6,599 research outputs found

    Becoming an HR strategic partner: tales of transition

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    This paper aims to bridge the gap between previous examinations of HR strategic partnership from a role perspective (Truss et al. 2002; Caldwell 2003) and an emerging interest in the social construction of identity (Alvesson et al. 2008). I consider ‘strategic partner’ as a local, flexible social construction framed by the broader occupational context. Based on a year-long ethnographic study, I examine the experiences of HR practitioners ‘becoming’ strategic partners, considering the themes of becoming strategic, becoming a partner and remaining a generalist. Practitioners depict becoming strategic as a ‘release’ from previous constraints, with becoming a partner positioned as filling a gap created by clients’ deficiencies in people management. Meanwhile, tensions develop as strategic partners attempt to retain a say in transactional issues. I reflect on the resulting practical issues while also considering the role of HR practitioners in “the dynamic and socially complex nature of HRM” (Francis 2003: 323)

    News and the Dollar/Yen Exchange Rate, 1931-1933: The End of the Gold Standard, Imperialism, and the Great Depression

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    According to the efficient market hypothesis, news in Tokyo is responsible for the exchange rate changes during the Tokyo market hours, while the U.S. news is responsible for changes in the New York hours. The intra-daily dynamics of the $/yen exchange rate from December 1931 to November 1933 is analyzed. Japan's decision to go off gold in December 1931 depreciated yen by 30% in a month, mostly in the Tokyo market. During 1932, the yen depreciated another 30%, mainly due to Japan's aggression in China and resulting diplomatic isolation. In 1933, the yen appreciated against the dollar, mainly in the New York market, due to the U.S. decision to go off gold. However, exchange rate volatility and its sensitivity to news declined over the two year period, because of increasing capital controls. Changes in the interest rate differential was found insignificant for the changes in the exchange rate. Political regime changes, such as a decision to go off gold, most influenced the exchange rate for the period considered. There were no policy decisions by Japan to cause yen depreciation to promote export and limit import in 1931-33.

    Estuarine Muds manual

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    This report is an update of the working manual part of 'The hydraulic engineering characteristics of estuarine muds' Report No SR77, December 1986, made in the light of research conducted at Hydraulics Research Ltd (HR) and invited comments received from end users in the industry. A considerable research programme has been undertaken by HR since the publication of Report No SR77 and valuable information has been gained in respect of the behaviour of mud during tidal cycles (Ref 2), the deposition of sediment from flowing water (Ref 20), the consolidation of weak mud beds (Ref 26), the effect of sand on the consolidation and erosion processes (Ref 27) and the response of mud beds under waves (Refs 32 and 33). These findings have been incorporated into this revised manual. Report No SR77 was widely circulated to consulting engineers, contractors, academics and staff at HR, with a request for their views on the reports technical content, style and usability. Approximately half of the recipients replied with helpful and, in many cases detailed comments. Overall, the general impression was positive and encouraging. This report has been drafted with these comments taken into account wherever possible. This report summarises, in an engineering form, the main processes of cohesive sediment behaviour, namely, deposition, consolidation and erosion. The data presented are intended to show the practicing engineer which parameters are important in each of the processes and to enable broad estimates of the rates of deposition, consolidation and erosion to be made based on a limited knowledge of the field conditions. The behaviour of cohesive sediment does vary considerably in quantitative terms from one source to another. Therefore, it is crucial that the engineer appreciates that estimates based on the data presented herewith may well be in error by half an order of magnitude. For most serious engineering problems involving cohesive sediment it would be essential to undertake a detailed study. This would involve some of the following techniques: field measurements, laboratory testing of sediment, numerical modelling of hydrodynamics and sediment transport and physical modelling of hydrodynamics

    Norman Yen, Janice Yen, and Haruko Iwanaga at NCRR Washington D.C. lobbying trip

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    A photo of Norman Yen (Yonsei, left), Janice Yen (Sansei, middle), and Haruko Iwanaga (right) in Washington D.C. on a trip sponsored by the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations (NCRR) to lobby Congress to pass redress bills for Japanese Americans including HR 442 and S 1009.The Janice Yen Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress Collection Digital Collection contains mostly photographs of events and activities sponsored by NCRR (National Coalition for Redress/Reparations, later Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress) as well as events and activities where NCRR members participated. Events include NCRR's annual Day of Remembrance, Nisei Week, Manzanar Pilgrimages, community meetings, and various political demonstrations. Also included are photographs from hearings before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) in 1981 and other hearings related to obtaining redress and reparations for Japanese Americans. In addition to NCRR, photographs also showcase activities and events sponsored by LTPRO (Little Tokyo People's Rights Organization). NCRR emerged as a grassroots movement in 1980, fighting for redress and reparations for Nikkei (Japanese Americans) incarcerated during World War II. The non-profit organization worked to bring the community together to seek justice for the thousands of Nikkei deprived of their civil rights during World War II. The material in this collection was created and collected by Janice Yen, community activist, founding member of NCRR, and member of LTPRO. Contextual information regarding photograph subjects including individual names, locations, dates, and event names are largely provided by Janice Yen herself

    River regime based on sediment transport concepts

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    Rational regime relationships for the width, depth and slope of a river in equilibrium are developed using the Ackers and White sediment transport formula and the White, Paris and Bettess friction relationships, together with a principle of maximum sediment transporting capacity. This concept of maximising the sediment transporting capacity is shown to be equivalent to minimising the slope of the river. The relationships which are developed show good agreement with other empirically derived regime relationships and data from sand channels. Some comparisons are made with data from gravel rivers and the difficulties in applying regime concepts to these rivers are discussed

    A New General Method for Predicting the Frictional Characteristics of Alluvial Streams

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    A new method for predicting the frictional resistance of alluvial channels is developed using experimental data. The method is exhaustively tested on an extensive range of field and flume data and compared with the three existing methods due to Einstein and Barbarossa, Engelund and Raudkiv

    Wave overtopping of seawalls, design and assessment manual

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    This manual draws together and summarises previous research into the overtopping performance of seawalls. Data is re-analysed to provide a set of consistent design techniques, representing the most reliable approach to the assessment of seawall overtopping by wave action. The manual consists of five principal sections. Following introductory sections 1 and 2, the third deals with the estimation of mean overtopping discharges. The fourth deals with the estimation of the number of overtopping waves and the peak individual overtopping discharges. The fifth section then examines the concept of a tolerable overtopping discharge and its potential application in design practice. The manual is intended to be used by flood and coastal defence engineers responsible for the design of new seawalls or the assessment and possible remediation of existing structures

    London Gateway Port: Scheme Refinement - Port frontage - interim and final scenarios: Hydraulic studies and assessment of environmental significance

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    HR Wallingford were commissioned by London Gateway to advise on marine and coastal processes and in particular are responsible for the modelling of the impacts of the marine works to enable an understanding of impact to be developed. They have been involved in the project since 2001. The modelling, analysis and interpretation described in this report is based on the methodologies originally employed in the hydraulic studies undertaken to support the EIA. The physical impacts of the two refined scenarios "interim" and "final" have been assessed and contrasted with the "original" scenario as assessed in the EIA. The main findings are as follows: * At an estuary wide scale, no significant changes to predictions of impact on upstream tidal propagation or extent of impact of the works as a result of scheme refinements. * Minor changes to flow regime compared to original scheme. * Siltation on Mucking Flats less than for original scheme * Maintenance (mud deposition) in the original scenario was 1.7 Mm3/year: - initial refined scenario is predicted to be 2.0 Mm3/year - final refined scenario is predicted to be 1.3 Mm3/year * In neither scenario would there need to be a change to the approach to future maintenance dredging requirements as outlined in the EIA. * Maintenance (mud deposition) at nearby berths for both refined schemes is predicted to be similar to that predicted for the original scheme. It can be inferredd from these results that if the interim scheme were modified to a scenario where three container berths had been built, there would be no further change to the flow regime at the adjacent downstream berth.London Gatewa

    Meandering of small streams in Alluvium

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    Investigations were made at the Hydraulics Research Station of channels which achieved a meander pattern in alluvium through natural processes at discharges between 0.2 and 3.2 cusecs. These followed an earlier programme in which the behaviour of straight channels was studied. Discharge, sediment load, hydraulic gradient and channel geometry were measured, and empirical correlations of the stream geometry with discharge and sediment load were deduced. The movement of eroded bank material, the migration of meanders and the effect of sediment load on meander length were studied. It emerged that channels with small sediment loads remained straight and meandering occurred naturally at higher sediment loads. The ultimate pattern was also shown to be influenced by the initial channel condition. Flow resistance and channel shape were compared with a straight channel when about 60 percent of the energy loss was found to be due to the non-prismatic boundary of meandered channels. At the threshold of meandering, losses due to the development of shoals were found to be 25 percent of the total. Dimensional analysis elucidated that no simple relation between meander length and discharge is completely satisfactory and none of the many empirical relations between meander length and discharge has any special significance. A laboratory investigation of variable discharge hydrographs and a study of field discharge data revealed that the bank-full discharge or a flood with a recurrence interval of about a year, whichever is the lesser, generates the plan geometry
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