scholarly journals Enhancement of collaboration in the early stage of an interdisciplinary engineering and design project: Mapping group dynamics

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Risnes ◽  
◽  
Mirjam Mellema ◽  
Habib Sherkat ◽  
Marco Pinto-Orellanna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Mapping Group

Exploring entrepreneurial-group formation by smallholder Burundian farmers

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-102
Author(s):  
Bélyse Mupfasoni ◽  
Aad Kessler ◽  
Thomas Lans ◽  
Rama Lionel Ngenzebuke
Keyword(s):  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Group Formation ◽  
Top Management Teams ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal States ◽  
Farmer Groups

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of specific internal states (i.e. the set of sustainable values and motivations) that underlie group formation and joint business idea identification of farmer groups in the context of Burundi. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative and qualitative data were combined in this study. Quantitative data were analyzed using basic statistics. Qualitative data were collected in focus group discussions with farmer groups. Findings Findings revealed that groups are not just formed on the basis of homophily (same level of internal states) but also on “compensation” and “committed leadership.” Moreover, prior sustainable behavior of members influences sustainability of new group business ideas and the nature (e.g. focus on farming) of that business idea. Research limitations/implications As this study was done at an early stage of group formation and does not include group dynamics over a longer period of time, further monitoring of the groups is needed to examine if the observed motivation persists. Originality/value Although there is a vast amount of literature on entrepreneurial and top management teams, literature on the (early) mechanisms of entrepreneurial group formation in an emerging economy and rural context is relatively scarce.

Group dynamics and the role of ICT in the life cycle analysis of community of practice-based product development: a case study

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilpo Pohjola ◽  
Anu Puusa
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Life Cycle Analysis ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Interaction

Purpose This paper aims to examine the dynamics of a community of practice (CoP) through a case study of eCars – Now! They offer open-source blueprints of the electric conversion kits globally. The authors analysed the CoP by considering its entire life cycle, starting from the motives for its establishment, through its active performance, up to the current stage, where the members need to decide whether the community will remain viable. Particular attention was paid to the group dynamics and issues that seemed relevant to the change in dynamics which determine whether a CoP maintains its vitality or dissipates. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative case study was chosen as the research strategy (Yin, 1984) to answer the research question and understand the target phenomenon of the CoP by analysing textual data. This particular case was chosen because of its unusual revelatory value for the case CoP which aims at creating a tangible innovation by using a platform that normally aims at intangible problem-solving (Eisenhardt and Graebner, 2007). In the data collection, the authors used method and researcher triangulation (Patton, 1990). Findings Life cycle analysis revealed four themes that explained the change in the group dynamics and the dispersal of the community: differentiation and dispersal of interests, growth that resulted in role differentiation, virtuality in community development and inclusion of investors. The themes were all related to the fact that the case community operated with not only knowledge, but also with a tangible product. Therefore, the tangibility of a problem to be solved seems to play a pivotal role in a CoP’s operations and dynamics and, in part, also explains the changing role of information and communications technology (ICT) in the process. Research limitations/implications However, this paper identified also different ways to characterize community participation, which was also relevant from group dynamics point of view. Thus, the topic should be studied further. Group dynamics in general, as it relates to the success of CoPs, should be also investigated further. Additional studies should implement the inclusion of external resources in the community. Further research is also needed to investigate tangible and intangible outcomes achieved through CoPs. Much of the available research was conducted over short periods; prolonged interactions in a CoP context could show different results. Practical implications In conclusion, at the beginning of the life cycle of the eCars community, ICT played a significant role. It helped increase awareness of the community in the first place and enabled people to join in, which thus enabled the community to evolve. When the operations evolved and the life cycle progressed, both the physical meeting place as well as personal interaction and communication became emphasized and much more important. In the maturing stage, the role of ICT, and especially social media, is the essential part of the community. Social implications This analysis suggests that at the early stage of a community, the plans can be somewhat random, even utopian, but when the community evolves, this uncertainty can become a problem. First, it affects achieving the actual, and in this case, concrete results. Second, uncertainty and unclarity dampen enthusiasm and motivation, which are of utmost importance due to the voluntary participation. This paper also concludes that when the operations evolved and the life cycle progressed, both the physical meeting place as well as personal interaction and communication became increasingly important. Originality/value This paper argues that the ideological basis for this kind of community should be openness. All information should be available for everyone who registers to the community platform on the internet. This community was working in the mindset of open innovation. Technical documentation and all other material were available for everyone in the community’s wiki pages, which attracted a lot of people who were delighted by eCars. Many advisors delivered technical information and good advice to the practitioners of the community through the platform. The hang arounds were also very well-informed in this stage regarding how the core group was working.

scholarly journals An Analysis of Sketching Skill and Its Role in Early Stage Engineering Design

2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (5) ◽  
pp. 476-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C. Yang ◽  
Jorge G. Cham
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Design Cognition ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Project Outcome ◽  
Potential Link ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Positive Correlations

Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of sketching in design cognition, particularly in the early stages of engineering design. The goal of this preliminary study is to consider the role of a designer’s sketching ability and to examine the potential link between sketching skill and measures of engineering design performance. Sketching ability was evaluated on three distinct aspects relevant to engineering design: visual recall, rendering, and novel visualization. These evaluations were correlated with each other and with measures for sketch fluency, reviewer ranking, and design project outcome. The results of this study suggest that sketching skill is not comprehensive nor is it solely task based. Rather, a designer’s sketching ability lies between these two poles. Positive correlations were found between the quantity of sketches produced and two of the sketching skills that emphasize drawing facility, but a negative correlation was found between sketch quantity and a skill related to mechanism visualization. No conclusive correlations were found between the sketching skills and design outcome and reviewer ranking. This study's findings suggest an important interplay between a designer's ability to sketch and their ability to visualize in their heads or through prototypes. Results also suggest that designers who are given sketch instruction tended to draw more overall.

Alterations in the number of motoneurons containing immunoreactive calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP)& choline acetyltransferase(ChAT) in the cervical spinal cord of the wobbler mouse during the development of the motoneuron disease

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 970-971
Author(s):  
L. Vacca-Galloway ◽  
Y.Q. Zhang ◽  
P. Bose ◽  
S.H. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord ◽  
Wild Type Mouse ◽  
Reflex Response ◽  
Mouse Strains ◽  
Behavioral Tests ◽  
Wobbler Mouse ◽  
Stage 4 ◽  
Stage 1

The Wobbler mouse (wr) has been studied as a model for inherited human motoneuron diseases (MNDs). Using behavioral tests for forelimb power, walking, climbing, and the “clasp-like reflex” response, the progress of the MND can be categorized into early (Stage 1, age 21 days) and late (Stage 4, age 3 months) stages. Age-and sex-matched normal phenotype littermates (NFR/wr) were used as controls (Stage 0), as well as mice from two related wild-type mouse strains: NFR/N and a C57BI/6N. Using behavioral tests, we also detected pre-symptomatic Wobblers at postnatal ages 7 and 14 days. The mice were anesthetized and perfusion-fixed for immunocytochemical (ICC) of CGRP and ChAT in the spinal cord (C3 to C5).Using computerized morphomety (Vidas, Zeiss), the numbers of IR-CGRP labelled motoneurons were significantly lower in 14 day old Wobbler specimens compared with the controls (Fig. 1). The same trend was observed at 21 days (Stage 1) and 3 months (Stage 4). The IR-CGRP-containing motoneurons in the Wobbler specimens declined progressively with age.

Automated high-resolution microscopy: the approaches so far

1987 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 58-61
Author(s):  
W. O. Saxton
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Automatic Recording ◽  
Microprocessor Control ◽  
Alternative Systems ◽  
Electron Image ◽  
Complete Automation ◽  
Analysis System ◽  
High Resolution Microscopy

Recent commercial microscopes with internal microprocessor control of all major functions have already demonstrated some of the benefits anticipated from such systems, such as continuous magnification, rotation-free diffraction and magnification, automatic recording of mutually registered focal series, and fewer control knobs. Complete automation of the focusing, stigmating and alignment of a high resolution microscope, allowing focal series to be recorded at preselected focus values as well, is still imminent rather than accomplished, however; some kind of image pick-up and analysis system, fed with the electron image via a TV camera, is clearly essential for this, but several alternative systems and algorithms are still being explored. This paper reviews the options critically in turn, and stresses the need to consider alignment and focusing at an early stage, and not merely as an optional extension to a basic proposal.

Direct observation of Fe-Al-Zn ternary intermetallic compound and its transformation during the early stage of hot-dip galvanizing

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 1116-1117
Author(s):  
C. S. Lin ◽  
W. A. Chiou ◽  
M. Meshii
Keyword(s):  
Intermetallic Compound ◽  
Reaction Rate ◽  
Diffusion Rate ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Zinc Bath ◽  
Steel Sheets ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Solid Iron ◽  
Iron And Zinc ◽  
Ternary Intermetallic Compound

The galvannealed steel sheets have received ever increased attention because of their excellent post-painting corrosion resistance and good weldability. However, its powdering and flaking tendency during press forming processes strongly impairs its performance. In order to optimize the properties of galvanneal coatings, it is critical to control the reaction rate between solid iron and molten zinc.In commercial galvannealing line, aluminum is added to zinc bath to retard the diffusion rate between iron and zinc by the formation of a thin layer of Al intermetallic compound on the surface of steel at initial hot-dip galvanizing. However, the form of this compound and its transformation are still speculated. In this paper, we report the direct observations of this compound and its transformation.The specimens were prepared in a hot-dip simulator in which the steel was galvanized in the zinc bath containing 0.14 wt% of Al at a temperature of 480 °C for 5 seconds and was quenched by liquid nitrogen.

Anisotropy of interfacial defects in the initial stage of MOVPE GaAs growth On Si

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-593
Author(s):  
C. Vannuffel ◽  
C. Schiller ◽  
J. P. Chevalier
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Threading Dislocations ◽  
Mbe Growth ◽  
Detailed Mechanism ◽  
Si Substrates ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Interfacial Defects ◽  
Interfacial Dislocations ◽  
Step Growth ◽  
Essential Problem

Recently, interest has focused on the epitaxy of GaAs on Si as a promising material for electronic applications, potentially for integration of optoelectronic devices on silicon wafers. The essential problem concerns the 4% misfit between the two materials, and this must be accommodated by a network of interfacial dislocations with the lowest number of threading dislocations. It is thus important to understand the detailed mechanism of the formation of this network, in order to eventually reduce the dislocation density at the top of the layers.MOVPE growth is carried out on slightly misoriented, (3.5°) from (001) towards , Si substrates. Here we report on the effect of this misorientation on the interfacial defects, at a very early stage of growth. Only the first stage, of the well-known two step growth process, is thus considered. Previously, we showed that full substrate coverage occured for GaAs thicknesses of 5 nm in contrast to MBE growth, where substantially greater thicknesses are required.

1596: Choices for Definitive Treatment of Early-Stage Prostate Cancer: Results from the Compare Registry

2006 ◽  
Vol 175 (4S) ◽  
pp. 514-514
Author(s):  
David G. McLeod ◽  
Oliver Sartor ◽  
Paul F. Schellhammer ◽  
Anthony V. D'Amico ◽  
Susan Halabi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Definitive Treatment

644: Cathepsin D is a Marker for Early Stage Renal Cell Cancer and Predicts the Presence of Distant Metastases

2005 ◽  
Vol 173 (4S) ◽  
pp. 175-175
Author(s):  
Axel S. Merseburger ◽  
Joerg Hennenlotter ◽  
Perikles Simon ◽  
Marcus Horstmann ◽  
Arnulf Stenzl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Cancer ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Cathepsin D ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Cell Cancer ◽  
Distant Metastases

1068: TP53 Gene Mutations as a Prognostic Marker for PSA Progression in Early Stage Prostate Cancer

2004 ◽  
Vol 171 (4S) ◽  
pp. 282-282
Author(s):  
Markus D. Sachs ◽  
Horst Schlechte ◽  
Katrin Schiemenz ◽  
Severin V. Lenk ◽  
Dietmar Schnorr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Prognostic Marker ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Gene Mutations ◽  
Tp53 Gene ◽  
Psa Progression ◽  
Tp53 Gene Mutations
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