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Complex Organization (complex + organization)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	50%
Life Sciences	25%

Selected Abstracts

Becoming A Leader In A Complex Organization

JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 8 2000
Jean-Louis Denis
For a new leader, the process of entering and establishing a position of leadership in a complex organization presents a major challenge. This challenge seems particularly acute when authority, goals and technology are ambiguous, as in many professional service organizations. In this paper, we integrate ideas from the literature on socialization and role theory as well as that on executive succession processes to view new leader integration as a mutual adjustment process between two trajectories , that of the organization and that of the new leader. It is argued that this may lead to four possible types of integration outcomes: assimilation, transformation, accommodation and parallelism. Drawing on a case study of a large hospital, the paper identifies several mechanisms that can be mobilized by the new leader to enhance his or her room for man,uvre as the integration process evolves. The mechanisms can be classified as collaborative or affirmative, with each type having different risks and advantages. The case analysis further reveals that leader integration processes may be differentiated between different activity domains, dynamic over time (as the use of one type of integration approach alters the potential for another later), and interactive across different activity domains (as events in one part of the organization have consequences for those occurring in another). [source]

Spatial and temporal variation of passer Per2 gene expression in two distinct cell groups of the suprachiasmatic hypothalamus in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus)

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2002
Ute Abraham
Abstract In mammals, the major pacemaker controlling circadian rhythmicity is located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei. Although there is evidence for the presence of a hypothalamic circadian oscillator in birds from lesioning studies, neuroanatomical, neurochemical and functional investigations have failed to identify its exact location. Two cell groups in the avian hypothalamus have been shown to bear characteristics of the mammalian suprachiasmatic nucleus: the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the lateral hypothalamic retinorecipient nucleus. We cloned an avian period homologue (pPer2) and investigated the temporal and spatial expression pattern of this gene in the house sparrow hypothalamus using in situ hybridization. Applying quantitative morphometry, we found rhythmic expression of pPer2 during light,dark as well as in constant conditions in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and in the lateral hypothalamus. The temporal and spatial distribution of pPer2 expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus suggest a longitudinal compartmentalization of the nucleus with period gene expression being initiated in the most rostral portion of the suprachiasmatic nucleus before lights on. In the lateral hypothalamus, phasing of pPer2 -rhythmicity appeared different from the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The major difference between light,dark and constant conditions was a decrease in the amplitude of pPer2 rhythmicity in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Our data demonstrate that, unlike in mammals, Per gene expression in the suprachiasmatic hypothalamus of the house sparrow is not confined to a single cell group, indicating a more complex organization of the circadian oscillator in the hypothalamus of birds. [source]

Distinct sequences on 11q13.5 and 11q23,24 are frequently coamplified with MLL in complexly organized 11q amplicons in AML/MDS patients

GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 4 2004
Andrea Zatkova
Amplification within chromosome arm 11q involving the mixed-lineage leukemia gene (MLL) locus is a rare but recurrent aberration in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome (AML/MDS). We and others have observed that 11q amplifications in most AML/MDS cases have not been restricted to the chromosomal region surrounding the MLL gene. Therefore, we implemented a strategy to characterize comprehensively 11q amplicons in a series of 13 AML/MDS patients with MLL amplification. Analysis of 4 of the 13 cases by restriction landmark genomic scanning in combination with virtual genome scan and by matrix-based comparative genomic hybridization demonstrated that the 11q amplicon in these four cases consisted of at least three discontinuous sequences derived from different regions of the long arm of chromosome 11. We defined a maximally 700-kb sequence around the MLL gene that was amplified in all cases. Apart from the core MLL amplicon, we detected two additional 11q regions that were coamplified. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, we demonstrated that sequences in 11q13.5 and 11q23,24 were amplified in 8 of 13 and 10 of 12 AML/MDS cases, respectively. Both regions harbor a number of potentially oncogenic genes. In all 13 cases, either one or both of these regions were coamplified with the MLL amplicon. Thus, we demonstrated that 11q amplicons in AML/MDS patients display a complex organization and have provided evidence for coamplification of two additional regions on the long arm of chromosome 11 that may harbor candidate target genes. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Becoming A Leader In A Complex Organization

Embryonic inner ear cells use migratory mechanisms to establish cell patterns in vitro

JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 2 2006
Lynne M. Bianchi
Abstract The hair cells of the sensory epithelium in the inner ear are among the most precisely organized cells in vertebrates. The mechanisms that lead to this orderly arrangement are only beginning to be understood. It has been suggested that hair cells use migratory mechanisms to help achieve their final position in the organ of Corti. The small size and complex organization of the intact inner ear have made it difficult to monitor changes in hair cell location over time in vivo. In the present study, an established in vitro assay of dissociated, embryonic inner ear cells was used to monitor how hair cells reorganize over time. The hair cell specific marker myosin-VI demonstrated that hair cell precursors from both cochlear and vestibular regions reorganized into specific patterns between 3,24 hr in vitro. In contrast to the unlabeled cells, the myosin-VI-positive cells extended processes while establishing the hair cell patterning within an aggregate. These studies support the hypothesis that hair cell precursors actively migrate to help achieve final patterning within the inner ear sensory epithelium. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Building community knowledge systems: an empirical study of IT-support for sharing best practices among managers

KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 3 2003
Jørgen P. Bansler
The paper reports a field study of knowledge sharing in a large and complex organization. The objective of the study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the implementation and use of a web-based knowledge sharing system designed to facilitate the circulation of best practices among middle managers. We followed the system from its introduction in early 1997 until it was abandoned in the beginning of 2000. We focused on the way the system was introduced in the organization, how it changed, and how the intended group of users received (and eventually rejected) the system. Based on our interviews and observations we identify five reasons for the systems failure. We close the paper by some reflections on the use of the concept of ,shared practice' in the development of IT-supported knowledge sharing systems. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Variations in the structure of the prelunate gyrus in Old World monkeys

THE ANATOMICAL RECORD : ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2006
Estel Van Der Gucht
Abstract Anatomical and electrophysiological studies have revealed a complex organization in the macaque prelunate gyrus. We investigated the morphology and architecture of the prelunate gyrus in Old World monkeys. In Macaca nemestrina, we observed a sulcus crossing the prelunate gyrus within 2 mm of the vertical meridian representation. In other macaque species and other cercopithecines, we observed substantial variations in sulcal morphology across the prelunate gyrus. We did not find a sulcus in all species, and the location and depth of that indentation on the gyrus varied among species. A deep sulcus was observed in all species that emerged earlier in evolution than macaques, such as guenons, baboons, and colobines. We analyzed the regional and parcellation features of the prelunate gyrus in three macaque species, M. maura, M. mulatta, and M. radiata, and in Erythrocebus patas, with emphasis on the relation of structure to the distribution of prelunate visual areas. Nonphosphorylated neurofilament protein immunoreactivity permitted the delineation of a novel area in the prelunate gyrus of Old World monkeys, located around the prelunate sulcus. Species-specific patterns were also observed in the prelunate gyrus of the patas monkey compared to macaques. These observations, as well as a cladistic analysis of the data, suggest an expanded and diversified organization of the prelunate gyrus in some cercopithecoids that may reflect adaptation to specific ecological environments. It was, however, progressively lost in most macaques, being retained only in species that diverged early in the evolution of the genus Macaca, such as M. nemestrina and M. maura. Anat Rec Part A, 288A:753,775, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Defining a knowledge strategy framework for process aligned organizations: an IBM case

KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 2 2008
Stephen McLaughlin
Many organizations struggling to capitalize on their knowledge assets tend to let their knowledge management systems emerge from existing IT systems and infrastructure. Within a complex business environment this can cause a mismatch between how knowledge assets are, and should be managed. In order to help organizations develop dynamic and effective KM systems, the authors' suggest that organizations need to re-think how knowledge is created and shared around their core business processes. To be more specific the author's contend that for organizations where inter/intra organizational collaboration is vital to overall end-to-end performance, such as in a supply chain, organizations need to consider first the relationship between what the authors see as four key components. These are knowledge strategy, core process optimization, core process performance and knowledge barriers. This paper will explain why these components are important, and the relationship between them. The findings put forward in this paper are based on research concerned with improving process performance through knowledge transfer. The research follows a critical theory approach to identify best knowledge transfer practice across complex organizations. The research is exploratory in nature and a case study methodology is used to support this line of inductive theory building. The findings presented are based on data collated within, and across IBM's integrated supply chain. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

,Learning hospitals' and quality

KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 4 2003
Anastasius Moumtzoglou
In the next generation of management thinking, we must go beyond TQM and on to Deming's theory of profound knowledge, much of which is embodied in the field of organizational learning and in particular, in Senge's ,Fifth Discipline' or systems thinking. In this framework there is no explicit mention of quality but the goal is still a process of ongoing improvement, that is, quality is implicitly treated. Hospitals are thought to be pretty complex organizations to implement Senge's theory because they are hierarchical, skills intensive and most health care workers deal with their emotions, patient's emotions, doctor's emotions and fellow employee's emotions in highly intense situations. However, Senge's five ,component technologies' provide an excellent framework to begin with. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Organizational structures that support internal program evaluation

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 120 2008
Michael T. Lambur
This chapter explores how the structure of large complex organizations such as Cooperative Extension affects their ability to support internal evaluation of their programs and activities. Following a literature review of organizational structure and its relation to internal evaluation capacity, the chapter presents the results of interviews with 10 selected Extension evaluators. Four structures for evaluation in Extension organizations are identified: (1) a separate evaluation unit, (2) within an administrative unit, (3) within a program area, and (4) within an academic department or school. The interviews addressed the philosophy and approach to program evaluation, what evaluators do, the perceived effects of organizational structure on evaluation, and reflections on the optimal structure for program evaluation in Extension. Several conclusions are presented: the evaluation function should be associated with a high administrative level in the organization, locating the evaluation function in program units appears to be preferred, roles and responsibilities of internal evaluators need to be clearly specified, internal evaluators need to work closely with administration and management to carry out their roles effectively and to incorporate evaluation into organizational decision making, and internal evaluators often assume other roles beyond their primary role as evaluator. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Robert McNamara and the limits of ,bean counting' (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)

ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY, Issue 3 2010
Keir Martin
The recent death of Robert McNamara provides an opportunity to reflect on the shortcomings of the strategy of numerical rationality in management that defined his career. In both of the major projects in which he took a leading role, as President of the Ford Motor Company and US Defense Secretary during the Vietnam War, his strategy has retrospectively been held up as a model of development to avoid. In particular, management studies now champions the importance of ,culture' in running complex organizations. Ironically, the UK government increasingly seeks to run public services, including higher education, according to a McNamarite model in a bid to be more business-friendly, despite the evidence that many involved in private sector management have been moving away from this model for a quarter of a century. [source]

Politics, leadership, and experience in designing Ontario's cabinet

CANADIAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION/ADMINISTRATION PUBLIQUE DU CANADA, Issue 2 2001
Ted Glenn
Traditional approaches to this question stress the importance of representational imperatives (i.e., region, language and gender), the need for managerial capacity and collegiality in complex organizations, or a particular government's fiscal or policy program. While these approaches have merit, they fail to pay sufficient attention to the fact that cabinet decision-making systems are in the first instance very intimate reflections and extensions of the political instincts, personal aptitudes, and governing experience of first ministers. The author sets out to understand recent reforms to Ontario cabinet decision-making in precisely this way - how did Premier Michael Harris' sense of his government's mandate, his personal approach to decision-making, and the practical lessons learned over the course of his government's first mandate influence the design of Ontario's cabinet decision-making system between 1995 and 1999? This article begins with a short history of Ontario's cabinet decision-making system, focusing on the period from 1968 to 1995. It then provides details of reforms introduced between 1995 and 1999 and concludes with some thoughts on how Premier Harris' political instincts, personal aptitudes, and governing experience influenced these reforms. Sommaire: Pourquoi les systèmes de prise de décisions du Cabinet sont-ils conçus comme ils le sont? Les réponses traditionnelles à cette question soulignent l'impor-tance des impératifs de représentation (c.-à-d. la région, la langue et le sexe), le besoin de compétence en matière de gestion et la collégialité dans les organismes complexes, ou bien un programme politique ou budgétaire particulier du gouvernement. Ces approches sont valables, mais elles ne tiennent pas suffisamment compte du fait que les systemes de prise de décisions du Cabinet sont, avant tout, le fruit de reflexions très approfondies et d'instincts politiques, d'aptitudes personnelles, et de l'expérience gouvernementale des premiers ministres. L'auteur de cet article essaie de comprendre, précisément dans ce sens, les récentes réformes en matière de prise de décisions au Cabinet de 1'Ontario: comment est-ce que l'idée qu'a Michael Harris du mandat de son gouvernement, son approche personnelle face à la prise de décisions, et les leçons pratiques tirées de son premier mandat (1995,1999) ont-elles influencé la conception du système de prise de décisions du Cabinet de l'Ontario? L'auteur commence par brosser un bref historique du système de prise de décisions du Cabinet de l'Ontario, en se penchant tout particulièrement sur la période allant de 1968 A 1995. Ensuite, il présente en détail les réformes introduites de 1995 à 1999 et conclut par quelques réflexions sur la manière dont les instincts politiques du Premier ministre Harris, ses aptitudes personnelles et son expérience du gouvernement ont influencé ces réformes. [source]