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Action Research in Software Engineering: Theory and Applications
by Miroslaw StaronThis book addresses action research (AR), one of the main research methodologies used for academia-industry research collaborations. It elaborates on how to find the right research activities and how to distinguish them from non-significant ones. Further, it details how to glean lessons from the research results, no matter whether they are positive or negative. Lastly, it shows how companies can evolve and build talents while expanding their product portfolio.The book’s structure is based on that of AR projects; it sequentially covers and discusses each phase of the project. Each chapter shares new insights into AR and provides the reader with a better understanding of how to apply it. In addition, each chapter includes a number of practical use cases or examples. Taken together, the chapters cover the entire software lifecycle: from problem diagnosis to project (or action) planning and execution, to documenting and disseminating results, including validity assessments for AR studies.The goal of this book is to help everyone interested in industry-academia collaborations to conduct joint research. It is for students of software engineering who need to learn about how to set up an evaluation, how to run a project, and how to document the results. It is for all academics who aren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone and enter industry. It is for industrial researchers who know that they want to do more than just develop software blindly. And finally, it is for stakeholders who want to learn how to manage industrial research projects and how to set up guidelines for their own role and expectations.
Energy Transitions and the Future of Gas in the EU: Subsidise or Decarbonise (Energy, Climate and the Environment)
by Gökҫe MeteThis book assesses the impact of energy transitions on the future of natural gas in the EU energy mix. As we approach 2050, the requirement to sharply decrease CO₂ and other GHG emissions means that the role of gas infrastructure in the EU and beyond will change drastically. But what does such change mean? To address this question the author critically analyses the EU’s evolving natural gas market policy and law. Clearly structured throughout, the book explores the following questions: How can we maximise the potential of gas infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions? What are the lessons learned from decision making experience in the natural gas sector? Is the EU moving towards or away from a climate neutral gas sector? How will green and low carbon gas technologies be supported? And, are proposals to drive a growing share of hydrogen, biomethane, and synthetic methane to the system just an excuse to prolong fossil fuel operations?The book explores whether the EU will continue to subsidy natural gas projects or decarbonise the gas grid before 2050, and at what cost. Recommendations are proposed for a new regulatory and policy framework for development and operation of hydrogen pipelines, injection of biomethane into the existing gas grid and for pipelines carrying CO₂. Filling an important gap in the literature, this book aims to develop an understanding of and clarify the complex range of legislation involved within a single analytical framework. Although the focus is mainly on the future of gas in the EU, the findings and recommendations are relevant for a much wider geography. This book will be an invaluable reference to policy makers and practitioners as well as researchers and students across the social sciences interested in the future of energy.
Institutions in Action: The Nature and the Role of Institutions in the Real World (Studies in the Philosophy of Sociality #12)
by Tiziana Andina Petar BojanićThis edited volume presents the social ontology of institutions. It questions what institutions are, what features and properties institutions have and what kinds of institution are present in the social world. The book answers these questions from both a speculative and an applied approach, it argues for a specific definition of institutions as a rule-based equilibria, as collective epistemic agent that is characterized by meaning, principles and power and as product of a We-mode and an imposition of a function. This book started from the interdisciplinary conference Playing by the Rules in Rijeka and contains contributions from Philosophy, Sociology and Economy.Institutions in Action is the first book to offer a comprehensive overview of the many different aspects and accounts about the social ontology of institutions. This much needed book presents researchers a very wide state of the art about the topic of institution by presenting the many differences that emerge in comparing the different positions.
Cultural Studies of LEGO: More Than Just Bricks
by Rebecca C. Hains Sharon R. MazzarellaThis collection examines LEGO from an array of critical and cultural studies approaches, foregrounding the world-renowned brand's ideological power and influence. Given LEGO’s status as the world’s largest toy manufacturer and a transnational multimedia conglomerate, Cultural Studies of Lego: More Than Just Bricks considers LEGO media's cultural messages; creativity with and within LEGO artifacts; and diversity within the franchise, including gender and race representation. The chapters’ in-depth analyses of topics including LEGO films, marketing tactics, play sets, novelizations, and fans offer compelling insights relevant to those interested in the LEGO brand and broader trends in the children’s popular culture market alike.
Bending the Law of Unintended Consequences: A Test-Drive Method for Critical Decision-Making in Organizations
by Richard M. AdlerThis title provides managers, executives and other professionals with an innovative method for critical decision-making. The book explains the reasons for decision failures using the Law of Unintended Consequences. This account draws on the work of sociologist Robert K. Merton, psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, and economist Herbert Simon to identify two primary causes: cognitive biases and bounded rationality. It introduces an innovative method for “test driving” decisions that addresses both causes by combining scenario planning and “what-if” simulations. This method enables professionals to learn safely from virtual mistakes rather than real ones. It also provides four sample test drives of realistic critical decisions as well as two instructional videos to illustrate this new method. This book provides leaders and their support teams with important new tools for analyzing and refining complex decisions that are critical to organizational well-being and survival.
Sustainable Groundwater Management: A Comparative Analysis of French and Australian Policies and Implications to Other Countries (Global Issues in Water Policy #24)
by Jean-Daniel Rinaudo Cameron Holley Steve Barnett Marielle MontginoulThis book describes and analyses the diversity of possible approaches and policy pathways to implement sustainable groundwater development, based on a comparative analysis of numerous quantitative management case studies from France and Australia.This unique book brings together water professionals and academics involved for several decades in groundwater policy making, planning or operational management to reflect on their experience with developing and implementing groundwater management policy. The data and analysis presented accordingly makes a significant contribution to the empirical water management literature by providing novel, real world insights unpublished elsewhere. The originality of the contributions also lies in the different disciplinary perspectives (hydrogeology, economics, planning and social sciences in particular) adopted in many chapters. The book offers a unique comparative analysis of France, Australia and experiences in countries such as Chile and the US to identify similarities, but also fundamental differences, which are analysed and presented as alternative policy options – these differences being mainly related to the role of the state, the community and market mechanisms in groundwater management.
The Political Economy of Money and Banking in Imperial Brazil, 1850–1889 (Palgrave Studies in the History of Finance)
by André A. VillelaThis book uncovers the extent to which government policy in mid nineteenth-century Brazil followed the interests of the all-powerful coffee growing class. The testing ground for this question is monetary and banking policy, an area in which exporters and the Brazilian government were often at loggerheads. The development of the monetary and banking regime during the second half of the Brazilian Empire (1850-89) is examined in a chronological and thematic way. The book establishes two major points of historical fact: the peculiar nature of the monetary standard adopted in Brazil during part of the period, as well as the role of the Bank of Brazil therein. Additionally, the analysis broadens current knowledge of three of the major contemporary events in the financial sphere – the 1860 banking and corporate law, the Souto crisis of 1864 and the 1875 financial crisis that brought down Mauá’s business empire. This book will be of interest to academics, both as secondary literature for their own research and as material that could be used in class at the advanced undergraduate or graduate levels. It will appeal to those interested not only in Brazilian economic and financial history, but also to students of political economy in general.
Climate Change and Impacts in the Pacific (Springer Climate)
by Lalit KumarThis edited volume addresses the impacts of climate change on Pacific islands, and presents databases and indexes for assessing and adapting to island vulnerabilities. By analyzing susceptibility variables, developing comprehensive vulnerability indexes, and applying GIS techniques, the book's authors demonstrate the particular issues presented by climate change in the islands of the Pacific region, and how these issues may be managed to preserve and improve biodiversity and human livelihoods. The book first introduces the issues specific to island communities, such as high emissions impacts, and discusses the importance of the lithological traits of Pacific islands and how these physical factors relate to climate change impacts. From here, the book aims to analyze the various vulnerabilities of different island sectors, and to formulate a susceptibility index from these variables to be used by government and planning agencies for relief prioritization. Such variables include tropical cyclones, built infrastructures, proximity to coastal areas, agriculture, fisheries and marine resources, groundwater availability, biodiversity, and economic impacts on industries such as tourism. Through the categorization and indexing of these variables, human and physical adaptation measures are proposed, and support solutions are offered to aid the inhabitants of affected island countries. This book is intended for policy makers, academics, and climate change researchers, particularly those dealing with climate change impacts on small islands.
BIM-Based Collaborative Building Process Management (Springer Tracts in Civil Engineering)
by Bruno Daniotti Alberto Pavan Sonia Lupica Spagnolo Vittorio Caffi Daniela Pasini Claudio MirarchiThe book reports on the great improvements in the information and knowledge management due to the digitalization of the building sector. By summarizing several research projects addressing the implementation of BIM in different stages of the building process, and the definition of standards at Italian, European and international levels for managing information relying on the implementation of BIM-based processes, it showcases the efforts, especially within the Italian building sector, to build a standardized structure of information and develop tools for collecting, sharing and exchanging information between stakeholders involved in different stages of the building process, so as to enhance the storage, traceability, usability and re-usability of information management. Further, it presents an enhanced use of information that relies on the adoption of the standardized structure of information, and proposes dedicated applications for automating the process of information fruition. Lastly, it features a digital platform for different stakeholders in the building sector, such as manufacturers, producers and construction companies.
European Variations as a Key to Cooperation (Research for Policy)
by Ernst Hirsch Ballin Emina Ćerimović Huub Dijstelbloem Mathieu SegersThis Open Access book offers a novel view on the benefits of a lasting variation between the member states in the EU. In order to bring together thirty very different European states and their citizens, the EU will have to offer more scope for variation. Unlike the existing differentiation by means of opt-outs and deviations, variation is not a concession intended to resolve impasses in negotiations; it is, rather, a different structuring principle. It takes differences in needs and in democratically supported convictions seriously. A common core remains necessary, specifically concerning the basic principles of democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms, and the common market. By taking this approach, the authors remove the pressure to embrace uniformity from the debate about the EU’s future. The book discusses forms of variation that fall both within and outside the current framework of European Union Treaties. The scope for these variations is mapped out in three domains: the internal market; the euro; and asylum, migration and border control.
Climate Change and the Role of Education (Climate Change Management)
by Walter Leal Filho Sarah L. HemstockThis book offers insights into the educational dimensions of climate change and promotes measures to improve education in this context. It is widely believed that education can play a key role in finding global solutions to many problems related to climate change. Indeed, education as a process not only helps young people to better understand and address the impact of global warming, but also fosters better attitudes and behaviours to aid efforts towards mitigating climate change and adapting to a changing environment. But despite the central importance of education in relation to climate change, there is a paucity of publications on this theme. Against this background, the book focuses on the educational aspects of climate change and showcases examples of research, projects and other initiatives aimed at educating various audiences. It also provides a platform for reflections on the role education can play in fostering awareness on a changing climate. Presenting a wide range of valuable lessons learned, which can be adapted and replicated elsewhere, the book appeals to educators and practitioners alike.
Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility—Volume 2: Proceedings of the 2nd American University in the Emirates International Research Conference, AUEIRC'18—Dubai, UAE 2018 (Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation)
by Ahmed N. Al-Masri Yousef Al-AssafThis book gathers high-quality research papers presented at the 2nd AUE international research conference, AUEIRC 2018, which was organized by the American University in the Emirates, Dubai, and held on November 13th-15th, 2018. The book is broadly divided into two main sections: Sustainability and Smart Business, and Sustainability and Creative Industries. The broad range of topics covered under these sections includes: risk assessment in agriculture, corporate social responsibility and the role of intermediaries, the impact of privatizing health insurance, political events and their effect on foreign currency exchange, the effect of sustainable HR practices on financial performance, sustainability integration in the supply chain and logistics, gender inequality in the MENA economies, the panel data model, the model of sustainable marketing in the era of Industry 4.0, micro-enterprises as a tool for combating unemployment, the impact of financial education and control on financial behavior, measuring financial and asset performance in agricultural firms, a comprehensive strategic approach to sustainability in the UAE, sustainability and project finance, HR analytics, FaD or fashion for organizational sustainability, a conceptual framework of sustainable competitive advantages, psychology of organizational sustainability, Blockchain technology and sustainability, veganism and sustainability, institution building from an emotional intelligence perspective, sustainable concrete production using CWP, occupants’ behavior and energy usage in Emirati houses, the effect of shop lighting on consumer behavior, multimedia applications in digital transformation art, integrating biomimicry principles in sustainable architecture, experimental sustainable practices in fashion education, technology-assisted student-centered learning for civil engineering, and a 10-step design process for architectural design studios. All contributions present high-quality original research work, findings and lessons learned in practical development.
English for Specific Purposes Instruction and Research: Current Practices, Challenges and Innovations
by Nalan Kenny Elvan Eda Işık-Taş Huang JianThis edited book focuses on current practices, challenges and innovations in the emerging field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). By combining diverse, empirically-proven and innovative ESP practices from all over the world with inspiring theoretical input and reflections from experienced practitioners, the authors in this volume examine both best-practice examples and ESP programmes which by various metrics are deemed to have failed. This book will be of interest to practitioners, teacher educators and researchers working in the field of ESP, as well as readers interested in language education and curriculum development more broadly.
Space Fostering African Societies: Developing the African Continent through Space, Part 1 (Southern Space Studies)
by Annette FroehlichThis book provides detailed insights into how space and its applications are, and can be, used to support the development of the full range and diversity of African societies, as encapsulated in the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Like previous books in the "Southern Space Studies" series, it focuses on the role of space in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Africa, but it covers an even more extensive array of relevant and timely topics addressing all facets of African development. It demonstrates that, while great achievements have been made in recent years in terms of economic and social development, which has lifted many of Africa’s people out of poverty, there is still much that needs to be done to fulfill the basic needs of Africa's citizens and afford them the dignity they deserve: to this end space is already being employed in diverse fields of human endeavor to serve Africa’s goals for its future, but there is much room for further incorporation of space systems and data. Providing a comprehensive overview of the role space is playing in achieving Africa’s developmental aspirations, the book is of great interest to both students and professionals in fields such as space studies, international relations, governance, social and rural development, and many others.
Financial Sector Development in African Countries: Major Policy Making Issues
by Omotunde E. JohnsonThis Palgrave Pivot begins with a broad focus on financial sector development as a whole, highlighting areas such as the money market, payment system, and the capital market, as well as issues such as regulatory strategy, capacity building of financial firms and service providers, and financial inclusion. In the area of foreign exchange market policies, the book argues that African countries should aim for social efficiency of the markets, which would include soundness of their foreign exchange systems, from an economic growth perspective, and fairness from an income distributional perspective. Finally, in recognition of the fact that some African countries desire financial systems that are strong enough to be international centers of finance, the policy-making implications of that ambition are discussed. This book will be of interest to scholars and students in development economics, finance, and money and banking, as well as policy-makers and practitioners. Further, international organisations and independent research organisations interested in economic development in general or financial system development issues will also find this book of value.
Computer-Human Interaction Research and Applications: First International Conference, CHIRA 2017, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, October 31 – November 2, 2017, Revised Selected Papers (Communications in Computer and Information Science #654)
by Andreas Holzinger Markus Helfert Hugo Plácido SilvaThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the First International Conference on Computer-Human Interaction Research and Applications, CHIRA 2017, held in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, in October/November 2017.The 8 full papers presented in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 35 submissions. The papers selected to be included in this book contribute to the understanding of relevant trends of current research on computer-human interaction, including Interaction design, human factors, entertainment, cognition, perception, user-friendly software and systems, pervasive technologies and interactive devices.
The International Organization for Migration: The New ‘UN Migration Agency’ in Critical Perspective (International Political Economy Series)
by Antoine Pécoud Martin GeigerIn 2016, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) became part of the United Nations. With 173 member states and more than 400 field offices, the IOM—the new ‘UN migration agency’—plays a key role in migration governance. The contributors in this volume provide an in-depth and comprehensive insight into the IOM, its transformation, current structure and projects, as well as its capacity, self-understanding and political agenda.
An Institutional History of Italian Economics in the Interwar Period — Volume I: Adapting to the Fascist Regime (Palgrave Studies in the History of Economic Thought)
by Fabrizio Bientinesi Massimo M. Augello Marco E. L. GuidiItaly is well known for its prominent economists, as well as for the typical public profile they have constantly revealed. But, when facing an illiberal and totalitarian regime, how closely did Italian economists collaborate with government in shaping its economic and political institutions, or work independently? This edited book completes a gap in the history of Italian economic thought by providing a complete work on the crucial link between economics and the Fascist regime, covering the history of political economy in Italy during the so-called “Ventennio” (1922-1943) with an institutional perspective. The approach is threefold: analysis of the academic and extra-academic scene, where economic science was elaborated and taught, the connection between economics, society and politics, and, dissemination of scientific debate. Special attention is given to the bias caused by the Fascist regime to economic debate and careers. This Volume I deals with the economics profession under Fascism, in particular in light of the political and institutional changes that the regime introduced, the restructuring of higher education, the restriction of freedom in teaching and of the press, and with respect to promoting its own strategies of political and ideological propaganda. Volume II (available separately) considers the public side of the economics profession, the “fascistisation” of culture and institutions, banishment and emigration of opponents, and post-WW2 purge of Fascist economists.
Working with Assumptions in International Development Program Evaluation: With a Foreword by Michael Bamberger
by Apollo M. NkwakeThis book discusses the crucial place that assumptions hold in conceptualizing, implementing, and evaluating development programs. It suggests simple ways for stakeholders and evaluators to 1) examine their assumptions about program theory and environmental conditions and 2) develop and carry out effective program monitoring and evaluation in light of those assumptions. A survey of evaluators from an international development agency reviewed the state of practice on assumptions-aware evaluation. This 2nd edition has been updated with further illustrations, case studies, and frameworks that have been researched and tested in the years since the first edition.Regardless of geography or goal, development programs and policies are fueled by a complex network of implicit ideas. Stakeholders may hold assumptions about purposes, outcomes, methodology, and the value of project evaluation and evaluators—which may or may not be shared by the evaluators. A major barrier to viable program evaluations is that development programs are based on assumptions that often are not well articulated. In designing programs, stakeholders often lack clear outlines for how implemented interventions will bring desired changes. This lack of clarity masks critical risks to program success and makes it challenging to evaluate such programs. Methods that have attempted to address this dilemma have been popularized as theory of change or other theory‐based approaches. Often, however, theory-based methods do not sufficiently clarify how program managers or evaluators should work with the assumptions inherent in the connections between the steps. The critical examination of assumptions in evaluation is essential for effective evaluations and evaluative thinking. "How does one think evaluatively? It all begins with assumptions. Systematically articulating, examining, and testing assumptions is the foundation of evaluative thinking… This book, more than any other, explains how to build a strong foundation for effective interventions and useful evaluation by rigorously working with assumptions." —Michael Quinn Patton, PhD. Author of Utilization-Focused Evaluation and co-editor of THOUGHTWORK: Thinking, Action, and the Fate of the World, USA. "This updated edition presents us with a new opportunity to delve into both the theoretical and practical aspects of paradigmatic, prescriptive, and causal assumptions. We need to learn, and apply these insights with the deep attention they deserve." —Zenda Ofir, PhD. Independent Evaluator, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Robert Bosch Academy, Berlin, Germany. Honorary Professor, School of Public Leadership, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. “This thought-provoking book explains why assumptions are an essential condition within the theories and methodologies of evaluation; and how assumptions influence the ways that evaluators approach their work…It will enrich the ways that evaluators develop their models, devise their methodologies, interpret their data, and interact with their stakeholders.”—Jonny Morell, Ph.D., President, 4.669… Evaluation and Planning, Editor Emeritus, Evaluation and Program Planning
Mining and the Law in Africa: Exploring the social and environmental impacts
by Victoria R. NaluleThe mining sector has been an integral part of economic development in many African countries. Although minerals have been exploited for decades in these countries, the benefits have not always been as visible. This has necessitated reforms including nationalisation of mining activities in the distant past; and currently legal and regulatory reforms. This book gives an insight of these reforms and with reference to the fieldwork research undertaken by the author in some African countries, the book highlights the social and environmental impacts of mining activities in Africa. The central question of the book is, why the mining laws have worked in some countries but not others and what can be done to ensure that these laws are effective? Consequently, the book analyses the legal reforms made in the sector and highlights both the challenges and the opportunities for foreign investors as well as the African governments and local communities. The book will be of great interest to researchers and students in Energy and Geography related fields, as well as to practitioners and policy makers.
Rebuilding the Earth: Regenerating our planet’s life support systems for a sustainable future
by Mark EverardRebuilding the Earth highlights humanity’s interdependence with the planet’s ecosystems. Today, these ecosystems are seriously degraded, compromising future security and opportunity. It is essential that we set about rebuilding the metaphorical ‘ark’ of nature upon which our future prospects depend. Central to this book are several case studies of regenerative approaches drawn from every continent on the planet. These approaches are founded on restoration and protection of ecosystems – water and soil, forests, marine and coastal resources, urban infrastructure, farming practices and in corporate supply chains. Rebuilding the Earth is above all optimistic about the daunting challenges facing global society. It is about culture change, addressing the necessity of and the means for putting nature and people back into the heart of societal thinking, policy and action. It advocates for sustainable development in its deepest green sense, but also pragmatically framed in social, technological, governance and economic contexts. The concluding message is “Yes, we can!”
Ecological Rationality in Spatial Planning: Concepts and Tools for Sustainable Land-Use Decisions (Cities and Nature)
by Carlo RegaSpatial planning defines how men use one of the most important and scarce resources on Earth: land. Planners therefore play a key role in countering or deepening the current ecological crisis. To foster ecological transitions, planning scholars and practitioners need to be equipped with sound theories and practical tools. To this end, this book advocates a re-foundation of spatial planning under the paradigm of “ecological rationality”, based on the revaluation of early pioneers of ecological planning and mutual fertilization with different disciplines, including decision-making science, ecology, (eco)system theory, land use science and political ecology.The key principles of ecological rationality and its application to spatial planning are discussed and this conceptual framework is used to explain the main underlying drivers of ecological degradation and their spatial manifestations at the local level. Current policy instruments in the European context, which can be used to underpin ecological planning, such as Green Infrastructure and the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem Service (MAES) initiative, are also examined.
Managing Transformation Projects: Tracing Lessons from the Industrial to the Digital Revolution
by Mark Kozak-Holland Chris ProcterThis book examines the management of three projects from the nineteenth century which led to substantial business transformation: the Stockton to Darlington Railway, the US Transcontinental Railroad and the Manchester Ship Canal. The lessons learned are of great relevance to contemporary project management, particularly those concerned with disruptive technology. The book addresses a wide range of project management topics associated with transformation. These include value management, sponsorship, governance, partnerships, opportunity management, project culture and morale, project complexity, uncertainty, prototyping and piloting, agility, innovation, risk and knowledge management.
Using Arts-based Research Methods: Creative Approaches for Researching Business, Organisation and Humanities (Palgrave Studies in Business, Arts and Humanities)
by Jenna Ward Harriet ShorttThis book showcases a selection of arts-based research methods used in the empirical study of business, organisation and the humanities. Each chapter presents a discursive analysis and a detailed how-to guide for a range of methods including poetry, drawing, photography and social media, film, food, knitting, letter writing and dance. Consideration is given to a variety of steps in the research process, from research design and data collection to analysis and publication. Using Arts-based Research Methods is a unique resource for experienced researchers and students looking to broaden their palette of qualitative research methods.
Who Governs?: Legislatures, Bureaucracies, or Markets? (Palgrave Studies in American Economic History)
by John H. WoodWhen we start to perceive that there is a problem in the market (such as monopoly, fraud or speculation), the legislature passes a law to correct it, a bureaucracy is created to interpret and enforce the new law, firms and other market participants comply, and the problem is solved. But is it? Are politicians’ promises and textbooks’ stories to be believed? This book examines US economic history to demonstrate how the applications of laws are uncertain, affected by changing political and economic conditions as well as by legislators’ perceptions and the ability or willingness of bureaucracies to enforce laws. The two cases developed in this book revolve around William McChesney Martin, Jr., who helped apply (i) the 1930s Securities Acts as president of the New York Stock Exchange and (ii) the Federal Reserve Act in the Keynesian era unforeseen by that Act. As chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, Martin served as private regulator of firms listed on the Exchange—itself a publicly regulated entity. As chairman of the Federal Reserve, he then served as a public regulator. This book thus offers an innovative approach to understanding and examining the various issues and incentives facing each of the three parties: regulated, private regulator, and public regulator.