The Role of Orthographic and Semantic Learning in Word Reading and Reading Comprehension

We tested the theoretically driven hypotheses that children’s orthographic and semantic learning are associated with their word reading and reading comprehension skills, even when orthographic and semantic knowledge are taken into account. A sample of 139 English-speaking Grade 3 children completed a learning task in which they read stories about new inventions. Then they were tested on their learning of the spelling and meaning of the inventions (i.e., orthographic and semantic learning, respectively). Word reading and reading comprehension were assessed with standardised tasks, and orthographic and semantic knowledge were assessed with choice tasks targeting the spelling and meaning of existing words. The results of our structural equation modeling indicated that orthographic learning predicted word reading directly and reading comprehension indirectly via word reading. We also found that semantic learning predicted reading comprehension directly. These findings support integration of the self-teaching hypothesis and the lexical quality hypothesis.     

Numbers and Space Intervals in Length Measurements in the Spanish Context: Proposals for the Transition to Measuring with the Ruler

The present work shows how 4–6-year-old Spanish children interpret numbers and space intervals in the ruler when measuring length. To determine it, 4 ad hoc rulers are designed and used with a sample of 103 children from two schools of Toledo province (Spain). The sample is characterized respecting conservation and measurement with the standard ruler confirming that these children mostly neither conserve nor use the standard ruler correctly, regardless their time exposure to instruction. With the use of our rulers, we confirm that numbers hinder in measuring length, and discrete units imbedded in the ruler help children to measure correctly. A good scaffold is found to help children conceptualize space intervals as iterating objects consisting on the use of rulers with discrete units on them. Its use is recommended preceding the one of standard rulers.     

The role of Lean principles in supporting knowledge management in IT outsourcing relationships

Knowledge management (KM) in information technology outsourcing (ITO) is important to the organizations which pursue long-term strategic benefits and innovation. Effective KM mechanism in outsourcing enables both parties to continuously exchange knowledge and promotes collective learning. This paper investigates the role of Lean principles in supporting KM in ITO relationships. Drawn from the knowledge-based view of the firm, knowledge accessing and knowledge integration and utilization are identified as two key KM processes in outsourcing. Three case studies conducted in different service industries with 18 interviews indicate that the two KM processes were supported by four Lean principles: respect for people, continuous improvement, systems thinking, and proactive behavior. Those principles can be implemented with different tools at different organizational levels. This study reveals the relevance between Lean and KM in ITO relationships, which has not been reported by the KM literature. It also provides implications to ITO practitioners for the implementation of Lean principles.     

A method for identifying the critical success factors of CoP based on performance evaluation

The Community of Practice (CoP) within an organization is a practical way to manage knowledge as systematically as other critical assets to deploy and share it. The availability of the right information at the right time based on performance evaluations is critical. However, there have been few attempts to identify Critical Success Factor (CSFs) based on evaluations to foster knowledge sharing activities in CoPs. Therefore, we developed not only a holistic and systematic method to understand and assess the current state of the CoP but also a method to extract the main CSFs of the CoP based on a performance evaluation. A method for the elementary expression of performance measures and the global performance expression of strategies and CSF was developed using a desirability function to provide information useful in grasping the whole picture of the CoP. The relative importance of strategy and CSFs was extracted based on the cause and effect relationships within the Balanced Scorecard using the Analytic Network Process. In addition, an Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) is applied based on the relative importance and global performance expression of the CSFs.     

Ethical values and social care robots for older people: an international qualitative study

Values such as respect for autonomy, safety, enablement, independence, privacy and social connectedness should be reflected in the design of social robots. The same values should affect the process by which robots are introduced into the homes of older people to support independent living. These values may, however, be in tension. We explored what potential users thought about these values, and how the tensions between them could be resolved. With the help of partners in the ACCOMPANY project, 21 focus groups (123 participants) were convened in France, the Netherlands and the UK. These groups consisted of: (i) older people, (ii) informal carers and (iii) formal carers of older people. The participants were asked to discuss scenarios in which there is a conflict between older people and others over how a robot should be used, these conflicts reflecting tensions between values. Participants favoured compromise, persuasion and negotiation as a means of reaching agreement. Roles and related role-norms for the robot were thought relevant to resolving tensions, as were hypothetical agreements between users and robot-providers before the robot is introduced into the home. Participants’ understanding of each of the values—autonomy, safety, enablement, independence, privacy and social connectedness—is reported. Participants tended to agree that autonomy often has priority over the other values, with the exception in certain cases of safety. The second part of the paper discusses how the values could be incorporated into the design of social robots and operationalised in line with the views expressed by the participants.     

Analysing intellectual capital management and growth based on dynamic modelling

The management of intellectual capital (IC) resources increases organizational value creation capacities. The aim of this study is to present an algorithm for analysing IC management with an emphasis on the recognition and modelling of growth mechanisms for strategic resources. Intensive interactions among different tangible and intangible assets turn organizations into complex systems of highly interrelated resources; therefore, a systems approach is adopted, and a causal loop diagram is used to model resource interaction feedback structures. The development and analysis of the resource interactions model is explained through a practical algorithm that reveals different dimensions of resource deployment, including the potential value of resources, utilization of resources in key business processes, and mechanisms responsible for the sustained growth of strategic resources. The proposed algorithm was used to examine a telecommunication company. We show that there are no growth mechanisms for certain strategic resources. To activate the growth of such strategic resources, several feedback loops are recognized and related initiatives are proposed.     

Intellectual capital of nations: a comparative analysis of assessment models

Although intellectual capital (IC) is the most important factor determining the economic growth, the literature on country-level IC is not quite enough, and more advances are required to improve the assistance to policy makers in the knowledge era. There are different approaches to measuring and managing intangibles, which opens research opportunities and offers new tools to manage IC. This paper contributes to identify, select, and classify models to evaluate and manage intangibles at the country level. The models were identified through a systematic literature review. They were analyzed and compared using cluster analysis. The results show that the models can be grouped into two main categories according to origin and structure. Despite the differences among the models, the reports tend to converge, because of which the decision about which model to choose can be based on pragmatic issues, such as availability of data, previous knowledge, and complexity of reports.     

Knowledge development and advice networks in professional organizations

In this paper, social network analysis techniques and regression models are used to explain the impact of the level of knowledge development on ego-network redundancy in a community of hospital physicians. Our findings document that the level of knowledge development and the extent to which knowledge is homogeneously distributed amongst collaborating physicians are related to the redundancy of their advice networks, albeit with opposite effects. Our results highlight also that the impact of these relationships on network redundancy is moderated based on whether partnering individuals belong to different professional groups. Our results provide valuable input for the management of knowledge networks within professional organizations.     

Embedded knowledge management: towards improved managerial relevance

Despite the large volume of research and managerial literature on knowledge management, many practitioners seem to find it difficult to appreciate its added value for their managerial work. This paper aims to understand and elaborate the added value that knowledge management as a managerial approach can bring to the management of knowledge-intensive organizations. This study explores empirically the actual management practices of a knowledge-intensive organization and examines how knowledge-related phenomena are managed as embedded aspects of management. This paper makes a contribution to prior discussions concerning the relevance of knowledge management and the role of knowledge management as an embedded management practice. The findings of this study should be useful in explaining practitioners the nature, relevance and value of knowledge management.