1,721,080 research outputs found
Research groups evolution in a Foreign Language Department
No full textRecent work has started to study the global structure of large-scale collaboration networks in the natural sciences (Newman, 2001; Newman, 2003) but has not attempted to explain the features and the evolution of such networks with respect to scientific practice. In fact the exchange of ideas, research questions, methods and tacit knowledge is only possible in structurally cohesive networks like research groups in an organizational setting.Current research in the sociology of knowledge suggests that the set of ideas one holds to be true is largely a function of the group of people one interacts with and references to authorities recognized by the group (Moody, 2004). The co-authorship on papers implies that there has been collaboration between scientists, which could connote a research group, if the researchers belong to the same organization. It has been shown that in such networks the connections are based on homophily, meaning similar research interests (McPherson et. al., 2001) and stability, meaning that two scientists that collaborated they have been trusting each other (Newman, 2003)
La struttura e l'evoluzione del network dei ricercatori e l'impatto sulle performance
No full textCollaboration occurs when a group of autonomous stakeholders of a problem domain engages in an interactive process, using shared rules, norms and structures, to act or decide on issues related to that domain (Wood et al. 1991). In particular in scientific research collaboration is at the same time working method and study subject, since the scientific interest comes from realization that, so far, collaboration is the common way of doing research (Moody 2004).
This work is in response to the need of deeply understand the evolutionary dynamic of individuals' collaboration in research group and the connection with performance. This can be done supposing that we can measure a researcher performance from his publications and that this can be related to the network evolution which is at the same time effect of selection and influence regarding the behavior.
We will study the scientific collaboration network, which is an evolving self-organizing network based on similarity of researchers' scientific interests. The peculiarity of scientific collaboration compared with collaboration in general is that it is referred to a non hierarchic model. This leaves the researcher free to decide to whom and how to collaborate.
Some hypotheses are tested in order to understand this pattern. First we will test if the pattern of attachment is homophily versus functionality or status expectations. Second we will test if the rise of performance of a researcher is positively correlated with network evolution. Finally we will test if the researchers' performance evolution is explained by influence.
To explore these questions, applying three methodologies, the Discrete-Time Network Visualization (Powell et al. 2005), the Actor Oriented Modeling (Snijders 1996) and the semi-structured interviews (Spradley 1979; Wengraf 2001), we will study researchers' co-evolution of network and performance in four departments at Bologna University from 1996 to 2007.
Results show that homophily, meaning common research interests is the main mechanism to explain the attachment to a research group. Researcher performance is influenced by the groups he belongs to, the principal investigator and his capabilities. The co-evolution mechanism requires strong ties inside the group and weak ties outside. Results do not support the hypothesis that performance rises is positively correlated with network increase.
Implications of these findings include an empirical contribution, as the uniqueness of the sample; a methodological contribution, as the refinement of the Actor Oriented Model for non-directed networks; and a theoretical contribution, as the understanding of research groups' evolutionary mechanisms. In the last section of this work we discuss about policy and management implications, limitations and directions for future research
L’allineamento tra modello operativo e logica organizzativa delle attività di IT nel settore pubblico: analisi della letteratura e idee di ricerca
No full textIl tema della gestione strategica delle attività connesse all’Information Technology (IT) è stato approfonditamente studiato in letteratura, tuttavia la maggior parte dei contributi fanno riferimento ad imprese private. D’altra parte, negli ultimi anni, le organizzazioni pubbliche di tutto il mondo hanno investito in maniera sempre più strutturata e consistente in Information Technology al fine di conseguire, anche congiuntamente, una pluralità di obiettivi: migliorare l’infrastruttura tecnologica di base, migliorare l’offerta di servizi ai cittadini, ridurre il carico di lavoro del personale interno, abbattere i costi. In questo lavoro verranno studiati, attraverso un’analisi approfondita della letteratura, i costrutti “modello operativo” e “logica organizzativa delle attività di IT” e le loro modalità di allineamento, considerando criticamente il rapporto tra organizzazioni pubbliche e imprese private. Il lavoro si concluderà proponendo alcuni casi applicativi, un meta-modello derivato dal confronto dei lavori esaminati con le problematiche del settore pubblico e il delineamento di alcune linee di ricerca futura
I sistemi ICT a supporto del facility management
No full textPer ottenere un vantaggio competitivo durevole, è oggi determinante per l’organizzazione sviluppare una vera e propria strategia di gestione patrimoniale, identificando le tecnologie di supporto più adeguate e garantendo l’acquisizione ed il mantenimento delle necessarie competenze.In linea con quanto appena esposto, un sistema informativo a supporto della gestione del patrimonio deve garantire: •il monitoraggio dei processi di supporto alle infrastrutture,•il miglioramento della conoscenza degli assets e più specificamente del patrimonio immobiliare e degli impianti,•la riduzione dei tempi delle attività di costruzione e manutenzione degli immobili e degli impianti,•il contenimento dei costi operativi di gestione del patrimonio,•l’assenza di soluzioni non ottimali o ridondanti
How tangible is your prototype? Designing the user and expert interaction
No full textThe only way to create a shared understanding of an idea in the design process is to convert it into a prototype. Since prototypes are in general built by experts and tested by users, we want to discover which materials users like and if experts and users are aligned in this choice in the different design phases. In this experiment, the tested object is an intangible artefact. We gathered qualitative data on how users and experts perceive low fidelity prototypes made of different materials. We found that the sequence of prototyping materials to use for each phase of the design process depends upon the user. The tangibility level of prototypes increases as the design process progresses. Less tangible prototypes works in brainstorming while ones that are more tangible are perfect for the testing phase. In general, prototypes that are more tangible facilitate creativity, interaction and communication, because they allow a direct link between actions and thoughts
CHOOSE THE RIGHT MATERIAL! EXPERT AND USER INTERACTION IN PARTICIPATORY DESIGN
No full textThe only way to create a shared understanding of an idea in the design process is to convert it in a tangible prototype. This paper investigates how the tangibility level of a prototype can affect the interaction between designers and end users. We found that the sequence of prototyping materials to use for each phase of the design process depends upon the end user. Things such as age, background and personal skills are very important in choosing the right material. Less tangible prototypes works in brainstorming while ones that are more tangible are perfect for the testing phase
Le comunità online
No full textIl capitolo introduce e definisce le comunità online, con particolare riferimento alle co-munità di sviluppo software a codice sorgente aperto (open source). Sono descritte le motivazioni che spingono centinaia di volontari a contribuire alle comunità e le modalità con cui tali comunità sono governate ed evolvono. Sono anche descritte le principali caratteristiche che accomunano e distinguono i team virtuali e le comunità online. I casi di studio di Apache ed Eclipse (due comunità open source), rispettivamente nate da un gruppo di utenti-sviluppatori e da un progetto avviato da IBM, illustrano i processi collaborati-vi, i ruoli e la divisione delle responsabilità in comunità che presentano genesi diversa. I casi mostrano come il successo sia da attribuirsi principalmente alla capacità delle due comunità di fornire metodologie e strumenti di lavoro a distanza, di progettare un software modulare e di costruire la comunità online sul senso di appartenenza e di contributo volontario nel caso di Apache, e sulla meritocrazia e trasparenza nel caso di Eclipse
Le comunità online
No full textIl capitolo introduce e definisce le comunità online, con particolare riferimento alle co-munità di sviluppo software a codice sorgente aperto (open source). Sono descritte le motivazioni che spingono centinaia di volontari a contribuire alle comunità e le modalità con cui tali comunità sono governate ed evolvono. Sono anche descritte le principali caratteristiche che accomunano e distinguono i team virtuali e le comunità online. I casi di studio di Apache ed Eclipse (due comunità open source), rispettivamente nate da un gruppo di utenti-sviluppatori e da un progetto avviato da IBM, illustrano i processi collaborati-vi, i ruoli e la divisione delle responsabilità in comunità che presentano genesi diversa. I casi mostrano come il successo sia da attribuirsi principalmente alla capacità delle due comunità di fornire metodologie e strumenti di lavoro a distanza, di progettare un software modulare e di costruire la comunità online sul senso di appartenenza e di contributo volontario nel caso di Apache, e sulla meritocrazia e trasparenza nel caso di Eclipse
Structure or flow? Designing knowledge based organizations
No full textIn knowledge-based economies production processes require joint effort by a number of individuals with very specific know-how and organizations play a role as integrator of a variety of individual knowledge. As knowledge specialization increases, however, the integration becomes a difficult endeavor.Escalating specialization and reliance on creativity of individual specialists may weaken the effectiveness of authority-based hierarchical mechanisms, this paper suggests that in order to design knowledge-based production processes, organizations need to design the flow, focusing on how reciprocal exchange emerges in networks of co-workers. We use a computer agent-based model – COOPNET – as a theoretical laboratory to explore the emergence of cooperation in an intra-organizational exchange network. In this virtual environment, we address how individual rewiring and reciprocation strategies interplay with the features of the organization context. More precisely, we test a number of hypotheses on how the freedom assigned to unilaterally terminate an exchange relationships interact with rewarding policies and organization topology and reinforces emerging aggregate cooperation
Building agile design teams
No full textOne of the most common problem in many organizations that have reached considerable dimension and complexity is the lack of communication and collaboration between the different departments. When considering companies producing highly engineered and complex products the design communication problems can lead to cost overruns, schedule slippage, and quality problems.
Using a structured multi matrix approach to analyze the existing project component staffing and team interaction we are able to identify firstly understaffed critical components interfaces, secondly instances of missing critical team interfaces and, last but not least, thirdly we are able to generate an improved team member allocation, to build an agile design team.
To demonstrate the model’s practical utility we discuss a case study of a company operating in the automotive sector
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