Purpose-driven consultancies’ negotiation of organizational tensions

This article examines the negotiation of organizational tensions by purpose-driven consultancies, for-profit firms also motivated by social change agendas in their implementation of organizational development for corporate clients. Using two case studies – APCom training ethical corporate leaders, and GreenD communicating environmental sustainability programs – we trace how such consultancies negotiate these tensions, and how their underlying purpose might accordingly transform. Our multi-case study suggests two broad tensions related to purpose and impact that are experienced in context-specific ways by the consultancies. Although members sought to frame these tensions in positive ways, as complementary dialectics or contradicting the dominant capitalist system, they were also at risk of devolving into more paradoxical contradictions and even debilitating double binds, without sustained discussion to ‘repurpose’ the firms. We close by discussing theoretical and practical implications for purpose-driven consultancies, given that their pursuit of social change is often at odds with the status quo.     

Ohm’s law, Kirchoff ’s law and the Drunkard’s walk

Recall from Resonance, Vol. 1, No. 7 that when the Drunkard asks: “Will I ever, ever get home again?”, Polya answers: “You can’t miss, just keep going and stay out of 3D!” In this two-part article we show how to look at this question of recurrence and transience of random walks (which was originally asked and solved by George Polya) through electrical networks. In the first part we look at the related electrical networks.     

Studies on a new antitubercular drug, trifluoperazine: Its effect in combination with conventional antitubercular drugs in tubercular lymphadenitis

After demonstrating that trifluoperazine (TFP) possesses invitro antitubercular activity against drug (single and multidrug) resistantMycobacterium tuberculosis, we initiated preliminary clinical studies in a few patients of tubercular lymphadenitis. Effect of TFP was assessed by testing the antitubercular activity of the serum of patients receiving TFP in addition to regular therapy. Patients were divided into two groups of 30 each. For ethical considerations, patients of both groups were treated initially for one month with antitubercular therapy (ATT) consisting of isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide and TFP was tried for 15 days only. Patients of group1 were given a single dose of TFP (5mg/day) daily from days 31 to 45 in addition to ATT, while those in group 2 received ATT only. Assessment of the antitubercular activity of the serum (testedin vitro in Youmans and Karlson’s liquid medium) revealed that the serum of patients (collected on 45th day) of group1 (ATT+TFP treated) possessed much higher antitubercular activity than that of group 2 (ATT only treated) patients. Clinical examination indicated that overall improvement was seen much earlier in group1 (ATT+TFP) patients than in group 2 (ATT alone) patients. At the end of the follow up period of 6 months with ATT from 46th day onwards to both groups, there were no side effects due to TFP. Hematology and liver function tests were normal in both the groups. We suggest that TFP has good potential and therefore deserves further studies either in combination with other drugs of ATT or as one of the drugs of ATT, for the treatment of tuberculosis due to MDR strains to find a suitable effective dose without side effects.     

Serum ionised calcium in birth asphyxia

Serum total and ionised calcium levels were measured at birth and at 48 hours in 25 term neonates with birth asphyxia (one minute APGAR score of 6 or less) and in 25 normal term neonates (one minute APGAR score of 7 or more). Infants were categorised into two groups TAGA (term appropriate for gestational age) and TSGA (term small for gestational age). Asphyxiated infants had significantly lower serum total and ionised calcium values at birth as well as at 48 hours. Abnormal clinical features were observed in 48% of asphyxiated infants. Low ionised calcium was detected in symptomatic babies, who had otherwise normal total calcium values. Due to hyocalcemia especially ionised calcium in asphyxiated infants and high frequency of functional derangement associated with this hypocalcemioa, serial monitoring of serum isonised calcium levels is necessary.     

Status of epidermal growth factor receptors family in hormone-dependent carcinomas of the breast and prostate with reference to serum lipids and lipoproteins

There are numerous growing evidences of resemblance between carcinomas of the breast and prostate. A total of 45 cases of these two hormone-dependent cancers along with appropriate controls were subjected for status of epidermal growth factor receptors as well as serum lipid profile. Paraffin embedded tissue sections from aforesald tumours were analysed by immunohistochemical staining for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R), c-erbB-2 oncoprotein, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR). Sera from same individuals were studied for serum lipid profile analysis. The study revealed that immunoexpression of all receptor proteins (EGF-R). c-erbB-2 was significantly higher in breast carcinoma. In addition, mean levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol were found to be significantly elevated while the level of HDL-cholesterol was observed to be lower among patients with breast cancer as compared to matched controls. Further, ER-positive breast cancer cases have significantly higher mean level of HDL-cholesterol when compared with ER-negative breast cancer patients. Contrary to this, no alteration in different serum lipid fractions was noticed among the patients with prostate cancer. However, a positive relationship was noticed between immunoexpressions of EGF-R and c-erbB-2 in prostate cancer.     

Globalization: A Brief Primer for Counselors

The concept of globalization elicits a wide range of reactions among the public, policy makers, and academics (Bennhold 2007; Bradsher 2006; Cheng 2005; Dobbs 2004; Friedman 2005; Gilbert 2006; Oppenheimer 2005; Stiglitz 2006; Winestock 2001; World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization 2004). Increased understanding of globalization can help counselors recognize their influential role as one of the few groups of professionals that operate in schools, mental health, and career counseling settings. Because the consequences of globalization impact every aspect of life, counselors have a responsibility to understand globalization systemically, including how it impacts the practice of counseling and how to help their clients function effectively in the context of globalization. In this article, which is intended as a primer for continued dialogue, globalization is introduced as an issue to be further studied and responded to by professional organizations around the world. Examples of globalization are offered and a case is made for continued collaboration between quality assurance and membership organizations in addressing globalization.     

A novel approach for part family formation using K-means algorithm

The reconfigurable manufacturing system （RMS） is the next step in manufacturing, allowing the production of any quantity of highly customized and complex parts together with the benefits of mass production. In RMSs, parts are grouped into families, each of which requires a specific system configuration. Initially system is configured to produce the first family of parts. Once it is finished, the system will be reconfigured in order to produce the second family, and so forth. The effectiveness of a RMS depends on the formation of the optimum set of part families addressing various recon figurability issues. The aim of this work is to establish a methodology for grouping parts into families for effective working of RMS. The methodology carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the correlation matrix is used as similarity coefficient matrix. In the second phase, agglomerative hier archical Kmeans algorithm is used for the parts family for mation resulting in an optimum set of part families for reconfigurable manufacturing system.     

Molecular mechanism of pathogenesis of dengue virus: Entry and fusion with target cell

Dengue fever is one of the major health problems in India. Interaction with specific receptor(s) at the cell surface is one of the first events in the pathogenesis of Dengue virus. However, relatively little is known about these receptors. Cellular receptors in human monocytes and mouse neural cells are main target for the viral infection. The envelope protein of the virus (E-protein) plays important role in attachment of virus to target cells and their interaction with cellular receptors. The modulation of receptor gene(s) and/or protein(s) can be used as a method for interfering with virus entry and can thus become a new method for disease prevention. The receptors can be purified by affinity chromatography using E-protein as ligand. It has been reported that addition of highly sulfated heparan sulfate prevents E-protein binding to target cells suggesting that heparan sulfate is utilized by dengue envelope protein to bind to target cells.