untapped potential for peacebuilding, although any decisions with regard to its deployment will inevitably be made from within an inherently biased cultural perspective
Key account management in an Arab context
Full text linkThis study sought to contribute to the literature on key account management (KAM) relationships. In doing so, it aimed to address a number of gaps in the existing literature, particularly a noticeable lack of research into key account management in developing economies, as opposed to developed economies. More specifically, the study sought to examine the dynamics of key account management relationships in an emerging economy in the Arab World. The main research question to address was: How is KAM relationship management applied in an Arab context?
The research utilised 50 cross-sectional semi-structured in-depth interviews to achieve the study’s aim. More specifically, the study was based upon a sample of recipients involved with key accounts from supplier organisations which operated in different sectors and had different ownership – local and foreign. Primary data was gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews primarily with key account managers, and with company directors, marketing and sales managers, and selling/support teams.
In general, the findings revealed that there are informal and formal aspects of KAM relationships in an Arab context that complement each other. These have some similarities and differences with the Western context. In particular, similarities appeared mainly along the formal aspects such as, roles and duties of key account managers (KAMgrs), identification and selection criteria of key accounts, special treatment and activities carried out with key customers; the actors involved including senior managers and support teams; and the resources utilised. However, differences existed in the selection and the recruitment criteria and some competencies that were Arab specific, the degree of involvement of senior managers differ significantly from what is noted in the KAM literature. As for the informal aspect, that is manifested in Wasta and family connections, trust, and personal involvement, which makes the KAM relationship management approach in an Arab context uniquely different and plays a major role in how customers are acquired and retained and the overall management of key customers. Furthermore, evidence shows that there is a tendency to transfer Western KAM practices to the Arab world, with some adaptation to take into consideration the country-specific and contextual factors.
Overall, it is argued, that the study’s findings contribute to existing knowledge in a number of ways. First, they extend our knowledge into key account management in an Arab context and confirm the importance of both the formal and informal aspects in managing KAM relationships. They also add weight to the view that in Arab cultures personal and affective/emotional dimensions of the relational factors are given more importance, compared to the impersonal and calculative aspects that are more emphasised in the West. The findings contribute to existing knowledge regarding KAM segmentation and the importance of the personal profile in an Arab context vis a vis the business profile, and they validate the view that a process of crossvergence of management practices is occurring across borders. The findings, however, challenge the view that KAM can be rolled out unchanged into any international context. They also discover the competencies required for Arab KAMgrs. Finally the findings contribute to existing knowledge by discovering the benefits of Wasta for key account managers
Strategic communication through all stages of a major emergency life cycle, with particular reference to the needs of Ireland
Full text linkThis study asks if a strategic approach to the management of communication can assist and support the overall operational commander in effectively managing a major
emergency situation. Communication in this regard includes important strategictactical functions that need consideration when the community faces significant loss
of life or damage, and incorporates tasks such as media management, public information, the raising of public awareness, internal communication, public affairs,
community relations, and survivor and victim relations. Encompassing these functions are a number of overarching principles that, when adopted, allow the entire
process to be approached from a strategic rather than a tactical viewpoint. The study demonstrates how an efficient, strategically focused communication team can assist the operational commander in managing a major emergency situation.
The dissertation explores principles and practices for strategic communication management for major emergencies. It recommends a particular framework that is underpinned by six strategic communication principles. The framework was
developed taking into account relevant theories and models of strategic communication and management, augmented by detailed primary and secondary qualitative deductive research. Research in this regard included reading not only the academic literature but also a broad range of official Irish and other documentation, including reports, manuals, guidance materials and legislation. Original primary
research was undertaken to ascertain how a number of countries, regarded as leaders in this field, approach this subject and detailed interviews were conducted with
responsible officials in Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. As relatively little data exists on the subject of major emergency strategic communication in the Irish context, in-depth interviews were also conducted with key individuals involved in major emergency management in Ireland.
The study demonstrates that the strategic communication function is increasingly a critical success factor in major emergency management internationally. It also shows
that, while major emergency communication initiatives have been undertaken in Ireland, the Irish approach is somewhat fragmented and tactical in nature
