Creating Action Research Quality in Organization Development: Rigorous,Reflective and Relevant

The purpose of the paper is to present a framework that enables action researchers to create quality action research projects within the organization development (OD) domain using the broad criteria of being rigorous, reflective and relevant and so contribute to the realm of practical knowing. What constitutes good quality action research within OD is a difficult question, given the broad range of approaches that operates in a wide variety of settings and with great diversity. It advances specific dimensions by which action researchers can create, review and assess quality in action research work. This integrative framework and criteria are practical tools to enable action researchers to create quality action research in OD.     

Film Use to Promote Understanding in Change and Diffusion of Innovation

The paper explores cinematic films as a pedagogical tool to promote critical thinking and student discussions in a doctoral-level learning, design, and technology seminar course at a major U.S. research university. These discussions focused on systemic change and systemic thinking concepts. The authors offer evidence from the literature that supports films’ power as a visual metaphor and neurocognitive stimulator to promote development of new perspectives in graduate students on case studies through articulation, reflection, and explanation of their thought processes on change and diffusion of innovation. There are theoretical, political, social, and technological issues that create tensions during any systemic change effort. The goal of using film in this seminar is to equip students with the requisite skills, theoretical frameworks, and interpersonal experiences needed to address these issues within organizations and communities. The change expected from systemic thinking is for students to think more deeply about the interconnectedness of systems and the importance of bottom-up change efforts that consider the perspective of all stakeholders.     

Operationalising “Double-Loop” Learning in Service Organisations: A Systems Approach for Creating Knowledge

Learning organisation literature has widely discussed the connections between “double-loop” learning and its significance to organisational performance, but paying little attention to tools and systems that can operationalise “double-loop” learning in organisations. This paper investigates the impact of applying a systems approach for service operations design, expressed as the Vanguard Method (Seddon, Freedom from command and control: a better way to make the work work, 2003), in order to activate “double-loop” learning in service organisations. Two case studies were conducted in the banking mortgage operations and adults’ social care services in the UK, using the dimensions of the learning organisation questionnaire (DLOQ), semi-structured interviews, observations, and documents. The findings of the cross-case analysis support the link of applying the Vanguard Method with operationalising “double-loop” learning through three main factors, namely systematic-operations improvement, organisational capacity development, and outside-in mode of work; that are all embedded into the seven dimensions of the DLOQ. The value of this paper is the introduction of a service operations design tool that can activate “double-loop” learning performance in the fast changing knowledge era. It also provides an impetus for service organisations to creatively influence employees’ competencies to effectively improve internal systems.     

美国东北部早熟和晚熟玉米杂交种年际间产量稳定性

玉米是美国东北部奶牛业的主要能量来源，杂交种的选择是提高玉米产量、降低生产成本的关键和前提。连续5年在美国麻省大学农学实验站的典型砂壤土耕地上进行试验，结合当地气象部门提供的生育期间玉米的生长期生长度日数和降雨量，对3个早熟杂交种和3个晚熟杂交种的产量进行了年际间稳定性比较。结果表明：产量与年际间气候条件无关，无论是青贮饲料产量还是穗棒产量，晚熟品种的产量均高于早熟品种（2001年杂交种E409L）。5年平均晚熟品种的青贮饲料产量和穗棒产量分别比早熟品种高出10．9％和8．0％。相同年份品种间产量存在差异，同一品种年际间产量差异显著。低温年份，相对冷凉的生育前期和温热的生育后期不利于美国东北部玉米生产。生育期间较高的降雨量有利于青贮产量的形成。选择种植晚熟品种是该区农民提高玉米产量、降低生产成本的有效途径。只有热量多且雨量充沛的年份才有利于玉米产量潜力的挖掘。有关某种玉米基因型对当地气候适应性方面的知识，将有利于育种者选择有价值的种质资源。表6，参17。     

Direct multicriteria clustering algorithms

In a multicriteria clustering problem, optimization over more than one criterion is required. The problem can be treated in different ways: by reduction to a clustering problem with the single criterion obtained as a combination of the given criteria; by constrained clustering algorithms where a selected critetion is considered as the clustering criterion and all others determine the constraints; or by direct algorithms. In this paper two types of direct algorithms for solving multicriteria clustering problem are proposed: the modified relocation algorithm, and the modified agglomerative algorithm. Different elaborations of these two types of algorithms are discussed and compared. Finally, two applications of the proposed algorithms are presented. Elaborated version of the talks presented at the First Conference of the International Federation of Classification Societies, Aachen, 1987, at the International Conference on Social Science Methodology, Dubrovnik, 1988, and at the Second Conference of the International Federation of Classification Societies, Charlottesville, 1989. This work was supported in part by the Research Council of Slovenia.     

The runt test for multimodality

Single linkage clusters on a set of points are the maximal connected sets in a graph constructed by connecting all points closer than a given threshold distance. The complete set of single linkage clusters is obtained from all the graphs constructed using different threshold distances. The set of clusters forms a hierarchical tree, in which each non-singleton cluster divides into two or more subclusters; the runt size for each single linkage cluster is the number of points in its smallest subcluster. The maximum runt size over all single linkage clusters is our proposed test statistic for assessing multimodality. We give significance levels of the test for two null hypotheses, and consider its power against some bimodal alternatives. Research partially supported by NSF Grant No. DMS-8617919.     

Protein kinase C and phospholipase D: intimate interactions in intracellular signaling

Diacylglycerol (DAG) was discovered as a potent lipid second messenger with protein kinase C (PKC) as its major cellular target more than 25 years ago. There is increasing evidence of significant complexity within lipid signaling, and the classical DAG-PKC model no longer stands alone but is part of a larger bioactive lipid universe involving glycerolipids and sphingolipids. Multiple layers of regulation exist among PKC- and DAG-metabolizing enzymes such as phosphatidylcholine (PC)-specific phospholipase D, and cross-talk exists between the glycerolipid and sphingolipid pathways, with PKC at the center. Currently, there is intense interest in the question of whether DAG derived from PC can function as a lipid second messenger and regulate PKC analogous to DAG derived from phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂). To address these issues and incorporate DAG-PKC and other signaling pathways into an expanded view of cell biology, it will be necessary to go beyond the classical approaches and concepts.Received 29 November 2004; received after revision 18 January 2005; accepted 4 March 2005This work is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Yasutomi Nishizuka, the discoverer of protein kinase C, who was both a gentleman and a scientist.     

Congenital muscular dystrophy: molecular and cellular aspects

The congenital muscular dystrophies are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of neuromuscular disorders. Each form has a characteristic phenotype, but there is overlap between some entities and their classification is based on a combination of clinical features and the primary or secondary protein defect. Recent studies have identified the genetic basis of a number of congenital muscular dystrophies (11 genes in total) and have recognised a novel pathological mechanism that highlights the importance of the correct posttranslational processing of proteins, in particular -dystroglycan. Diagnosis of these conditions has been aided by the availability of specific antibodies for each protein and a better understanding of the protein changes that accompany each condition. In this review we present the major molecular, clinical and diagnostic aspects of each group of congenital muscular dystrophy with an emphasis in the more recent developments.Received 11 December 2004; accepted 15 December 2004